Gosse Cooks Brooksville G&CC Course

BROOKSVILLE - When Inverness resident Kelly Gosse was 19-years-old, he became a golf professional. But after holding a number of jobs around the state, Gosse took a job in health care and got his amateur status back.
Over the weekend, Gosse shot rounds of 64-69--133 to capture the Brooksville Golf Club Charity Invitational Golf Tournament by a whopping 11 strokes.
With 88 amateur golfers taking place in the two-day tournament which was formally known as the Tangerine Invitational, Gosse almost lapped the field with his 8-under-par 64 on Saturday. It was one stroke off the course record of 63, set by Kelly Lagedrost of Brooksville in 1998.
"I never made a putt all weekend," joked the 44-year-old golfer at the awards presentation.
"If I'm not playing in a tournament, I'm usually playing at The Plantation Golf Course in Crystal River," he said.
Gosse did not play golf in either high school or college and became a club pro at the age of 19.
"I was a golf pro all over the state for 15 years," he said. "I had jobs in Key West, Miami and Citrus County. But once I got a job in health care, I couldn't see myself competing against pros who practices every day."

Other winners

Besides Gosse winning the championship flight, there were five other flights played.
R.G. Smith of Wesley Chapel won the sixth flight, shooting a net score of 64-69--133 while Brooksville golfer Dan Merritt Sr. took the fifth flight with rounds of 78-84--162.
Two other Brooksville golfers won flights in the tournament as Randy Dusenberry took the fourth flight by shooting rounds of 79-77--156.
Former Hernando Christian Academy golfer Chris Reagan won the third flight as he shot 69-78--147 and W. K. Himmelsbaugh of Leesburg won the second flight Sunday with rounds of 75-72--147.

Gosse rules

In his round of 64, played across the 8,812-yard, par 72 course, Gosse had three eagles, four birdies and two pars.
"Saturday, I made a 35-foot putt for eagle on number three, then I had a 50-footer on seven that had to break 12-feet, then I holed a 25-yard chip shot on 16 for another eagle," recalled Gosse.
The 64 gave Gosse a 5-stroke lead over Reagan after the first day and he sealed the win Sunday by getting birdies on one, three and four.
The tournament, which was renamed this year was highlighted with an $11,000 check to the Hernando-Pasco Hospice, was not the biggest margin of victory in Gosse's career.
"About 10 years ago, I won the Inverness Open by 14 shots. But I got lucky Saturday," he said. "I sank two bombs and holed a chip out. Normally, you make three eagles in a month, not three in one round."

Brooksville Country Club Charity Invitational Results
Top 10 Results:
1. Kelly Gosse, Inverness, 64-69--133; 2. Gary Cona, Land O'Lakes, 71-74--145; T3. Chris Reagan, Brooksville 69-78--147; T3. W.K. Himmelsbaugh, Leesburg, 75-72--147; T5. Neil Copeland, Lakeland 75-75--150; T5. Jordan Padova, Hudson 74-76--150; T5. Mike Sanderson, Homosassa 75-75--150; T8. Brian Keenan, Tampa 74-77--151; T8. Lee Habjan, Brooksville 77-74--151; T10. Chris Bernhard, Inverness 76-76--152; T10, Curt Cornell, Brooksville 74-78--152.

Flight Results:
Flight 1
1. Kelly Gosse, Inverness 64-69--133; 2. Gary Cona, Land O'Lakes 71-74--145; 3. Joseph Hudson, New Port Richey 70-78--148; T4. Jordan Padova, Hudson 74-76--150; T4. Mike Sanderson, Homosassa 75-75--150; 6. Brian Keenan, Tampa 74-77--151; T7. Chris Bernhard, Inverness 76-76--152; T7. Curt Cornell, Brooksville 74-78--152; T9. Jaime Giradi, New Port Richey 74-79--153; T9. Larry VanderBie, Brooksville 76-77--153; T11. Ron LeClair, Brooksville 77-77--154; T11. Lee Schultz, Floral City 73-81--154; 13. Bill Emo, Dade City 73-82--155; 14. Jeff Shelton, Inverness 78-77--155; 15. Gary Nicoll, 85-76--161.

