ORLANDO, Fla. – Scott Parel, who spent 10 years as a computer programmer before turning professional at age 31, went wire-to-wire in winning the third annual, 54-hole Diamond Resorts Invitational on Sunday, January 14, 2018 in a playoff over fellow PGA Tour Champions player Scott Dunlap. Two-major champion John Daly finished third. (Above: TAKING IN THE ACTION (L-R) Jessica Reed, Michael Rey Reed and Nigel Norman. Photo by John Perry)
In his second year on the over-50 tour, Parel was flu-ridden for two days until tournament eve and didn’t play a practice round. But, despite feeling achy, he birdied nine holes in the first round at the par-71, 6,675-yard Tranquilo Golf Club and led after each day under the Modified Stableford System.
“Beware the injured animal,” Parel said.
Parel won the 32-player professional division with a par on the first sudden-death playoff hole, the 203-yard 18th, where Dunlap hit a fat 5-iron shot short into water and double-bogeyed. Dunlap didn’t have a 4-iron in his bag and said he tried to “squeeze more out of the 5 than I probably could.”
Marcus Brown, 34-year-old (non-golfer) is native Floridian, which is rare around here, with all the transplants and snowbirds and tourist. It’s hard to find people born and raised in the Orlando area. Marcus is an Orlando Union Rescue Mission Volunteer. He worked the #2 Green Grill at the Diamond Resorts Invitational at Tranquilo Golf Club in Disney World. It was his first time ever at a golfing event of any kind. He said his experience might motivate him to take up the game. Naturally, I asked, “How can you live in Florida and not play golf?” Marcus is President & Founder of the “Hope Dealing Mindset Corp.”, A 501c non-profit organization. He informed me that his organization has fed over 3,000 families in the last 4 years. Marcus graduated from Orlando’s Evans High School and then from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Md. with a major in Psychology. You can contact Marcus and his organization at www.hopedealingmindset.org. Their motto is ” This Is Why We Hope”.
On the same hole in regulation, Dunlap had made an 8-foot birdie putt for three points after hitting a downwind 5-iron approach and Parel failed to get up and down for par and victory.
“I think low expectations (helped),” Parel said. “My expectations were just to try to finish and do the best I can.”
Canadian Brooke Henderson, 20, a five-time LPGA winner playing from the same tees as the men, finished seventh with 80 points, 13 behind the winner. Henderson made 15 birdies over three days and scored 20 points more than the next best of among four LPGA players, Brittany Lincicome.
Former No. 1-ranked American tennis player Mardy Fish won the 52-man celebrity division for the second time in three years. He finished with 75 points. Next were nine-time NHL all-star Jeremy Roenick at 61 and 2017 winner Mark Mulder with 60.
Mulder was four points back after birdieing Nos. 11-12, but he fell nine behind when he drove into left woods at 13 and double-bogeyed while Fish birdied.
“That was the difference,” Fish said. “A huge momentum swing. Any time you go backwards, you can’t get away with those things.” Mulder also double-bogeyed the par-4 15th.
TAKING IN THE ACTION (L-R) Jessica Reed, Michael Rey Reed and Nigel Norman checking out the action at DRI Charity Golf Tournament during Saturday’s 2nd round. Nigel says he’s been playing golf for about 12 years, a 3-5 handicapper whose favorite golfers (other than Tiger Woods) is Rory McElroy, Jason Day and Jordan Spieth. Nigel hails from Newberg, N.Y. and has been living in East Orlando for the past ten years. He attended FIU in Miami. His major was Hospitality Management. He plans to go to his 1st Masters Tournament this April in Augusta, Ga., and “Can’t wait.” Jessica doesn’t play golf but says she supports Nigel’s passion for the game. Her favorite golfer is Rickey Fowler. Jessica resides from Phoenix, Az. Has been living in Florida for one-and-a-half years. She went to Grand Canyon University in Phoenix and majored in Education and currently works as a school teacher at Walker Middle School. Michael Rey, age 6, says he likes golf a lot.
Modified Stableford scoring awards six points for an eagle, three for birdie, one for par, zero for bogey and minus two for double bogey or worse. Champions and LPGA players competed for $760,000, the celebrities for $500,000.
