The Gasparilla Invitational is a beloved mid-amateur event held annually at Palma Ceia CC in Tampa, Fla., that begins on Thursday. The tournament's early history is as a professional event in 1932, boasting one of the biggest purses on the professional circuit. The 1932 champion Paul Runyan took home a bag of gold coins worth $962.
The tournament was reimaged as an amateur event in 1956, and this year several New England golfers will be there to compete for a title.
The tournament is named the Gasparilla because Tampa Bay is host to the pirate-inspired Gasparilla Festival, which is a Mardi-Gras-type celebration held every year.
The golf course was designed by a familiar name in the New England area, Donald Ross. The course has treacherous greens that are dialed up to very fast speeds to challenge some of the best mid-amateurs in the country.
The tournament is a 54-hole stroke play event. There is a cut after 36 holes.
Let's meet the five players with New England connections who will tee it up in the Gasparilla.