Osprey fly at Sea Island: Teams of past and present UNF players at the top in Gator Bowl Pro-Am
Teams composed of past and present University of North Florida players are at the top of the leaderboard after the first round of the Henry Tuten Gator Bowl Pro-Am on Thursday at the Sea Island Club Plantation Course.
Two of the top-three players in UNF history in terms of top-10 finishes have formed the team to beat in the best-ball event as pro Philip Knowles and amateurs Nick Gabrelcik, Robbie Higgins and Jeff Dennis shot 11-under-par 61 to take a one-shot lead over pro Pete Kellermann and amateurs Dan Kellermann, Alex Dienes and Tom Drill.
The Kellermann team won the Gator Bowl Pro-Am in 2017 at San Jose, beating a team that included Knowles as an amateur.
Gabrelcik, with one spring season remaining, holds the UNF record for top-10 finishes with 29, and eight victories. Knowles has the third-most top-10s with 23, and won three times.
Dennis is a former UNF player and assistant coach. Higgins, like Gabrelcik, is a senior for the Ospreys.
Pete Kellermann also played at UNF.
University of Florida coach and two-time Florida Open winner J.C. Deacon, his son Jeff Deacon, Jon Drake and Craig Hosie are in third at 9-under. Among the six teams tied for fourth at 8-under are led by two-time PGA Tour winner Frank Lickliter, former UNF player Michael Mattiace, Marsh Creek head pro and former Gator player Cary Splane and DP World Tour member Scott Jamieson.
The second round will be on Friday at the Seaside Course, with an all-tee start at 10 a.m.
Henry Tuten Gator Bowl Pro-Am results
At Sea Island Club (round one, Thursday, Plantation Course, par-72; round two, Friday, Seaside Course, par-70):
61 (11-under)
Philip Knowles (P), Jeff Dennis, Robbie Higgins, Nick Gabrelcik.
62 (10-under)
Pete Kellermann (P), Dan Kellermann, Alex Dienes, Tom Drill.
63 (9-under)
J.C. Deacon (P), Jon Drake, Jeff Deacon, Craig Hosie.
64 (8-under)
Cary Splane (P), Luke Splane, Jamie Welu, Lee Messler.
Sam Anderson (P), Zack Justice, Will Davenport, Thomas Joiner.
Scott Jamieson (P), Brendan Rager, Marc Dull, Chip Brooke.
Michael Mattiace (P), Jordan Batchelor, Cody Carroll, Chase Carroll.
Joseph Winslow (P), John Ambrose, Andrew Morgan, Michael Winslow.
Frank Lickliter (P), Adam Krestalude, Jeff Golden, Sam Ohno.
65 (7-under)
Dillon Board (P), Alex Williamson, Joe Stepnes, Sammy Davis.
Blake Dyer (P), Devin Harnandez, Spencer Baldwin, Andrew Morris.
Matt Borchert (P), Christian Vozza, Jero Esteve, Doug Dvorak.
66 (6-under)
Ron Philo Jr. (P), Cooper Diaz, Jeffrey Doty, Connor Doherty.
Mark Blakefield (P), Brian Craig, Gavin Sheets, Griffin Barke.
Taylor Dickson (P), Brandon Arthurs, John Limanti, Walt Todd.
67 (5-under)
Craig Bowden (P), Mark Spencer, Joe Scott, Steve Carter.
A.J. Crouch (P), Conor Richardson, Phil Oweida, John Jonas.
Jarrod Barsamian (P), Clayton Brewer, Carson Brewer, Reese Tyrrell.
Keith Mitchell (P), Trey Stavrum, Chuck Hudson, Josh Ernest.
Harold Varner III (P), Thomas Owen, David Anderson, Keith Early.
Colin Monagle (P), Duke Butler IV, Will Sprague, Dustin Dingus.
68 (4-under)
Jeff Klauk (P), Jackson Klauk, Kevin Durkin, Pete Abernathy.
69 (3-under)
Jared Wolfe (P), Davis Lee, Lenny Schonfeld, Luke McCann.
Josh Lee (P), Christopher Henderson, Graham Nichols, Michael McGrath.
Travis Trace (P), Eric Havixbeck, Jake Nelson, Chase Baldwin.
Tyson Alexander (P), Alex Bennett, Scott Riley, Fredrik Gustafsson.
Spencer Brown (P), Adam Wallace, Ryan Busch, Ben McClung.
71 (1-under)
Michael Broderick (P), Matt Miller, Peter Catanzaro, Matt Sapienza.
73 (1-over)
Blanton Tessin (P), Scott Hoffman, Dan Dearing, Marlen Vogt.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Past and present North Florida Osprey teams lead Gator Bowl Pro-Am
