College of Golf February 2021 Events
College of Golf Students and Staff Enjoy Friendly Competition
Keiser University College of Golf (KUCOG) Professor and PGA Member Frank Longabucco recently held a Two-Person One Best Ball of Two Net friendly competition at the Osprey Creek Course at Martin Downs Golf Club.
Included as part of the KUCOG student and staff competitions, the event was preceded by a student Driver Clinic, which focused on how to gain distance and hit more fairways and was conducted by Longabucco along with fellow professors Ken Martin, David Wixson, and Brad Turner.
“The tournaments provide students an opportunity to play competitively, preparing them for their PGA Playing Ability Test. Also, our PGA Professionals are thankful to help students with their golf course management skills and mental games. Finally, the events are fun,” said Longabucco. The competition results were:
- *1st Place Team: Brad Martin and Professor Brad Turner, PGA with a score of 10-under par 62.
- *2nd Place Team: Tie between Samuel Wilson and Professor Frank Longabucco, PGA, and Luis Plaza Gimon and Professor Ken Martin, PGA, with scores of 9-under par 63.
- *Low PGA Professional: Professor Ken Martin with a score of 4-under par 68 (with 8 birdies).
- *2nd Low PGA Professional: Professor Brad Turner, PGA, with a score of 3-under par 69.
Prizes were awarded to the winners, and donations were collected to support Cystic Fibrosis and the Robert Stingo fund. The competitions will continue weekly throughout the Spring Semester.
Team Winners: Brad Martin on left and Brad Turner on right
Competitors in Friday’s event
Driver Clinic
Keiser University Students Enjoy Hickory Golf
Nine Keiser University College of Golf students recently joined instructor and PGA Professional Brad Turner for a round of Hickory Golf using hickory shafted golf clubs.
Arranged as part of the group’s History of Golf class, the group dressed in period clothing used mid-irons, mashies, niblicks, and putters with hickory shafts to play the par-72 Martin Downs Osprey Point Golf Course under the direction of Turner and Dr. Eric Wilson, Executive Director of Golf Operations and PGA Legacy Master Professional.
Playing in a “scramble” format, the teams of students Sam Abramson, Oscar Lora, and Ian Murphy tied with Brian Solnick, Sun Min Lee, and Luis Plaza Gimon with scores of 5-under par 67s at the end of regulation play. The team of Alexander Dwork, Dylan Sheetz, and Colby Cabral finished third with a score of even-par 72, and in the ensuing playoff, Sam Abramson holed a 75-foot putt to claim his team’s victory. The group is thankful to Keiser University Flagship Campus Golf Coach Brandon Miller who donated a gold cup for the prize, as the winning team will covet the cup until the next competition.
The opportunity to use replica golf clubs from the 1920’s provided the students an appreciation for the skills and abilities of golf’s greats of the era. Champions such as Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, and Long Jim Barnes all shot incredible scores and won major championships using hickory shafted golf clubs.
Hickory Golf Champions (L-R): Ian Murphy, Sam Abramson, Oscar Lora
KU College of Golf Students Enjoy Hickory Putting Championship
Members of the History of Golf class at Keiser University College of Golf (KUCOG) recently enjoyed a putting competition using hickory-shafted putters and golf balls from different historical eras, beginning in the early 1800’s and progressing through modern day.
Led by Dr. Eric Wilson, Executive Director of Golf Operations and a PGA Legacy Master Professional, class members gathered at the university’s outdoor putting green. Dr. Wilson explained each of the six different putting stations, culminating in an 18-hole putting competition.
The group putted three-hole segments with each of the following:
- *Long nose putter and featherie golf ball (pre-1848)
- *Kempshall Pyraline putter and smooth gutta percha golf ball (1848-1850)
- *Wry-neck blade putter and hand-hammered gutta percha golf ball (1850-1865)
- *Brown-Vardon semi-mallet head putter and bramble pattern gutta percha golf ball (1865-1900)
- *Schenectady center-shafted putter and balata covered golf ball (1900-1960)
- *Bobby Jones “Calamity Jane” putter and Pro V-1 golf balls (1960-modern day)
Par for the course was 36, and the Champion of the Historic Open Putting Championship was Alexander Dwork, who scored 41, beating Ian Murphy and Luis Plaza Gimon by two strokes. Sun Min Lee finished fourth with a score of 46.
College of Golf Executive Director Dr. Eric Wilson (L) Presenting Trophy to Historic Hickory Open Putting Champion Alexander Dwork (R)
Historic Hickory Open Putting Champion Alexander Dwork
Keiser University’s College of Golf Continues Student and Staff Competitions
Keiser University College of Golf (KUCOG) Professor Frank Longabucco continues to plan, coordinate, and conduct spring semester student and PGA staff team events. The Friday afternoon ‘Two Best Ball Net of Four’ challenges held at the Martin Downs Golf Course in Palm City, Florida, provide fun and friendly opportunities for students and staff to hone their skills while also navigating the pressures of competition.
“The tournaments give students an opportunity to play competitively, preparing them for their PGA Playing Ability Test. Also, PGA professionals are able to help students with their golf course management skills and mental games, and finally, the events are fun,” smiled Longabucco.
The winners of the event, with an impressive score of 15-under par 129, were students Heloise Garcin, Garry Williams, C.H. Wang, and PGA Professional David Wixson. Prizes were awarded to the group, and donations were collected to support Cystic Fibrosis. The events will continue weekly throughout the spring semester.
Students and Staff Gathering Before Teeing Off
Winners: L-R: Heloise Garcin, David Wixson, PGA; Garry Williams; C.H. Wang
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