May 19, 2026
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Florida Hickory Open was back for another year at Historic Dubsdread Golf Course. Over the two days of the championship, players enjoyed perfect weather, and the course proved to be a terrific challenge.
Men’s Open
After winning in his first appearance in last year’s event, James Witteck would take control of the leaderboard after a strong first round. In spite of a double-bogey on his first hole, James would par six holes in a row and would finish his round at four-over par total of 74. Matthew Lopez, in his first Florida Hickory Open appearance, would be just six back after day one with a round of 10-over 80. Four players were tied for third at 18-over par, including Tyler Hacker, Michael Stevens, Don Hacker, and Kipp Brandt.
Lopez started round two hot, birdieing two holes early on and shrinking Witteck’s lead down to just four after three holes. The two would trade blows the remainder of the round, but ultimately Witteck was able to extend his lead and hold off the early charge by Lopez. Witteck successfully defended his title with rounds of 74-72—146, tying the record low score in the Championship’s history.
Men’s Net Stableford
The point system for the Stableford portion was as follows: Net Eagle (4 points), Net Birdie (3 points), Net Par (2 points), Net Bogey (1 point). Richard Grula, the net Champion in the Inaugural Florida Hickory Open, was looking to return to the winner’s circle. After his first round, which included four net birdies and a net eagle, Grula would lead the way with 33 Stableford points. Following him in second place was Lee Wilson, who finished the day with 25 points. Two-time defending Champion Richard Boggs would sit in third place after a first round of 22 points.
During round two, Grula would find similar success as he did during the first round. With three net birdies on his first eight holes, he would extend his lead early and pull away from the field. With 34 Stableford points on day two, he would improve on his first round and claim the Net Division by 13 points. Wilson and Boggs would maintain their leaderboard position after the final round, finishing second and third respectively.
Women’s Open Division
Day one ended in a tight race in the Women’s Open Division. Familiar face Alice Brown, looking for her fourth straight victory, led the way by two shots after a first-round score of 87. Nancy Keating sat just two shots behind after shooting an 89. Rounding out the top three following the first round was BJ Hayden, who opened with a 92.
On Tuesday, Brown and Keating would go back and forth all morning and would be in a tight race coming down the home stretch. Nancy Keating would finish strong with two pars in her last few holes, which allowed her to claim her first victory in the Florida Hickory Open.
Congratulations to all the competitors.
Florida Hickory Golfers 