LAKE MARY, FL – The pre-tournament focus was on all the LPGA, PGA and Champions Tour stars in the field. Players like Brittany Lincicome, Robert Gamez and Jim Thorpe created an excitement around the 3rd Annual Timacuan $10,000 Scramble.
But when it was over, it was a team comprised of Hooters Tour players from Michigan that stole the thunder, and the $10,000 first prize Monday.
Chris Ross, Randy Hutchison, Ryan Brehm and Jack Newman made 16 birdies and two eagles for a 20-under-par 52 over the beautiful Timacuan Golf Club layout to win by two shots. Five teams tied for second at 54.
“You hit the ball in the center of the fairway, hit some iron shots close and sneak in a few putts, and the next thing you know there is a 52 on the board,” said Ross. “There were so many great players in the field, we didn’t know if 52 was going to be good enough. But we made a couple of 30-foot sliders that really made the difference.”
The foursome eagled two par fives, No 5 and No. 12, and birdied the other 16 holes.
Ross had never played the Ron Garl-designed Timacuan, but was impressed by the condition of the course, and the strategy it demanded.
“It is a great golf course,” said Ross. “You have to think about where you place your drive, based on the pin placements. Hitting from the correct side of the fairway was really important on this course. It’s all about the angles.”
Lincicome agreed with Walsh’s assessment of Timacuan.
“This is a terrific golf course,” said Lincicome, a four-time winner on the LPGA Tour. “It is a good test of golf. You have to be able to move the ball around to be successful here.”
Another LPGA Tour star Shanshan Feng, the world’s 13th-ranked player, competed on Monday and liked what she saw.
“The golf course is in really good shape, “ she said. “I like the design a lot, and the views are nice. It is fun to play.”
Timacuan will host the PGA Pro-Pro competition Tuesday morning. It’s all part of a big week for the golf industry in Central Florida. The annual PGA Merchandise Show takes place Thursday through Saturday at Orange County Convention Center, attracting the majority of golf companies in the world.
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