PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Experience has become the 15th club in the bag so far at the 53rd PGA Professional Championship at PGA Golf Club.
Omar Uresti and Frank Bensel Jr. showed they can still contend in their early 50s. Uresti, 52, of Austin, Texas, shot a 4-under 68 on the Wanamaker Course to take a one-shot lead over the 53-year-old Bensel of Jupiter, Florida.
Uresti won the 2017 PPC and has played in more than 370 PGA Tour events, including four PGA Championships. He may not hit it as far as most players in the field, but nobody has taken fewer shots during the first two rounds. Uresti is at 8-under 135.
“I’m 5-foot-6 and 52 years old, but I can still play,” Uresti said. “Experience means a lot this week.”
Bensel, the first-round leader after a 65 on the Ryder Course, overcame a shaky start to shoot 1-under 71 on the Wanamaker Course. He was 2-over after four holes, but made three late birdies to stay on Uresti’s heels.
“It was a struggle at times, but I played decent and I did what I had to do to shoot a good score,” Bensel said. “Omar and I have been competing for a long time as club professionals, and that allows you to keep your game sharp.”
Ben Cook, who at 27 is almost half of the leaders’ age, overcame a double-bogey 7 on the 13th hole with two late birdies to move into third place at 6-under 137. Cook, a PGA Professional at John’s Island Club in Vero Beach, Florida, is trying to qualify for his third consecutive PGA Championship.
The top 20 finishers (no ties) earn spots into next month’s PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. The winner also receives six exemptions onto the PGA Tour and a spot on the 2022 U.S. PGA Cup team.
Brad Marek (68-139) of Berkeley, California, is tied for fourth with Tim Pearce (71-139) of Birmingham, Michigan. Another 50-year-old, Ron Labritz (70-139) of Pound Ridge, New York, is in sixth.
The low 90 and tied advanced to Tuesday’s third round, with the cut landing on 3-over 146. The cut will be low 70 and ties after the third round, with it projected to come at 4-over 219.
After playing a round each on the Wanamaker and Ryder Courses the first two rounds, the players will be tested on the Wanamaker during the final two rounds. The par-72 Wanamaker played more than four strokes over par in the first two rounds (76.2) compared to the par-71 Ryder (73.9).
Tournament officials are considering making the short par-4 15th a risk-reward hole by making it drivable in one of the last two rounds.
Jim Troy of Strongsville, Ohio, made a hole-in-one Monday on the sixth hole of the Wanamaker Course, using an 8-iron from 180 yards. It was the fourth ace in the first two rounds of the event.
from Golfweek https://ift.tt/32TB3gs