Men's Golf: Cristian DiMarco is the the 2017 Florida State Amateur Champion.

[Mama_Bull]

JUNE 25, 2017

Cristian DiMarco Wins the 100th Amateur

USF senior Cristian DiMarco wins the 100th Amateur after shooting a four day total of eight-under par

Cristian DiMarco came out on top as the 100th Amateur Championship concluded this afternoon. Shooting a four day total of eight-under par, 280, DiMarco held on to win the prestigious event by four shots over Brandon Mancheno. With the temperature reaching the high 90s, 72 of Florida's most talented amateur golfers teed off on the final round of the 100th State Amateur Championship with the goal of claiming the Clarence Camp trophy at the end of the round. However, at the end of the day, it was only Cristian DiMarco who earned the title of the 2017 Florida State Amateur Champion. 

DiMarco, a rising senior at the University of South Florida, started out with a birdie on the first hole and kept the putter hot throughout the front nine. After posting three birdies and one bogey in his first nine holes, DiMarco made the turn with a comfortable lead over Jackson Suber. With nerves of steel, DiMarco rolled in crucial par putts early on in the back nine to keep his lead. Missing greens in regulation on the 15th and 16th holes cost DiMarco two strokes, bringing his lead from five to three. However, with a lengthy drive on the final hole, DiMarco safely landed his second shot on the green for a two-putt birdie that would give him the title of the 100th Amateur Champion. "I told myself to try and keep making birdies," DiMarco told himself coming down the final stretch. "I wanted to get to ten-under par." 

Finishing the championship with an eight-under par total of 280, DiMarco becomes the 100th Amateur Champion and the second University of South Florida golfer in three years to claim the title. "It means a lot to win the 100th Amateur Championship here because of Jack Nicklaus and the history of the tournament," DiMarco said. 

Brandon Mancheno of Jacksonville finished alone in second after posting a three-under par round of 69 this afternoon. Mancheno started off with a bogey, yet became the fourth player this week to make a hole-in-one after he aced the 210 yard second hole with his six iron. Using the hole-in-one as momentum, Mancheno went on to make two more birdies and 14 pars to card a 69. The University of Auburn commit finished the championship with a four-under par total of 284. Rounding out the top three was Kyler Tate of Winter Garden and Jackson Suber of Tampa. Tate finished the round with four birdies, one birdie, and one eagle to shoot the low-round of the day, a five-under par 67. Suber moved up the leaderboard this morning by going out in 32 that included an eagle at the par-four ninth hole after holing out from the fairway bunker. Struggling a bit early in the back nine, Suber was able to add three more birdies to his round throughout his last seven holes to secure third place with Tate.

Those individuals finishing in the top 15 and ties will automatically earn exemption into the 101st Amateur Championship that will take place at The Concession Golf Club and The Ritz-Carlton Member's Club in Bradenton June 21-24, 2018. 

The FSGA would like to generously thank Mr. Nicklaus, his whole family, and the staff at both Lost Tree Club & The Bear's Club for their constant hospitality this week. 

The Florida Amateur Championship is the oldest continuous sporting event in the state, and now Cristian DiMarco can add his name to the many decorated golfers that have won before him. 

http://www.fsga.org/News/Details/1288

Leaderboard: https://www.ghintpp.com/fsga/TPPOnlineScoring/ResultsStroke.aspx?id=199

 

Edited June 25, 2017 by Mama_Bull

[Mama_Bull]

DIMARCO WINS 100TH FLORIDA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

June 26, 2017 
By  USF

 

Florida Amateur Results

 

By TOM ZEBOLD

USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, JUNE 26, 2017 – USF's Cristian DiMarco added another shining achievement to his golf resume by winning the 100^th Florida Amateur Championship on Sunday.

Carding an 8-under 280 through four rounds, DiMarco posted a four-shot victory over Brandon Mancheno at The Bear's Club in Jupiter. DiMarco is the second Bull to capture a title at Florida's oldest continuous sporting event after Jimmy Jones won it in 2015.

“It means a lot to win the 100^th Amateur Championship here because of Jack Nicklaus and the history of the tournament,” DiMarco said in an FSGA release.

DiMarco secured the victory by collecting four of his 15 total birdies during a 1-under 71 run in the final round. The Longwood, Fla., native started with under-par rounds of 68, 70 and 71 at the tournament that featured a field of 168 players.

“It's a great tournament,” USF head coach Steve Bradley said. “There's a mix of college kids, juniors and really good mid-am players in it.”

Bradley said he's “extremely proud” of his rising senior, who has continuously shown improvement over the past three seasons. After starting his collegiate career at Kentucky, DiMarco cut four shots off his freshman season scoring average in 2015-16 (73.5) and made his second run with the Bulls a special one. This past season, DiMarco led the Bulls with a 72.6 scoring average with a pair of runner-up finishes.

“He's just gotten better and better,” Bradley said. “He's been able to get playing time that he's earned and I think it's continued to evolve into confidence for him.”

DiMarco has gotten used to handling the pressure along the way, especially during the postseason. Back in April, the all-conference selection helped lead the Bulls to their third consecutive league title by tying for the individual lead at the end of regulation.

That performance came two months after DiMarco took a lead into the final round and finished one shot away from the champion at the Querencia Cabo Collegiate.

“He's put in the work,” Bradley said. “His priorities have changed quite a bit in the last six to nine months. Anytime you put in the hard work and see the rewards for it, it just kind of comes full circle.”

DiMarco's victory earned him an automatic exemption into the 101^st Amateur Championship that will take place in the Bay Area at Concession Golf Club in Bradenton June 21-24, 2018.

“He is going in the right direction and I think this win will continue to inspire him to work even harder and want more of it,” Bradley said.

About USF Men's Golf

USF men's golf returns seven players from the 2016-17 team that captured the program's third consecutive American Athletic Conference Championship title. Head coach Steve Bradley has been at the helm for all three league championship runs and guided the Bulls back to the final rounds of the NCAA Championship in 2016. Follow @USFMGolf on Twitter for the latest information concerning the program.

http://www.gousfbulls.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7700&ATCLID=211636391#.WVFPfhesvmM.twitter