Justin Sui of Lake Orion, Mich., a University of Florida student and past American Junior Golf Association all-star, had a 10-hole stretch of 5-under with no bogeys, and went on to post a closing 66 on Dec. 8 to edge University of North Florida senior Jason Duff by one shot and win the St. Augustine Amateur at the St. Johns Golf Club.
Sui, who had seven top 10 AGA finishes in 2020, posted a 10-under 203. Duff (67) birdied Nos. 16 and 17 to put heat on Sui and finished 9-under. Duff, who lives near the first hole of the course, was the only player in the field to shoot in the 60s all three days.
The two were tied at 5-under to begin the final round. Duff took a one-stroke lead with birdies at Nos. 3 and 4 but doubled the par-4 sixth after hitting his tee shot in the water, while Sui made birdie.
Duff fought back with a 40-foot birdie putt at No. 9 to come within one shot, but Sui eagled the par-5 11th hole and Duff bogeyed Nos. 14 and 15.
“When we got to the back nine, we both realized it was going to one-on-one match play,” Sui said in a statement on the tournament’s website. “I knew I just needed to keep playing stable and match what (Duff) was doing. With the lack of wind today, you knew there were going to be some birdies.”
Duff’s UNF teammate Danny Erickson (70) finished third at 5-under.
Nease graduate Ryan Nicholson was alone in fourth at 3-under after closing with a tournament- and course-record 9-under 62. Nicholson played his first eight holes at 6-under, with an eagle-2 at the par-4 fifth, and did not make a bogey.
JAGA announces award winners
The Jacksonville Area Golf Association announced its 2024 JAGA Award winners at its annual meeting at the Deerwood Country Club on Dec. 10.
The award winners, who also will be cited at the Celebration of Golf Banquet on Feb. 20 at the TPC Sawgrass, are:
Club Executive of the Year: Tony Street, Jacksonville Beach Golf Club.
Community Service Award: Susie Fonde, First Coast Women’s Amateur Championship.
Director Emeritus: Fred Seely, Timuquana Country Club.
Earl & Eleanor Kelly Long-Term Service Award: Duke Butler III, TPC Sawgrass.
JAGA Director of the Year: Gregg Deiboldt, Sawgrass Country Club.
Professional of the Year: Dean Grunewald, The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach.
Superintendent of the Year: Alan Brown, Timuquana Country Club.
Slate of JAGA officers announced
JAGA also announced its officers for 2025:
President: Duke Butler III, TPC Sawgrass.
Vice President of Administration: Jim Loftin, The Palencia Club.
Vice President of Tournaments: Jeff Johnstone, Sawgrass Country Club.
Secretary: Ryan Wharton, Golf Club of South Hampton.
Treasurer: John Milton, Queen’s Harbour.
Butler is a retired PGA Tour executive and the former director of the Houston Golf Association, which ran the Tour’s Houston Open. He played four years of golf at Texas A&M and is a member of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame and a life member of the PGA of America.
First Coast juniors make Team Florida
Four First Coast junior players are on the 2025 Florida State Golf Association Team Florida. They were chosen based on their performances in FSGA and USGA championships and on “sportsmanship, etiquette, integrity, and passion.”
The players are Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach, Phillip Dunham of Ponte Vedra, Lucas Gimenez of Jacksonville and Bryson Hughes of St. Johns.
The players will receive financial assistance from the FSGA Foundation to offset the cost of travel and equipment associated with playing in junior, FSGA and USGA tournaments.
Doug Dickey posts another impressive score
Former University of Florida football coach Doug Dickey is one of the most prolific players on the First Coast when it comes to matching or beating his age.
He did it again at the San Jose Country Club, his home course, and there was a big gap between his age the the score. Dickey, 92, posted a 78.
UNF assistant part of a winning team
University of North Florida assistant golf coach Ty Gulliksen and Ty Capps of Palm Coast shot 2-under 142 at the PGA National Estates Course in Palm Beach Gardens and won their third Florida Golf Association Foursome Championship by one shot over Chad and Joe Alfieri of Tampa. Mike Smith of Ponte Vedra Beach and Will Davenport of Palm City finished third, another shot behind. … Keith Nagy of Jacksonville and Joe Shaktman of Coral Springs won the Super-Senior Division by six shots at 1-over 145. … Christopher Bell of Jacksonville and Chad Pereira of St. Augustine were second in the Senior Division. … Jude Johnson of Ponte Vedra finished solo second at 1-over 143 at a Florida Junior Tour 13-15 event at the Heritage Oaks Golf and Country Club in Sarasota. Ethan Grossman of Jacksonville (147) tied for fourth. … Mason Seaton of Jacksonville Beach was solo fifth in an FJT 16-18 tournament at the Santa Lucia Golf Club at 10-over 154. … Stella Moritz of Ponte Vedra (170) was seventh in the girls division.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Justin Sui holds off UNF senior Jason Duff to win St. Augustine Amateur
