Josh Leppo is going back to Pebble Beach. The 17-year-old from Naples flew into Midlothian, Va., last month, shot a 71 and flew right back out at the East Coast Regional Open Qualifier for the Champions Tour's Wal-Mart First Tee Open.

Leppo tied for second on June 21 and earned one of seven spots in the First Tee Open, played the week of Aug. 28-Sept. 3.

"It was probably one of the tournaments I wanted to qualify for the most," Leppo said. "It's one of those tournaments, not for the ranking, but it's the most fun you'll have."

Leppo knows all about that part. Last year, his 40-foot birdie putt lipped out on the vaunted 18th at Pebble Beach, leaving Leppo and Tour pro Keith Fergus out of a playoff for first. Fergus hit his tee shot in the water, so it was all on Leppo.

"The experience is amazing," Leppo said. "It was so much fun. I really wanted to go back. I didn't want to leave in the first place. It was awesome."

Leppo flew in the night before the qualifier, and had an early tee time the next day. Despite never having seen the course, he hit 17 of 18 greens. "I hadn't seen the course, so I was just playing very safe," he said.

Leppo will play in American Junior Golf Association events in Massachusetts and Georgia coming up.

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Naples' Mike Craven and Fort Myers' Joe Thompson are in the semifinals of their respective divisions in the Florida Senior Match Play Championship at Cypress Run Golf Club in Tarpon Springs.

Craven, playing in the Super Seniors Flight, beat Tom Matey of Orlando, 8 and 6, in the Round of 16 and Max Matthews of Andalusia, 1-up, in the quarterfinals. David Donaldson of Fort Myers lost his quarterfinal match in the same flight.

In Second Flight, Thompson beat Jack Gleason of Tampa, 4 and 3, in the Round of 16, and Tommy Piazza of Sarasota, 1-up, in the quarterfinals.

Naples' Ron Cleland won the second round and Round of 16 in the Championship Flight, but lost, 2 and 1, to Berger Warner of Ocala. Bill Young of Naples lost in the Round of 16 in First Flight, 3 and 2, to Michael Benham of Ocala.

The semifinals are today, and the finals are Thursday.

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Fuzzy Zoeller, who plays out of Naples National Golf Club, had one of his best finishes of the season on Sunday, closing with a 4-under-par 68 to tie for ninth at the Ford Senior Players Championship in Michigan.

Part-time Naples resident Wayne Levi also had a final-round 68 and tied for 35th. Bonita Springs' Peter Jacobsen, the defending champion, struggled to a final-round 76 and dropped from a tie for 19th to a tie for 45th. Part-time Naples resident John Harris survived a third-round 78 to tie for 56th.

The tour is off this week and returns for the Senior British Open in two weeks.

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Fort Myers' Nolan Henke and part-time Estero resident Chip Beck are taking advantage of their past champion status to play in this week's B.C. Open presented by Turning Stone Resort in New York on the PGA Tour.

With many tour players in the British Open field, more spots for players with exemptions like Henke and Beck were available.

It will be Henke's first tour event this year. He tried to qualify for the U.S. Open, but didn't make it. Beck has been playing a limited schedule on the Nationwide Tour.

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Naples' Kris Tamulis and former part-time Estero resident Karen Weiss both qualified for the Weetabix Women's British Open. Weiss did so by finishing in the top five of players who had not previously qualified, after 36 holes of the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic. Tamulis, who is 93rd on the money list, qualified based on her position.

Bonita Springs' Catherine Cartwright failed to qualify. None of the three are in the Evian Masters, which is next week. The British Open is Aug. 3-6 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

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Fort Myers native Tommy Tolles is in the field for this week's Price Cutter Charity Championship in Springfield, Mo., on the Nationwide Tour. Tolles missed the cut at the Scholarship America Showdown at Somerby in Byron, Minn.

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Meaghan Francella, who works with Naples-based instructor Tom Patri, tied for 16th at the Duramed Futures Tour event in Bloomfield, Conn., over the weekend. Part-time Fort Myers resident Ashley Prange tied for 27th. Francella and Prange are in the field for this week's event in Syracuse, N.Y.

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The Rick Smith Golf Academy finished second in the boys 16-18 age division at the Florida Junior Team Championship last week.

Brandon Pena, Daniel Mazziotta and Preston Knox had a 36-hole total of 290, one shot behind Tallahassee Junior.

The Academy's B Team finished eighth. Rob Thorngate, Daniel Martin and Ross Padgett were on that team. And the C team of Loren David, Jack Schroeder and Tyler Johansson was10th.

In the girls 16-18, the Academy was third with a 334 total. Palm Beach County won with a 320. Lisanne Schmidt, Alex Schmidt and Taylor Church played for the team.

