Chester Valley Golf Club’s Zachary Kempa and Philadelphia
Cricket Club’s Rusty Harbold both bettered par Saturday and moved up the
leaderboard in the third round of the 42nd National Car Rental
Assistant PGA Professional Championship at the PGA Golf Club’s Wanamaker Course
in Port St. Lucie on Florida’s Treasure Coast.
The 27-year-old Kempa, winner of the Philadelphia Assistant
PGA Professional Championship in the summer at Laurel Valley Country Club,
carded a 1-under-par 71 over the 7,123-yard, par-72 Wanamaker Course layout
after posting a pair of 1-over 73s in the first two rounds to move into a tie
for 23rd at 1-over 217.
Kempa went off the back and immediately made bogey at the 10th
hole. He birdied the 16th hole, but bogeyed the 17th hole
to head for the outgoing nine at 1-over for his round. He birdied the third and
seventh holes to get into red figures, bogeyed eight, but got it under par for
the day with a birdie at the ninth hole.
The 36-year-old Harbold posted a solid 2-under 70 to join
the group tied for 34th at 3-over 219. Harbold also started on the
back nine and made four birdies on the incoming nine for a sizzling 32. He
cooled off a little on the front nine, but still had a nice round after opening
with a 76 and making the cut on the number with a 1-over 73 in the second
round.
The Assistant PGA Professional Championship is supported by
Srixon, Cleveland Golf, XXIO, GolfAdvisor.com and John Deere.
The third member of the Philadelphia Section PGA contingent
who survived the cut on the Wanamaker Course, Waynesborough Country Club’s Zac
Oakley, carded a 3-over 75 that left him in the group tied for 60th
at 8-over 224. Like Harbold, the 36-year-old Oakley opened with a 76 and posted
a 1-over 73 in Friday’s second round to make the cut on the number.
Kenny Pigman, who plays out of Goose Creek Golf Club in Mira
Loma, Calif., retook the lead he had surrendered Friday with a 3-under 69 that
got him to 9-under 207, two shots ahead of Steven Delmar of Columbia Country
Club in Chevy Chase, Md.
The 30-year-old Pigman, the runnerup in the 2014 Assistant
PGA Professional Championship (could’ve sworn the PGA website was saying he won
it in 2014, I’ll have to go back and fix my earlier posts), had taken a
two-shot lead with an opening-round 66, but fell two shots behind Delmar when
he could only match par with a 72 in the second round.
Pigman had a really efficient round Saturday, making birdies
at the first, sixth and seventh holes to get to 3-under. His lone blemish was a
bogey the 11th hole, but he got that right back with a birdie at the
13th hole to get in a 3-under for the day. He made sure it stayed
that way when he dropped a 6-foot par-saving putt on the 18th green.
Delmar struggled down the stretch, but still carded a 1-over
73 and trails Pigman by two shots at 7-under 209 as they battle for the top
prize of $12,000 out of a total purse of $150,000.
Chris French of Aldeen Golf Club in Rockford, Ill. and Scott
Cherry of Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif. are tied for
third at 6-under 210, a shot behind Delmar. French fired a 3-under 69 while
Cherry also bettered par with a 2-under 70.
Josh Rackley of Tam O’Shanter Golf Club in Glen Head, N.Y.
headed a group of five players tied for fifth at 5-under 211. The 29-year-old
Rackley, one of the top players in the Philadelphia Section when he was an
assistant pro at Gulph Mills Golf Club, carded a 3-under 69 to join the group
at 5-under 211 and, four shots behind Pigman, is still very much in the hunt
for the championship.
Also in the group tied for fifth at 211 is 2015 Assistant
PGA Professional Championship winner Andy Mickelson of Mistwood Golf Club in
Romeoville, Ill. Mickelson signed for a 2-under 70 to join the group at 5-under.
Rounding out the quintet at 211 were Lee Whitehead of Fox Den
Country Club in Farragut, Tenn., Colin Van Els of Providence Golf Club in
Davenport, Fla. and Alan Morin of The Falls Club of the Palm Beaches in Lake
Worth, Fla.
Whitehead had his best round of the tournament, a 3-under
69, Van Es carded a 2-under 70 and Morin matched par with a 72.
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