Wednesday, September 27th
That wraps up our 2023 Section Championship and our Champion is… Sandra Changkija! The defending champ came and secured the title yet again concluding her time at Grand Cypress Golf with -12 (204)! Changkija not only is the Section Champion but is also taking home the trophy for our 2023 Women’s Champion. “It feels amazing being NFPGA’s Section Champion for two years in a row.” Congrats on this accomplishment, Sandra!
Coming in tied for second place with a total score of -8 (208) is none other than Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth and Greg Koch. Koch started his day off with an eagle on hole number two and continuously made par or birdies on the rest of his round. As for Connelly-Eiswerth, she ended her round with a 69 and made four birdies on the back nine.
Tied for fourth is David Hronek, R.J. Milford, and Nick Joy all with a score of -7 (209). Hronek had his lowest round of the day with a score of 67. Milford and Joy each made four birdies each.
Impressive Eagles made today:
- Dan Benedetti
- Greg Koch
- Bryan Florio
- Paul Ferrier
Thank you again to all of our supporting partners for making this week happen and to Grand Cypress for hosting! We will see you all next year for the 2024 Section Championship.
Tuesday, September 26th
Round 2 is in the books!
In first place again, is the defending Champion, Sandra Changkija. She finished her round today with a total of -1 (71), made four birdies, and closed the day with a total of -7 (137).
In second is Nick Joy with a score of 68 making him only one point ( -6(138) )away from tying for first with Sandra Changkija. Scoring four birdies on the back nine, he has found his stride and there’s no doubt he will leave it all on the green tomorrow morning. Tomorrow, this is going to be the pair to watch.
With our four-way tie for third, let’s see who will break up this draw. Up first is Dalton Barlett who scored -1 (71), R.J. Milford -1 (71), and Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth and Rod Perry who finished this round even.
Finishing Round 2, Sandra Changkija -1 (71), Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth E (72), Jennifer Borocz +3 (75), Emily Motta +3 (75), and Cheryl Anderson +8 (80).
Some other impressive highlights today include:
- Happy Birthday to Tim Baker!
- Nick Frontero closest to the pin #3
- Tim Polce had an Eagle on #6
- Josh Wolfe closest to the pin #8
- Ryan Hritz had an Eagle on #13
With only one round remaining, the title is still up for grabs! Check back tomorrow for the final round results, and click here to see the entire leaderboard!
Monday, September 25th
And so it begins, the pursuit of the 2023 Section Champion title starts now! This morning, Grand Cypress Golf welcomed 59 NFPGA Members. Each of these players has played well throughout the season, but after Round 1 of this Championship, you could tell the players were leaving everything they had on the green.
In first place, is Sandra Chankija, last year’s Section Champion who is here to defend her title. She concluded her day with a total of seven birdies, an eagle on hole 13, with a score of -6 (66).
Closely behind Changkija, tied for second, Rod Perry and Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth. With a total of -5 (67). Perry the eight-time Section Champion made six birdies and Connelly-Eiswerth, the lead for our Women’s Player of the Year made five birdies, four of these being on the back nine.
With three of our Members being tied for fourth with a score of -4 (68), this will be a battle till the end. Dalton Bartlett, Jennifer Borocz, and R.J. Milford. During the 18-hole round, Bartlett made five birdies, Borocz made five birdies and an eagle on hole 14, and Milford made seven birdies.
Connelly-Eiswerth is the lead for being our 2023 NFPGA Women’s Player of the Year, as she leads Borocz -4 (68), Changkija -6 (66), Motta +2 (74), and Anderson +5 (77).
Make sure to follow along on social media for live results and come back tomorrow for a recap of Round 2!
Friday, September 22nd
The most anticipated Section event of the year is now upon us – the 2023 NFPGA Section Championship. Fifty-nine players will be putting all they have to the test over the three-day Championship held at the Cypress Course at Grand Cypress Golf in Orlando, FL. This event will serve as the deciding factor to ultimately determine the “2023 NFPGA Player of the Year,” as the Championship is the final points event of the year.
Who will be the one? Let’s see who our top five players are.
John Somers, the Head Professional at Southern Hills Plantation Club will be the one to watch. Throughout the year, he has won two major Section tournaments including the Professional Championship and the Stableford Championship, and also tied for 4th at the 2023 PGA Professional Championship. Could this be the year he becomes the 2023 Player of the Year? We will find out next week!
Coming up right behind him to defend his title is Greg Koch. As the 2021 and 2022 “Player of the Year”, Koch is coming for the title once again. With his impressive win at the YAMAHA Match Play Championship, his tie for third at the Professional Championship, and his tie for eleventh at the 2023 PGA Professional Championship, he is ready to play.
Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth in first place for the 2023 Women’s Player of the Year title. She had had an impressive year from playing in several Section tournaments, the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, and finishing in the Top 20 at the 2023 PGA Professional Championship. Connelly-Eisworth will be competing against Jennifer Borocz, Stephanie Changkija, the 2022 Women’s Player of the Year, and Emily Motta in the Female Division.
Matt Borchert from Isleworth Golf & Country Club has had a full year of competing in Section tournaments including the Stableford Championship finishing in second, a semi-finalist at the YAMAHA Match Play Championship, and being one of the 12 NFPGA Golf Professionals who competed at the 2023 PGA Professional Championship.
Christian Bartolacci from the West Florida Golf Tour is climbing up the ladder from his most recent win from our last Section tournament, the E-Z-GO Pro-Pro Championship, and being a semi-finalist at the YAMAHA Match Play Championship. He also played a great game at the 2023 PGA Professional Championship.
We wish everyone playing in the Section Championship the best of luck! Following every round, there will be a daily wrap-up, providing highlights and leaderboard standings. Additionally, stay tuned to our social media channels throughout the week for more extensive coverage.