Paul Tesori knows how to make the most of a week off from the PGA Tour. The veteran caddie, who has been a steady presence on Tour for decades, swapped his caddie bib for a player's cap and walked away with the 49th Florida Senior Open title on May 1 at Mayacoo Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach.

Tesori, a St. Augustine High graduate and former University of Florida standout, opened with rounds of 68 and 67 to set the pace. He closed with a 1-under 70, finishing at 8-under 205 to edge Steve Vecellio and Paul Scaletta by one shot. The winning moment came at the final hole, where Tesori made a clutch par from 100 yards out—a 6-foot putt that sealed the victory after Scaletta found trouble off the tee and made double bogey.

This win is particularly special for Tesori, whose playing career was cut short by injury after earning his PGA Tour card in 1996. Since then, he has become one of the most respected caddies in the game, working with World Golf Hall of Famer Vijay Singh and Webb Simpson for all seven of his Tour wins, including the 2012 U.S. Open and 2018 Players Championship. He has also carried bags for Cameron Young, Jerry Kelly, Tom Kim, Adam Schenk, and Chris Couch.

Tesori caddied his 25th Players Championship in March for Schenk and has since reunited with Simpson for the 2025 season. With Simpson not eligible for The Players or this week's Cadillac Championship at Doral, Tesori had a rare window to compete—and he made the most of it.

After bogeys at Nos. 6 and 7 in the final round, Tesori locked in, playing his last 10 holes in 2-under with no further mistakes. He is the first amateur to win the Florida Senior Open since Mike Weeks in 2016, and his first statewide victory comes after years of success in Florida State Golf Association events, including eight Winter Series Mid-Amateur titles.

For a man who spends most of his time helping others win, this one was all his.