Oakley trails by five following opening round of NCR Assistant PGA Professional Championship

 

   Zac Oakley, an instructor in the Bidermann Golf Club pro shop, has had some success at the PGA Golf Club’s Wanamaker Course in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

   So it’s not a huge surprise to see him among a group of eight players tied for seventh place with a 2-under-par 70 following the opening round of the National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship Thursday at the Wanamaker Course.

   Oakley finished in a tie for third place in the NCR Assistant PGA Professional Championship a year ago and in a tie for fourth two years ago in this event and on this golf course.

   Oakley was solid from the start in Thursday’s opening round as he made birdies at the third and ninth holes. He stumbled briefly with a bogey at the 10^th hole before birdies at 16 and 17 got him to 3-under for the round. A bogey at the last dropped him back into the logjam at 2-under.

   Oakley was the runnerup in the NCR Philadelphia Assistant PGA Professional Championship in July at White Manor Country Club. That was the local qualifier for this week’s championship at the PGA Golf Club, although Oakley’s tie for third on the Wanamker Course a year ago had already made him eligible for a return trip to Port St. Lucie.

   Domenico Geminiani, an assistant pro at Old Corkscrew Golf Course in Estero, Fla., got the jump on the field with a sizzling 7-under 65 that gave him a three-shot lead.

   Geminiani made a birdie at the fourth hole and then added an eagle at the par-5 seventh to quickly get it to 3-under for the round. After making a bogey at the eighth hole, Geminiani really heated up, making birdies on six of the next eight holes to get it to 8-under for the round.

   Geminiani made birdies at the ninth, 10^th and 12^th holes and then rattled off three straight birdies at 14, 15 and 16. A bogey at the 17^th hole dropped him back to 7-under.

   Defending champion Preston Cole of the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., Tommi Avant of Lone Tree Golf Club in Chandler, Ariz. and Andre Chi of Deepdale Golf Club in Manhasset, N.Y. on Long Island shared second place as each posted a 4-under 68 that left them three shots behind Geminiani.

   A couple of other Philadelphia Section representatives who know their way around the Wanamaker Course, Brian Bergstol, the head of instruction at the Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort, and Trevor Bensel, an assistant pro at Sandy Run Country Club, were both among a group of 11 players tied for 15^th place as each signed for a 1-under 71.

   Bergstol finished in a tie for 26^th place in the NCR Assistant PGA Professional Championship a year ago after posting back-to-back runnerup finishes in the event in 2021 and 2022. Bensel joined Oakley in the top seven a year ago when he finished in a tie for seventh place at the PGA Golf Club.

   Rusty Harbold, who works in the Philadelphia Cricket Club pro shop, was in the group tied for 57^th place after opening with a 3-over 75.

   Jeff Fick, an assistant pro at Moselem Springs Golf Club, was a shot behind Harbold in the group tied for 76^th place as he registered a 4-over 76.

   Rounding out the Philadelphia Section PGA contingent were Robert Fenton of Sunnybrook Golf Club and Andrew Turner of Whitford Country Club, both of whom recorded a 79 that left them in the group tied for 105^th place.

   There will be a cut following Friday’s second round.