The field for this year’s Henry Tuten Gator Bowl Pro-Am is as strong as it’s been in recent years. 

The tournament will be Dec. 19-20 at the Sea Island Club. The field is led by defending champion Russell Knox and Billy Horschel of Ponte Vedra Beach and Keith Mitchell, J.T. Poston and Patton Kizzire of St. Simons Island, Ga.  

The professional field includes six PGA Tour winners, past Korn Ferry Tour winners Vince Covello of Ponte Vedra, Jeff Klauk of St. Augustine, Davis Thompson of St. Simons Island and Jared Wolfe of Nocatee, plus members of the DP World Tour, PGA Tour Latinoamerica and area club and teaching professionals. 

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They will head teams with three amateurs in the best-ball tournament, which is being played at Sea Island for the third year in a row. The 46th annual event began in 1977 on a continuous basis and has feature players such as World Golf Hall of Fame member Vijay Singh, past Players champions Mark McCumber, David Duval and Cameron Smith, and other Tour winners Rocco Mediate, Frank Lickliter II, Dan Sikes, Kenny Perry, Matt Every, Leonard Thompson, Woody Blackburn and Len Mattiace. 

Lspanst yespanr Knox spannd spanmspanteur plspanyers Luis Rivera, Anthony Rivera and Michael Sakane defeated Scott Jamieson, Chip Brooke, Marc Dull and Brendan Rager in a playoff.  

JAGA presents 2022 awards  

The Jacksonville Area Golf Association presented its 2022 awards last week at the Jacksonville Golf and Country Club, honoring those from the professional and amateur game for their contributions to JAGA’s events and charitable causes. 

• Club executive of the year: Russ Libby, owner and general manager of the Hidden Hills Golf Club. Libby has made his course available for numerous JAGA tournaments, meetings and outings, and will again host the First Coast Amateur on Jan. 14-16. His two sons are JAGA scholarship recipients. 
• Community Service Award, Jack Aschenbach, executive director, North Florida Junior Golf Foundation. Aschenbach has been a club professional since 1995 after serving in the Navy for 23 years, and since 2012 has led the NFJGF, the First Coast’ largest junior golf organization. 
• Earl and Eleanor Kelly Service Award: Nick Clark, former San Jose Country Club head pro. Clark is a life member of the PGA of America and was the head pro at San Jose for 30 years before retiring in 2001. He has continued to support the Northern Chapter PGA and JAGA’s Scholarship Trust. 
• JAGA director of the year: Ken Hicks, Deerwood Country Club. Hicks, a JAGA director since 2008, has chaired the Scholarship Trust committee, working to grow the list of recipients from five to 15 in recent years. He also serves as a rules official at JAGA events and teaches golf at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. 
• Professional of the year: Matt Borocz, TPC Sawgrass. Borocz is the assistant general manager and director of golf at the TPC and a past North Florida Section pro of the year. He has been the Northern Chapter president the last two years and was recently elected secretary of the North Florida Section. 
• Superintendent of the year: Matt Durkee, Sawgrass Country Club: Durkee has been the director of agronomy and facilities at Sawgrass for nearly 20 years, maintaining more than 350 acres of golf course and grounds. He was a JAGA scholarship recipient and graduated from Flagler College, where he pitched on the baseball team. 

“The individuals we honor today hold a place among the most enthusiastic and best contributors to golf in Northeast Florida,” said JAGA president Jeff Adams. “They set an example for all to follow. Much of their work is done quietly and behind the scenes, with little desire for notoriety.”  

JAGA elects new slate 

John Milton of the Jacksonville Beach Golf Club was elected the JAGA president for 2023, heading the executive team that was announced at the Jacksonville Golf and Country Club directors meeting. 

Milton replaces Jeff Adams of the TPC Sawgrass, who served as the president in 2021 and 2022. 

Also elected are John Tancredi of Marsh Landing, vice-president of administration for the third year; Billy Walker of Cimarrone, Treasurer, a position he will hold for the fifth year; Jeff Johnstone, vice president of tournaments, a role he shared in 2022 with fellow Sawgrass Country Club member Gregg Deiboldt; and Vincent Celestino of Marsh Creek, elected secretary for a second year.  

UNF Golf hosts Moore-Myers event 

The University of North Florida golf Complex hosted nine members of the Moore-Myers Children’s Fund (MMCF) and 27 adults who played in the MMCF Make A Difference Day. 

Hosted by UNF complex general manager Dan Olsen, the event was held to raise awareness of the goals of MMCF, which are to provide children with golf and social skills that can lead to college-level scholarships and play. 

Also assisting were former PGA Tour member Jeff Klauk and PGA of America Life Member Duke Butler III.