ORLANDO CAPTURES AGT FLORIDA CUP AT DISNEY

Ryder Cup Style Matches Provide Friendly Competition Among Florida Tours

2012 Orlando Florida Cup Team

Walt Disney World’s Lake Buena Vista and Osprey Ridge courses played host to the second annual Golfweek AGT Florida Cup. It is a Ryder Cup formatted event played between Orlando and a team made up of players from the NCF, Jacksonville & Tampa tours. Fifty-four players competed. Orlando came out on top this year after Tampa won in 2011.

Alternate Shot and Fourball matches were played Saturday at Lake Buena Vista. Orlando jumped out to a 8 ½-5 ½ lead in the morning. Orlando was strong in the A & SrA matches and the C & SrC matches winning six of the eight. Tampa stayed within reach as they won three of the four B & SrB matches.

Michael Moore Putts During Florida Cup

In the afternoon fourball matches, Orlando once again ruled the A, B, SrA & SrB matches winning seven of eight matches. Again, Tampa stayed in reach by taking four of six C, SrC & D matches. Orlando won 9 matches to Tampa’s 5 in the afternoon, which made the score after Day 1 Orlando 17 ½-Tampa 10 ½.

Bryan Bowman Putts

The Cup would be decided on Sunday with 28 singles matches to play. Orlando started fast by taking four of the first six matches and halving one other to build a 22-12 lead. But then Tampa ran off six straight wins to cut the margin to 22-18 halfway through the day. Again, Orlando showed its strength in the A, B, SrA, & SrB flights by storming through the final 16 matches with 12 wins. This made the final score Orlando 34—Tampa 22.

Team Orlando Wins AGT Florida Cup 2012

Mike Lombardo Sinks Putt to Win Match on #18

In what was perhaps the most exciting match of the day, Mike Lombardo of Orlando played Tom Vail of the NCF tour in a SrA match. It went back and forth and came down to the last hole with the teams all square on the tee. The 18^th is a 205 yard par 3 over water full of challenges. Both players hit shots just off the green, Vail to the left and Lombardo just over the back. Vail chipped to about eight feet and Lombardo to four. After Tom missed, Mike rolled his putt in to take the match 1 up.

It is an event the players enjoy playing every year and is a great way for players from the Florida tours to get to know each other and share in some friendly competition.