Florida Senior Azalea winner Randy Haag
Randy Haag (Orinda, Calif.) completed an impressive wire-to-wire win at the Florida Senior Azalea Amateur at Palatka Golf Club, closing with an even-par 70 to win by five shots at 7 under par.
Haag was in control of the tournament throughout, but it was his second-round 68, where he gained five shots on the defending champion
Doug Hanzel (Savannah, Ga.), that was the key to his victory.
Hanzel, a four-time winner of this event, closed with a 68 to finish alone in second at 2 under. He retains the top spot in the AmateurGolf.com Senior Ranking.
Jack Hall (Savannah, Ga.) shot a 67 to climg to even par and finish solo third.
Billy Mitchell (70) of Atlanta, Ga., and
Rusty Strawn (69) of McDonough, Ga. tied for fourth at 1 over par.
David Anthony (Jacksonville, Fla.), the 2018 senior champion, added a Super Senior title, defeating
Mark Baxter (Tequesta, Fla.) in a playoff after both players finished 54 holes at even par. Anthony shot a 68 to erase a four-shot deficit.
Berger Warner (Ocala, Fla.) completed a six-shot win in the Legends division, closing with a 67 to finish at 3 under par.
Charles Busbee (Stockbridge, Ga.) defended his Super Legends title, shooting a 72 to overtake Earl Daniel (Tallahassee, Fla.) by one shot. The two were far ahead of the rest of the field
ROUND TWO REPORT
Randy Haag (Orinda, Calif.) shot a 2-under 68 to push his lead to five shots at the Florida Senior Azalea Amateur at Palatka Golf Club.
Haag entered the day two shots clear of the defending champion Doug Hanzel (Savannah, Ga.) on the strength of an opening 65. But Hanzel could only manage a 3-over 73, falling seven shots behind Haag in his attempt to win for a fifth time here.
Billy Mitchell (Atlanta, Ga.) also struggled to a 73 on Saturday, falling to eight shots back.
The only player other than Haag who finished 36 holes under par was John Foster (Woodstock, Ga.), who had the low round of the day (a 67) to get to 2 under, five shots behind Haag.
Haag, Foster, Hanzel and Mitchell will play together in the final round on Sunday morning.
In the Super Senior division, Mark Baxter (Tequesta, Fla.) shot a 68 to reach 2 under par and take a four-shot lead over round one leader Kevin Macy (Tampa, Fla.) and David Anthony (Jacksonville, Fla.).
Berger Warner (Ocala, Fla.) leads the Legends division by one shot over John Darr (Gainesville, Fla.).
Earl Daniell (Tallahassee, Fla.) leads the Super Legends division by one shot over Charlie Busbee (Stockbridge, Ga.).
ROUND ONE REPORT
Randy Haag (Orinda, Calif.) shot a 5-under 65 at Palatka Golf Club to take a two-shot lead after the first round of the Florida Senior Azalea Amateur.
The defending champion Doug Hanzel (Savannah, Ga.), who has won four of the last five Florida Azalea Seniors, shot a 67 to sit in solo second. Billy Mitchell (Atlanta, Ga.) was the only other player under par with a 2-under 68.
Roger Dean (Ormond Beach, Fla.) and Ken Moody (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) each shot even-par 70, while five more players are at 1 over.
In the Super Senior division, Kevin Macy (Tampa, Fla.) leads four players by one stroke after a 1-under 69. David Anthony (Jacksonville, Fla.), who won the Senior division two years ago, is among the group tied for second.
In the Legends division, Jack Heinemann (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) and Berger Warner (Ocala, Fla.) share the lead after rounds of 3-under 67, with John Darr (Gainesville, Fla.) two shots back.
The tournament is being played against the backdrop of the
cancellation and postponement of amateur golf events across the country due to the coronavirus outbreak. Just today the Florida State Golf Association (FSGA) has suspended all competitions through April 26.
The club has announced that the Florida Azalea Amateur will be played as scheduled next week at Palatka Golf Club.