2026 FSW IMG Academy Golf Club

For the final event of the Southwest Florida 2026 season, we once again headed to IMG Academy Golf Club in Bradenton.  It was a hot, sunny day that saw 33 of our members play and possibly win some Player of the Year honors!  Highlights of the day included: 

• Division 1: We had our Player of the Year points leader, Gage Basiletti in the field for the finals with that honor already well in hand.  Despite that, Matt Ross, Chase Bertrand, and Pierson Gill all looked to get a win for the finals.  Basiletti started the front with a -2 (34), but Ross was just one behind at -1 (35).  Coming down the stretch, Ross would take a one-shot lead into the par 5 18^th.  However, an untimely bogey by Ross would put them into a tie and off to a sudden death playoff.  Both players parred the first two holes.  On the third, a long par 3, Ross got the advantage by hitting the green while Basiletti missed the green.  After Basiletti’s chip rolled by the pin, he needed to make a 12-footer to extend the playoff, and he nailed it!  On the 4^th hole, Basiletti would end the tie with a birdie to Ross’ par, and he earned his 8^th win of the 2026 season, solidifying his D1 Player of the Year award.   

• Division 2: We had 5 of our top 6 points getters in the field for our finals, including the leader, Nick Westbrook, second place Danny Magruder, Chason Rockymore (Rocky), Christian Hess, and Frank Gomes.   This was a very tight race with 4 of the 5 players shooting +3 (39) on the front and setting up an exciting finish!  Rocky would start the back nine off with a birdie and never looked back from there taking his third win of the season, allowing Nick Westbrook to take the 2026 D2 Player of the Year award.   

• Division 3: This was our largest group of the event with 9 players in the field, including points leader, Josh Acevedo.  After the front nine, Marcus Clifford and Rick Kaczmarczyk took the lead with +6 (42) and a 3-shot cushion over newly promoted, Clay Metzger and Acevedo.  On the back, Acevedo would improve by one over his front nine, but it was not enough as Metzger showed why he’s now in D3 and fired a +6 (42 on the back for an 87 and second place.  Marcus Clifford also improved on his score on the front nine by firing a 41 on the back and an 83 total to take his second win in 5 events this season!  That also allowed Acevedo to take home the D3 Player of the Year!   

• Division 4: Our Player of the Year leader, Clay Metzger just got promoted to D3 for his strong play, so it was up to others to try and catch him.  Second place points getter, Mike Bushee was the only one who could do that, and he needed a win.  On the front nine, Manny Collins took the lead with a +8 (44), with John Oursler and Jay Shockey just one-shot back.  Oursler would shoot +8 (44) on the back, and Shockey just needed a par on the last hole to force a playoff.  Unfortunately, he bogeyed and Oursler took his second win of the season, giving Clay Metzger the D4 Player of the Year honors.      

• Division 5: This was our closest Player of the Year contest of all the divisions, and both players, Greg Gastfield and Jeromy Sigler, were in the field!  On the front nine, Rusty Lingenfelter took a 5-shot lead with a +8 (44), over Jeromy Sigler.  On the back nine, Gastfield would make up 5 shots on Lingenfelter and 3 on Sigler, but it was not enough as Lingenfelter hung on for the 3-shot victory, his first of the season.  Gastfield held off Sigler to earn the D5 Player of the Year honors.   

• Mid-Am Net: Sigler was in the Player of the Year running here as well, with a narrow lead over Gage Basiletti.  Basiletti, needing the win to overtake Sigler, jumped out to an early lead shooting a -3 (33) on the front nine with Nick Westbrook just 3 back and looking to play the spoiler.  On the back, Sigler would get 2 shots back on Basiletti, and Westbrook would stay consistent and tie Basiletti for the win.  The tie for first was enough to give Basiletting the Mid-Am Net Player of the Year honors.   

• Senior Net: This one was also very tight between Greg Gastfield, Mike Bushee, and Rusty Lingenfelter heading into the finals.  Gastfield just needed to have someone other than those two win to lock up that honor.  On the front nine, Lingenfelter jumped out to the early lead at -3 (33), two better than Frank Gomes and Rick Kaczmarczyk, with others lurking just one more back.  Lingenfelter would shoot a +3 (39) on the back for an even par finish, while Frank Gomes finished one shot back for second.  The win gave Lingenfelter the Senior Net Player of the Year honors!   

A huge thank you goes out to Steve Strausbaugh and the entire staff at IMG Academy Golf Club for having the course in excellent condition for our finals.