Page 1 - Boca Club News - December '20

An Independent Newspaper Serving Broken Sound & Bocaire

VOL. 14 NO. 12 www.seabreezepublications.com DECEMBER 2020

Exclusive Report: Clarke Wins 2020 TimberTech

Boca Highlights from Championship at Broken

November 3rd Election Sound Club’s Old Course with

exclusively for our readers by Wendy Sartory Link, Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections. Birdie on the 18th Hole
The October issue of Boca Club News featured a “Voter’s Guide” article prepared

Now, as a post-election service, Supervisor Link has provided a wealth of interesting data and
information about the results of that important November 3rd event as specifically expressed By Rebecca Seelig
by the registered voters in Boca Raton and, in some cases, how they compared with the votes Darren Clarke birdied the 18th hole to
in the rest of Palm Beach County. We believe you will find this information interesting. win the TimberTech Championship at Broken
Supervisor Link was born and raised in Palm Beach County, and has received numerous Sound Club for his first victory since the 2011
awards for her civic and charitable work in the community. She received her undergraduate British Open.
Bachelor of Science degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Clarke took advantage of rare mistakes by
Juris Doctor degree from Duke University School of Law. She has been named among the Best defending champion and Boca Raton resident
Lawyers in America for Real Estate Law since 2009, and is a member of Florida Council of Bernhard Langer with a 4-under 68 on The Old
100; Economic Council of Palm Beach County; International Women’s Forum; Leadership Course to finish at 17-under 199. Clarke won
Florida; Leadership West Palm Beach (one of three founders); Palm Beach State College in his 40th start on the PGA Tour Champions,
District Board of Trustees, and the Weiss School Board of Directors. fueled by a second-round 62.
The following are notes that stand out from the data compiled from the recent election results: “I’ve had a lot of opportunities the last few
- There are approximately one-and-a-half times (1.46%) as many registered Democrats in years, so it’s great to finally win one,” Clarke
Palm Beach County over registered Republicans in Palm Beach County: 428,390 to 239,861 to said. “I wouldn’t be working this hard if I
be precise, although that doesn’t guarantee for whom they voted this election. Interestingly, the didn’t think I could still win.”
number of officially Non-Politically Affiliated voters is surprisingly high, at 283,111. Compare Clarke said he didn’t know where he stood
those County numbers with voters in Boca Raton: 25,326 registered Republicans over 23,900 on the par-5 closing hole, where he made
Democrats, a difference of 6%. Here again, the number of Non-Politically Affiliated is high: an eagle Saturday. Clarke found the fairway Darren Clarke
21,297. (There are also 18,909 “other” registered votes in Palm Beach County, and 1,495 Sunday and hit a 6-iron from 193 yards to 40
“other” registered voters in Boca Raton.) feet. He lagged his eagle putt to a foot and pumped his fist after tapping in.
- Contrary to the impression given in local and national media, there were a total of 13 “I did what I had to do to win,” said Clarke, who earned $300,000.
candidates for President/Vice-President on the ballots presented to Palm Beach County voters! Langer was trying to win the
The Biden-Harris ticket received 433,572 County-wide votes vs. 334,711 for Trump-Pence. TimberTech Championship for the
Three tickets received no County-wide votes, while others ranged from one vote to 3,040 votes third time and was leading by a shot at
for the Jo Jorgensen/Jeremy “Spike” Cohen ticket representing the (LPF) party. 17-under after 14 holes. But after not
- Boca voters reflected the County trend, with 36% more ballots cast in the City for Biden/ making a bogey in his first 50 holes this
Harris than for Trump/Pence. week, he made two in his next three holes.
- As was the case throughout the nation, it seems that a significant number of Boca voters Langer (67) hit it in the water at the
lined up at the three early voting polling places to take advantage of the pre-Election Day difficult 15th hole after an errant drive
opportunities: almost 45,000 ballots were cast, or approximately 63% of the total, before – he had to get up-and-down from the
November 3rd. fairway to save bogey – and he missed a
- The above combination of higher than usual early votes, plus mail-ins, accounts for the short par putt at the 17th. Langer birdied
fact that same-day voting by private club members throughout Boca was lower than in past the 18th to finish at 16-under and force
years. Broken Sound Club members cast 481 votes on Election Day; St. Andrews members Clarke to birdie the par-5 18th to win.
cast 116 votes on Election Day, and Bocaire members cast 170 votes on Election Day. “I could feel something wasn’t right Bernhard Langer shows his frustrations on final
- Anne M. Gannon, the incumbent Palm Beach County Constitutional Tax Collector, whose with my swing and it showed up over and holes.
column appears each month in Boca Club News, was re-elected overwhelmingly, by a margin over,” said Langer, who finished tied for
of almost four times the number of votes cast for her challenger: 560,432 to 148,297. second with Jim Furyk (68). “I hit probably six or seven tee shots just way right and that’s
- Democrat Lois Frankel, Boca Raton’s incumbent Representative in Congress, was re- going to bite you sooner or later and it did on 15. You can’t hit it right on 15.”
elected for another term by a vote of 237,925 vs. 157,612 for her Republican challenger. Clarke’s chances of victory were dimmed when he double-bogeyed the ninth hole to fall
- Of the Constitutional Amendments on the ballot, five were approved, including: the two behind, but he birdied the next two holes to stay in contention.
requirement that voters be at least 18 years of age, U.S. citizens and registered residents of Furyk was trying to win his third PGA Tour Champions event in his fifth start. Miguel
Florida; the raising of minimum wage from $10 to $15 per hour effective September 30th, Angel Jimenez (66) was fourth.
2021; a provision allowing the homestead property tax discount for certain veterans with First-round leader John Daly (71-208), who is battling bladder cancer, finished tied for
permanent combat-related disabilities to carry over to such veteran’s surviving spouse under 26th. As for Clarke, he is going to have to enjoy his first win in over a decade in the Bahamas
certain conditions; and the extension from two years to three years the period of time during due to a VISA expiring.
which accrued Save-Our-Homes benefits may be transferred from a prior homestead to a new “I’ve got to leave the country, which any other year I would be absolutely gutted to miss
homestead. The only Amendment that was rejected called for all proposed amendments or Phoenix,” said Clarke. “That being said, having just won I would love to go and try and win
revisions to the state constitution to be approved in two elections instead of one in order to again next week, but unfortunately that won’t be the case. I’m going to have to sit at the
take effect. This measure lost by a narrow margin of barely 50,000 votes County-wide. beach, at the beach bar called Flippers down in Abaco Club, drink some sea breezes, and
watch the boys on the big screen up there. When everybody makes a birdie, I’ll go cheer and
have another sea breeze or a Kalik Light; it will be a little bit of both.”
The Boca Raton Champions Golf Charities (BRCGC) serves as the operational and
financial oversight group for the event, as well as for the distribution of all charitable funds.
All net tournament proceeds benefit Boca Raton Regional Hospital. Managed by Pro Links
Sports, this annual tournament has given more than $1 million to local charities.
(See page 4 for a chart of player results—tournament rankings and earnings)

A Word from the Editor—See page 3