The Academy's 13-15 girls team also was third with a 336. Justine Knox, Kelly Kurtyka and Stephanie Carlozzi were on that team. The B team of Emma Smyser, Sarah Carey, and Colette Schmidt was seventh.

The Academy's 13-15 boys team of Jonathan Novatt, Emilio Mariconda and Sam Murphy was 17th.

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The Bobby Nichols-Fiddlesticks Charity Foundation raised $350,000 for children's charities this year. In just four years, the Nichols Cup golf tournament has raised over $890,000.

Charities include the Children's Advocacy Center of Southwest Florida, Abuse Counseling and Treatment Inc., YMC, Childcare of Southwest Florida, and the Johnny Bench Scholarship Fund.

The foundation was founded in 2002. Nichols, a Fort Myers resident, won 14 PGA Tour events, including the 1964 PGA Championship. The 2007 tournament will be played Feb. 25-26.

• • •

Chris Kalter shot a 79 and Kelsey McGregor had a 95 to win the Gulf Coast Junior Tour's event at Bay Colony Golf Club last week.

Other results: Boys Championship — Scott Offutt 79, Michael York 80; Boys 14-15 A — Niko Pagkanlungan 87, Michael Primavera 87; Boys 14-15 B — Matt Taylor 90, Ian Connors 102; Boys 12-13 A — Geoffrey Stephenson 84, James Hammack 88; Girls 12-18 — Alex Burr 96, Megan Riley 97.

The Gulf Coast Junior Tour has a change in its schedule this week. The tour will be playing at Old Collier Golf Club instead of The Golf Club at Fiddler's Creek on Friday. There will be a 9:15 a.m. shotgun start. Registration should be completed by 8:30 a.m.

• • •

Fort Myers' Sammy Sue Wilson finished 11th last week in the Florida Women's State Golf Association's Stroke Play Championship in West Palm Beach.

Wilson shot 79-76-76 for a 15-over 231. Sharla Cloutier of Niceville won with a 214. Fort Myers' Ashley Wright tied for 40th, Kathie Westlund of Fort Myers tied for 49th, and Rita Quackenbush of Fort Myers tied for 55th.

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Other upcoming golf events follow:

• Executive Women's Golf Association — League play every Monday at Arrowhead ($22), 596-1000, or The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club ($25), and Thursday at Tiburón ($35), 594-2040. Upcoming events: July 29, The Club at The Strand; Aug. 12, Florida Sectional Championship, Lely Resort; Aug. 19, Glen Eagle; Oct. 7, Flamingo; Nov. 2-4, EWGA National Conference, Palm Beach. For more information, go online to naplesewga.com.

• Tournament Players Association — For more information, call Doug Oselett at 458-0754.

• Arrowhead Twilight Scramble — Each Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. Started on April 19. The entry fee is $25 for the four-person scramble. There will be a blind draw for groups. Call 596-1000 by 2 p.m. each Wednesday.

• Collier County Women's Golf Association — Remaining schedule: Cedar Hammock, Aug. 11; Vasari, Aug. 18; The Glades, Sept. 8; Glen Eagle, Sept. 22; Vanderbilt, Sept. 29; Stonebridge, Oct. 13. Those interested in joining can contact Doris Roberts at 793-0644 or Helen Nulse at 353-6944.

• Gulf Coast Junior Tour Adult/Junior Golf Tournament — Saturday, July 29 at Vineyards Golf & Country Club in North Naples. The tour also will have its awards luncheon on that date.

There is no charge for junior tour members, and a $25 entry fee for adults age 21 and over. The tournament has an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start. The entry deadline is July 10. The luncheon is from approximately 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. For more information, call Cindy at 597-6858.

• South Florida Junior Tour — Conducted by the South Florida PGA Section. Juniors must join the tour by going to http://sflorida.pga.com and clicking on Junior Golf. Remaining tournaments — Aug. 1-2, Doral Resort & Spa, Miami; Oct. 7-8, The Club at TwinEagles, Naples; Nov. 11-12, Martin Downs Country Club, Palm City.

• Southwest Florida Junior Golf Association — Ages 8-18. Remaining tournament schedule — July 21, Worthington (18 holes), TBA (9 holes). The Nolan Henke/Patty Berg Junior Masters Invitational, July 24-29, Cypress Lake Country Club. July 31, Adult/Junior, Golden Gate Country Club. More information at swfjga.com.

• U.S. Kids Naples Local Tour — Ages 4-12. Schedule: July 20, Miromar Lakes; Aug. 7, Naples Grande; Aug. 12, Golf Club of the Everglades; Aug. 26-27, Tour Championship, Club at TwinEagles. More information: 1-888-3USKIDS or www.uskidsgolf.com. Or call Paul Celano 354-1723.

