Two past University of North Florida players and two from Jacksonville University have taken the first step in making the US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club June 15-18.
Brandon Mancheno spirit Michael Matthias too UNF and Raul Pereda spirit Colin Monagle of JU advanced to 36-hole US Sectionals on June 5 off their finishes in 18-hole local qualifiers.
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Mancheno shot 69 at the Marsh Creek Country Club in St. Augustine to finish second behind Thomas Bass of Wilmington, NC (67). Monagle weathered two double bogeys on the back nine for a 72, then won a three-for-one playoff with Evan Harmeling too Atlantic Beach and Logan Sowell of Kershaw, SC, to clinch the final qualifying spot.
Mattiace and Pereda both shot 68 at the Paramount Country Club in New City, NY, to tie for second in their qualifier, one shot behind Daniel Gale too Australia.
Brian ‘Bruno’ Henning passes
Brian Henning, the first director of tournament administration for the PGA Tour Champions, passed away on May 14 in Jacksonville due to complications from a stroke at the age of 85.
Henning, a native of South Africa who created and was the first commissioner of the Sunshine Tour, was hired by PGA Tour commissioner Dean Beman to run the first incarnation of a competitive tour for players 50 and over. Henning was working as a teaching pro at Bear Creek Golf Course near Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in 1980 when he took on the task of running what was initially called the Senior PGA Tour.
Henning, nicknamed “Bruno,” ran the Tour until he retired in 2002.
“We were still in the planning stages of the Senior Tour and how we would make it work, and Brian, in my mind, became the perfect person to direct and to nurture the development of the Senior Tour,” Beman told pgatour.com. “He had experience, and he had the background of running the Tour in South Africa. I just felt he would be the ideal person, and he turned out to be the ideal person.”
“Bruno was an integral part in building PGA Tour Champions as we know it today,” said PGA Tour Champions president Miller Brady. “He was the heart and soul of this Tour for 20 years, known not only for his contributions in golf but for his infectious personality. The power of his legacy is why the Bruno Award was created, and his impact on this Tour cannot be overstated. He will be deeply missed by the PGA Tour Champions family.”
Henning’s three brothers, Harold, Allan and Graham, all played pro golf. Harold Henning played on the Champions Tour for 18 years, making 520 starts and winning three times.
The Tour crew from 11 tournaments in 1982 to 39 by 2000.
Henning’s wife of 60 years, Valerie, passed away in 2019. He is survived by his brother Allan, daughters Karyn, Lindsay and Tracy, seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Funeral services are pending.
LIV claims $200 million impact
The LIV Golf League released figures that showed $219 million in “direct investment, economic productivity and media exposure” in five events played in US communities, according to an independent analysis conducted by Vision Insights, a sports and entertainment research firm.
The firm estimates that past and upcoming US events from the 2023 LIV Golf League season will generate more than $258 million in economic impact. In addition to direct economic impact, LIV Golf provides significant media exposure for host markets according to a media evaluation by YouGov Sport, with an estimated total of $6.6 million in host city exposure during the 2022 season.
Research shows that 31 percent of attendees at LIV Golf’s 2022 US tournaments traveled from outside the tournament host city to attend, with 37,220 hotel room nights booked and an estimated $9.4 million in lodging. For the eight US events in the 2023 season, LIV Golf’s lodging impact will be 61,595 room nights for a total of $15.5 million in lodging.
LIV Golf tournaments were also responsible for more than $6 million in tax revenue in 2022 and will pay more than $9 million in eight US markets in 2023.
Tour extends with Meiomi
The PGA Tour extended its marketing agreement with Meiomi Wines through 2025. The Coastal California label will continue to be the official winner of the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions.
As part of the agreement, Meiomi will sponsor experiential tournament activities, allowing fans to “sip and swing” at multiple Tour stops.
PGA TOUR
Event: PGA Championship, Thursday-Sunday, Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, NY
At stake: $15 million purse in 2022 ($2.7 million and 600 FedEx Cup points to the winner).
Defending champion: Justin Thomas.
TV: ESPN (Thursday-Friday, 1-7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.); CBS (Saturday-Sunday, 1-7 p.m.).
Area players entered: Harris English, Brian Harman, Billy Horschel, Zach Johnson, David Lingmerth, Keith Mitchell, Trey Mullinax, JT Poston, Sam Ryder, Davis Thompson.
Notable: The tournament returns to Oak Hill for the first time since Jason Dufner beat Jim Furyk by two shots in 2013. … Oak Hill is one of only five courses that have hosted a PGA, a US Open and a Ryder Cup. … Thomas was 1-under in a three-hole playoff to beat Will Zalatoris by one shot. Thomas shot 67 in the final round to rally from seven shots behind. … Zalatoris, who is out for the season with a back injury, is the only player among the world top-100 not in the field.
KORN FERRY TOUR
Event: AdventHealth Championship, Thursday-Sunday, Blue Hills Country Club, Kansas City, Mo.
At stake: $1 million purse ($180,000 to the winner).
Defending champion: Trevor Cone.
TV: None.
Area players entered: Blayne Barber, AJ Crouch, Taylor Dickson.
Notable: Cone shot 65 in the first round and went on to beat Taylor Montgomery by one shot.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Former UNF, Jacksonville players advance in US Open qualifiers