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NAPLES — Mike San Filippo wasn't sure he'd play the final round of the 32nd Florida State Senior Open when he got up Sunday morning.

The defending champion had tweaked his back late in his round on Saturday, and woke up stiff. It took 21 holes, but it was worth it for the Hobe Sound resident, who beat Jim Chancey in a three-hole playoff at The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club.

“I learned one important lesson here this weekend,” San Filippo said, “and that’s never to cry about being hurt. No one wants to hear about it when you win a golf tournament.”

San Filippo won in 2004, and tied Marion Heck (1993, 1996-97) as a three-time champion. He is also the sixth champion to defend his title the following year. Chancey also was going for his third title, after winning in 2002-03. Bob Erickson, with four, has won the most Senior Open titles.

San Filippo bounced back from a bogey on the par-3 16th with a birdie on No. 17. Chancey also birdied No. 17, and had an 8-foot birdie putt on No. 18, but just missed it, leaving him tied with San Filippo at 10-under-par 206. Stuart's Jerry Tucker missed a 6-footer for birdie on No. 18 to get in the playoff.

Both San Filippo and Chancey parred the first playoff hole, No. 18. San Filippo made an outstanding pitch shot after leaving his approach short on the second playoff hole, No. 10, and Chancey missed a 15-foot, downhill birdie putt.

After heading back to No. 18 for third playoff hole, Chancey's tee shot just caught the water on the right side. Conditions had been worsening as a storm approached.

“The wind just kind of really took it or something,'' Chancey said.

San Filippo nailed his approach shot from a 142 yards within a couple of feet, and that was pretty much it. After a drop, Chancey hit his third shot on the green 25 feet away, and missed the putt. San Filippo tapped in his birdie to win $3,012.

"Jimmy's a very good friend of mine,'' San Filippo said. "I hate to beat him in a playoff, but somebody had to win.''

After a morning Jacuzzi bath, San Filippo drained a 40-footer for birdie on No. 1, and followed with birdies on Nos. 3, 4, 5, 8 and 9. He had trailed Fort Myers amateur Jacques Legere, Naples' A.J. Duncan and Titusville's Mike Smith by two strokes going into the final round.

“If I hadn’t gotten off to such a good start I might not have made it,” he said.

Tucker had the lead by a shot over Chancey and San Filippo standing on the 14th tee, then barely got his tee shot past the end of the tee box. Still, Tucker just missed a birdie putt on the par-5, and was tied for the lead going into No. 17. But Tucker missed a short par putt, then did the same with a 6-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to finish in third place. Chancey bogeyed No. 16 when he missed the green, but came back with a birdie on No. 17 to grab back a share of the lead.

There also was a playoff for low amateur, with Casselberry's Robert Hess birdieing the second playoff hole to edge out Legere. Both shot 6-under 210.

Duncan finished fourth at 208, and Smith was fifth, another shot back.

Fiddler's Creek's John Calabria, who won the overall title in 1999 and 2005, won the 60-64 age group.

Florida State Senior Open

at The Naples Beach Hotel & GC

Par-72

Pro division

Overall

Mike San Filippo, Hobe Sound, $3,012 70-70-66—206

Jim Chancey, Altamonte Springs, $1,776 68-71-67—206

Jerry Tucker, Stuart, $1,313 69-71-67—207

A.J. Duncan, Naples, $927 67-71-70—208

Mike Smith, Titusville, $695 69-69-71—209

50-59

Adam Adams, Coconut Creek, $600 69-70-72—211

60-64

John Calabria, Naples, $600 70-72-72—214

65-69

Carl Pedersen, Navarre, $600 73-71-72—216

70-74

Bill King, Port St. Luce, $600 72-69-75—216

Amateur division

Overall

Robert Hess, Casselberry, $400 67-74-69—210

50-59

Gross: Jacques Legere, Fort Myers, $300 210

Net: Lee Booker, Naples, $275 205

60-64

Gross: Charlie Walters, Sarasota, $300 231

Net: Bill Johnson, St. Petersburg, $275 213

65-69

Gross: Ron Goldburg, Boca Raton, $300 229

Net: Ron Haas, Naples, $275 210

70-74

Gross: Bernard Addis, Bonita Springs, $300 245

Net: Veikko Nikula, Sunrise, $275 216