Local golf: Dramatic eagle lifts Booker to victory

Booker holed out from 123 yards for eagle on the 330-yard, par-4, 15th hole and went on to win the Southwest Florida Men's Amateur by three shots over Lehigh Acres' Giles Meyer III on a windy day at Fort Myers Country Club.

"It just came off real good," said Booker, 47, who won the event for the fifth time, the first since 2000. "It was the best feeling shot of the day. I couldn't see it because of the lip of the bunker, but it hit right behind the pin and it sucked right back into the hole."

Meyer, playing in the same group as Booker, and Justin McCarraher and Scott Ernst, who were playing in the group in front, all saw the shot go in. And, it turned out, their chances of winning. The eagle gave Booker a four-shot lead, and he parred in for the win.

With the 15th playing downwind, Booker didn't pull out a driver, as his playing partners did. Instead, he hit a 3-iron in the middle of the fairway -- in perfect position for a wedge shot.

"There were 50 guys in Championship Flight," Booker said. "It's the biggest field of the year (185). This is the Southwest Florida Amateur, so I consider this one of the best tournaments of the year."

Booker started the day a shot behind 16-year-old Bishop Verot sophomore Michael Dignam and Meyer, who both had 69s on Saturday at Eastwood Golf Course.

Booker was 2-over after four holes, then birdied the next two. He caught Meyer -- Dignam had faltered on the way to an 82 -- on No. 8 and took the lead when Meyer bogeyed No. 9. Meyer birdied and Booker bogeyed No. 10, but Booker grabbed the lead for good on the next hole and extended it to two shots on No. 12 when Meyer bogeyed.

Southwest Florida Men's Amateur At Fort Myers CC

Sunday's results

Championship Flight

Lee Booker 70-68/138, Giles Meyer III 69-72/141, Justin McCarraher 72-70/142, David Keepler 73-71/144, Marc St. Martin 73-71/144, Scott Ernst 73-73/146, Michael Leonard 77-69/146, Tom Midtgaard 73-74/147, Tom Buckley 74-74/148, Brad Roberts 79-70/149, Chocky Warriner 70-80/150, Jacques Legere 77-73/150, Mark McCabe 71-79/150, Dwaine Roney 78-73/151, Jim Craig 75-76/151, Ted Beckowski 74-77/151, Sam Fortner 74-77/151, Mike Dignam Jr. 69-82/151, Dan Gerstein 72-80/152, Phil Everhart 76-76/152, Lee Schultz 76-77/153, Jim Lucius 80-74/154, Scott Hamblen 77-77/154, Steve Mulligan 78-76/154, Evan Dewulf 75-80/155, Ryan Hall 80-76/156, Kelly Holaway 83-74/157, Robert Rovers 80-78/158, David Clark 81-77/158, Chris Matarese 80-78/158, Howard Palen 79-79/158, Mark Junkin 78-81/159, Gavin Carpenter 83-77/160, Mark Gregory 84-76/160, Ralph Hutchins 80-81/161, Tom Kiernan 83-81/164, Harry Witkowski 83-81/164, Scott Woolam 82-82/164, Gary Little 81-84/165, Scott Marchese 86-79/165, Jonathan Tedesco 80-85/165, Travis McGuire 89-78/167, Jeff Juzwiak 89-79/168, Tim Grant 85-84/169, Iran Lopez 90-84/174, Brett Thompson 95-84/179.

A Flight

1. Jeff Traugott 71-67/138, 2. Daniel Mazziotta 75-69/144, 3. Donald Johnson 72-73/145, 4. Steve Mackay 74-76/150, 5. Sam Smith 73-78/151, 6. Alan Neal 75-78/153, 6. Bruce Boler 75-78/153, 6. Benny Crews 76-77/153, 9. Cato Wilson 77-77/154, 10. Jason Walden 81-74/155, 10. Mike Smith 80-75/155, 10. Paul Oldfield 79-76/155, 10. John Turner 80-75/155, 10. Mark Ludden 77-78/155

B Flight

1. Jeff Straus 76-75/151; 2. Nicholas Navarre 79-78/157; 2. D.J. Lump 81-76/157; 2. Kevin Lynch 77-80/157; 5. Jack McKissock 80-78/158; 6. Kaise Rajsavong 82-79/161; 6. Jon Martina 78-83/161; 8. Charles Lane 82-80/162; 8. Jason Chiklakis 78-84/162; 10. Dee McLelland 83-80/163; 10. Larry Lema 81-82/163; 10. Norm Perkins 82-81/163; 10. Tommy Stewart 81-82/163.

C Flight

1. Bill Stuermer 77-80/157; 2. Marc Matthews 85-78/163; 3. Darrell Pacetti 80-84/164; 4. Jerry Hagadorn 84-82/166; 4. Marc Lipsher 83-83/166; 4. Jerry Dycke 89-77/166; 4. Randy Collins 89-77/166; 8. Fred Schultz 90-78/168; 8. Michael Leach 81-87/168; 10. Richard Demarest 84-85/169; 10. T.J. Wolnik 84-85/169; 10. Samir Beida 87-82/169; 10. Ted Applegate 90-79/169.

D Flight

1. Richard Tedesco 83-83/166; 2. Luis Sanabria 86-84/170; 3. Bradley Todd 88-86/174; 3. Richard Hedlund 88-86/174; 5. Bob Mallow 88-89/177; 6. Carl Graber 91-87/178; 7. Gerald Wilkinson 87-93/180; 7. Jim Williams 91-89/180; 9. John Fitzpatrick 93-88/181; 9. Duane Morris 84-97/181.