Flight 2
1. W. K. Himmelsbaugh, Leesburg 75-72=147; 2. Neil Copeland, Lakeland 75-75=150; 3. Roger Flaherty, 77-74=151; T4. Job Levesque, Spring Hill 79-73=152; T4. Mark Hanshaw, Land O'Lakes 76-76=152; T6. Kevin Drury, Weeki Wachee 81-75=156; T6. Scott Lynch, Land O'Lakes 77-79=156; T8. David Stanley, Spring Hill 81-76=157; T8. Andrew Padova, Hudson 82-75=157; T8 Kelston Swanston, Spring Hill 79-78=157; 11. Joe Knight, Inverness 76-82=158; 12. Michael Downing, Inverness 77-82=159; T13. Jonathan Koss, Tampa 78-84=162; T13. Richard Padgett, Brooksville 77-85=162; 15. Cory Gibbs, Inverness 79-84=163; 16.
Larry Shipp, Tampa 86-85=171.

Flight 3
1. Chris Reagan, Brooksville 69-78--147; 2. Lee Habjan, Brooksville 77-74--151; 3. Kelly Brady, Crystal River 73-79--152; 4. Carl Sullivan, Zephyrhills 76-78--154; 5. Robert Booth, 75-81--156; T6. Nathan Connor, Inverness 76-81--157; T6. Truman Libby, Homosassa 78-79--157; 8. Jason Thomas, 80-78--158; 9. Howard Vaughn, Hudson 77-83--160; 10. Baxter Byerly, 77-86--163; 11. Billy Hooker, Inverness 83-81--164; 12. Calvin Merritt, Spring Hill 77-88--165; T13. Glenn Abbott, Homosassa 79-89--168; T13. David Donato, Brooksville 83-85--168.

Flight 4
Randy Dusenberry, Brooksville 79-77--156; 2. Travis Carroll, Inverness 82-81--163; 3. Jerry Sheffield, Brooksville 79-85--164; 4. Mike Reagan, Brooksville 80-85--165; 5. Dennis Swander, Inverness 85-81--166; 6.
Michael Foster, Hernando 82-86--168; 7. Rich Ahlgren, Land O'Lakes 86-86--172; T8. Bob Eiserman, Crystal River 84-89--173; T8. David McKean, Floral City 85-88--173; T8. Scott Toumbleston, Inverness 86-87--173; 11. Marty Lentz, Valrico 90-84--174; 12. Bob Pennell, Homosassa 87-89--176; T13. Eric Adolfsson, Hernando 90-90--180; T13. James Roberts, Brooksville 88-92--180; 15. Richard DeBusk, Brooksville 90-94--184.

Flight 5
1. Dan Merritt Sr., Brooksville 78-84--162; 2. Jack Hulett, Dunnellon 86-81--167; 3. Sid Warren, Brooksville 85-88--173; T4. J. Merritt, Brooksville 83-92--184; T4. Prince Ross, 85-90--175; 6. David Braden, Inverness 90-88--178; 7. Dave Merritt, Brooksville 83-96--178; 8. Thomas Daugherty, Dade City 90-89--179; 9. Pat Hart, Crystal River 89-91--180; 10. Dave Alberson, Brooksville 88-96--184; 11. Tom McLaughlin, Crystal River 93-94--187.

Flight 6 (Net Scores)
1. R.G. Smith, Wesley Chapel 64-69--133; 2. Dave Thoel, Dunnellon 66-70--136; 3. Geoff Rutzen, Ridge Manor 70-73--143; T4. Paul Beasley, Brooksville 71-74--145; T4. Ed Doyle, Hernando 72-73--145; 6. Bill VanTassel, Floral City 75-74--149; 7. Mickey Byrne, Weeki Wachee 79-75--154; T8. Bob DeSanto, Weeki Wachee 82-75--157; T8. Mike Zimmerlin, 76-81--157; 10. Gordon Fleming, Spring Hill 80-78--158; T11. Ron Bjorkland, Brooksville 75-80--171; T11. W.W. Gutshall, Dade City 91-80--171.