• Rick Smith Golf Academy Junior Golf Camps — Remaining session dates are July 24-28, July 31-Aug. 4, and Aug. 7-11. Registration deadlines are three days prior to the first date of each session. Camps are for ages 7-17. Entry fees are $250, plus tax. Sessions are from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Family members can attend Friday's awards barbeque for an additional $15.

For the advanced junior golf camps, remaining session dates are July 24-28, and Aug. 7-11. There is a limit of 20 juniors for each session. Camps are for ages 7-17, with sessions from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. each day. A mini-tournament with trophies is held on the Thursday and Friday of each session. For more information, call 593-1111.

• WCI/Mercedes-Benz of Fort Myers Junior Golf Tour — Remaining schedule: Aug. 1, Pelican Marsh (18 holes), Tiburón (9 holes), $25 entry fee; Tournament of Champions, Aug. 12, Hammock Bay. Junior golfers must also become members of the tour in addition to the tournament entry fee. For more information, go to www.wcijrgolf.com or call 498-8040.

• X-Factor Junior Golf Tour — Upcoming tournaments: July 29-30, Miromar Lakes, Estero; Aug. 5-6, University of Florida, Gainesville; Aug. 19-20, Hammock Bay, Naples; Sept. 2-4, Orange Lake, Kissimmee; Sept. 30-Oct. 1, Lake Jovita, Dade City; Oct. 28-29, Bonita Bay Club, Bonita Springs; Nov. 18-19, PGA Golf Club, Port St. Lucie; Dec. 31-Jan. 1, 2007, Tour Championship, World Golf Village, St. Augustine. For more information, call Karen Hannaford at 822-8590 or visit www.x-factorjuniorgolf.com.

• Cypress Woods Golf Academy — Monday Junior Camp: remaining session July 31 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Fee, $25. Call 592-7860 or e-mail golfpro@cypresswoodsgolf.com.

• Faldo Golf Institute/Kids Golf 4 Free — The new program allows adults and kids to play and learn the game together. Juniors age 15 and under can golf for free with a full paying adult after 3 p.m., and free lessons for juniors age 15 and under with full-paying adult. The program also is available at The Rookery at Marco. For more information, go to www.marriottgolf.com.

• LPGA Girls Club of Collier County — At Arrowhead Country Club on Mondays at 10 a.m. on July 24 and 31, and Aug. 7. Girls ages 7-18. High school girls grouped together. Same with middle school and elementary school girls. Call 450-1165.

• Naples Grande Golf School — Remaining sessions, Tuesday through Friday, Aug. 8-11 from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Players of all skill levels welcome. Ages 7-17. Entries limited to first 20 players. Fee, $150 per student per week or $40 per day. Deadlines for the remaining sessions are June 27 and July 25, respectively. Call Mark Durland at 784-2208 or e-mail him at m(underscore)durland@msn.com.

• Vasari Country Club — Remaining sessions, Aug. 7-11 from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Ages 5-17. Fee, $100 per child for five days or $25 per child per day. Call 594-3959.

• Vineyards Junior Camps — Remaining sessions: Aug. 1-4 from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Fee, $150 per child per week. Call 353-0505. Junior golfers also are encouraged to check with their local club.

• Fort Myers Miracle Golf Giveaway Night — Friday, Aug. 11. Gates open at 6 p.m., with the Miracle's game starting at 7. Hundreds of free rounds of golf will be given away during the game from area golf courses. For tickets, call 768-4210 or go to www.miraclebaseball.com.

• Seventh annual Miracle Baseball Golf Classic — Sunday, Aug. 13 at Pelican Preserve in Fort Myers. The event benefits the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Registration is at 7:30 a.m., with an 8:30 a.m. start for the four-person scramble. The entry fee is $125, or $550 per foursome, including hole signage. Registration includes tickets to the Aug. 11 Miracle game. For more information, call 768-4210.

• Jack Nicklaus Heart & Stroke Challenge — During the month of July across the country, and at nine clubs in Naples, according to a press release.

In its third year, the Challenge is a month-long series of golf events to raise awareness about the increasing risk of heart attack and stroke among men and women age 55 and older, and encouraging them to talk to their doctors about what they can do to reduce their risk.

Entry is free with the option of buying a $10 mulligan to raise money for cardiovascular disease research and education. Each member of the two winning teams at the local level will win a framed lithograph of Nicklaus' farewell at the British Open and will become eligible for a day of golf activities in West Palm Beach with Nicklaus.

The participating courses in Naples are: Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, Moorings Country Club, The Strand, Eagle Creek, Golf Club at Fiddler's Creek, Golden Gate Country Club (the Quality Inn & Suites Golf Resort), Arrowhead Golf Course, Bonita Bay Club East, and Olde Florida Golf Club.

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For more golf information, including instruction, please go online to www.naplesnews.com/npdn/sports. To submit an item for the golf column, send a fax to 263-4816 or e-mail gshardwig@naplesnews.com.