Longboat Key doubles team reaches the finals in national tourney

By Observer Staff
| 4:00 a.m. March 13, 2013

Jared Grose, tournament director, with Jim Bakle, Tom Churchill and Alan Thompson, tournament organizer. Courtesy photo.

Longboat Key
Neighbors

Longboat Key residents Jim Bakle and Tom Churchill were doubles finalists in the Men’s 80s Division Super Senior Grand Prix National Category 11 tennis tournament held Wednesday, Jan. 30 through Tuesday, Feb. 5, at University Park Country Club.

The tournament, part of the Florida Super Senior Grand Prix, is a designated Super Category II, one of only 11 such tournaments in this category in the country. It consisted of 285 players from across the country (and a few from abroad) playing 219 singles and 170 doubles matches.

Members of the Longboat Key Public Tennis Center, Bakle and Churchill play in leagues for the most advanced players in the 75 and up and 80 and up age divisions.