Bozzelli wins Lake County Classic, matches alum Zach Johnson with three wins in a row

(Lady Lake, Fla.) – The NGA Tour is littered with All-Americans, All-Nicklaus Team Members, past champions, and even several Web.com Tour members. However, for one super rookie, he’s not impressed. Auburn alum Dominic Bozzelli, in his first full season as a professional, won the Lake County Classic giving him three Pro Series wins in a row, a feat not seen since Zach Johnson accomplished it during his magical 2001 Player of the Year season. What makes Bozzelli’s run even more impressive is rookies aren’t supposed to have this kind of success on the NGA Tour and especially not this early. Bozzelli, out of Pittsford, NY, has not only won three events in a row, but he has now won the FIRST three full Pro Series events of the season. At this pace could an undefeated 18 and 0 record be in the making?

Maybe more impressive was how Bozzelli pulled off the win at the challenging Harbor Hills Country Club in Lady Lake. Round 3 had to be concluded on Sunday before the final round could even begin due to a rain delay on Saturday. Bozzelli posted a 5-under-par 67 to grab the lead after the third round at -15. He would then have to play the final round a group in front of the previous 2nd round leaders as the tour was unable to re-pair due to the delay. Bozzelli was in cruise control until he hit a snag with a bogey on the par three 13th. In the meantime Michigan State alum and 2008 US Am Publinks Champion Jack Newman (Des Moines, Iowa) made eagle a hole back on 12. The move allowed Newman to take a one shot lead over Bozzelli with one extra hole to play. With the pressure on, Bozzelli birdied his final three holes to get out to a two-stroke advantage over Newman and forcing Newman to have to eagle from 18 fairway to force a playoff. Newman would miss left ensuring Bozzelli’s win. Bozzelli received $16,000 for the win while Newman received $8,000 for finishing in solo second. Florida Southern’s Brian Richey (Lakeland, Fla.), who held the clubhouse lead at 16 under for a while, received $5,500 for finishing alone in third. Web.com Tour members David Skinns (Lincoln, England) and Phillip Mollica (Greenville, SC) finished T4 at -14 while second round leader and fellow web member Randall Hutchison (Traverse City, Mich.) finished T17 at -8.

As if three wins in a row wasn’t enough, Bozzelli also earned his second straight Web.com Tour event exemption via his Lake County Classic win. Bozzelli had already earned an exemption into the BMW Charity Pro-Am due to his win in Albany two weeks earlier and his win at Lady Lake earned him an exemption into the Price Cutter Charity Championship taking place in July. For NGA Tour members, the chance to compete on the Web.com Tour is more important than an NGA Tour win. The NGA Tour sees countless players move up in-season every year and, with two guaranteed starts, Bozzelli has doubled his chances of being one of them.

The NGA Tour would like to thank the staff and volunteers at Harbor Hills Country Club, the Villages, and the city of Lady Lake, Fla. for welcoming. The NGA Tour Pro Series resumes tournament play April 3rd through 6th at Ocala National Country Club in Ocala, Fla. for the 2014 Ocala/Marion County Classic. For more information on how you can volunteer, compete, or be a part of the NGA Tour please contact the NGA Tour offices at 800-992-8748.

For full 2014 Lake County Classic at Harbor Hills results visit: www.ngatour.com/finalresults/pro2014009/#.UznBnqhdVh4