Zac Oakley, an instructor at Bidermann Golf Course, and Zach Barbin, an assistant pro at the family-owned Chesapeake Bay Golf Club, fell off the pace in the National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship, but remained on track for a top-10 finish after Saturday’s third round at the PGA Golf Club’s Dye Course in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Oakley, who finished in a tie for second place in the NCR Assistant PPC a year ago when it was played at the PGA Golf Club’s Wanamaker Course, and Barbin both landed among a trio of players tied for sixth place at 1-under-par 215.
Oakley, who has been one of the Philadelphia Section PGA’s top players for several years, carded a 1-over 73 over the 7,193-yard, par-72 Dye Course layout. He had posted back-to-back 1-under 71s in the first two rounds.
A bogey at the last left Barbin with a 2-over 74 and dropped him into the tie for sixth place at 1-under. He had opened with a 1-under 71 before adding a 2-under 70 in Friday’s second round.
Everybody continues to chase Sandra Changkija, a 36-year-old Daytona Beach, Fla. resident who is an instructor at the Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Fla.
Changkija, bidding to become the first woman to capture the title in the 49-year history of the NCR Assistant PPC, tallied a second straight 2-under 70 that left her with an 8-under 208 total and a one-shot lead heading into Sunday’s final round. The Dye Course measures 6,097 yards for the women.
Changkija was a college standout at Division II Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and spent eight years on the LPGA Tour.
Oakley had an up-and-down round as he made a bogey at the second hole, but quickly followed it up with birdies at three and five. After making a bogey at the 13th hole, Oakley made a birdie at 14 to get back to 1-under for his round before making back-to-back bogeys at 15 and 16.
Barbin also had his problems negotiating the Dye Course in the third round. After making an early birdie at the second hole, Barbin made a bogey at six and a birdie at seven before falling to 1-over for his round with a double bogey at nine.
Barbin made a bogey at the 13th hole, but got that shot back at 17 before finishing up with a bogey at 18.
Barbin played college golf at Liberty and had a solid amateur career, highlighted by victories in two of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s major championships, the BMW Philadelphia Amateur and the Patterson Cup, in the pandemic summer of 2020.
Brian Bergstol, the head of instruction at the Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort, recorded a 1-over 73 and was alone in 12th place after three rounds with a 2-over 218 total. Bergstol was the runnerup in the NCR Assistant PPC in 2021 and finished in a tie for second place a year later in 2022.
Bergstol had opened with a 1-under 71 and added a 2-over 74 in Friday’s second round.
Bergstol made back-to-back bogeys at the second and third holes to open Saturday’s third round. He made a birdie at the fifth hole, bogeyed nine, birdied 10, bogeyed 15 and birdied 17.
Earlier this year, Bergstol finished in a tie for third place in the PGA Professional Championship at the PGA Golf Club’s Wanamaker Course to earn a spot on the Colebridge Financial Team, representing the Philly Section and club pros across America in the PGA Championship at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C. in May.
Rounding out the Philly Section contingent that survived the 36-hole cut was Andrew Cornish, an assistant pro at Green Valley Country Club who signed for a 3-over 75 that left him among the group tied for 49th place at 11-over 227.
Cornish had bounced back from an opening-round 79 with a 1-over 73 in Friday’s second round that earned him a tee time in Saturday’s third round.
Changkija stubbornly held onto the lead with her 2-under tour of the Dye Course.
After opening with a birdie at the first hole, Changkija made a bogey at two, a birdie at five, a bogey at six and a birdie at seven to make the turn at 1-under.
Changkija rattled off five straight pars before a birdie at the 13th hole got her to 2-under for her round. She gave a shot back with a bogey at the 14th hole before making a birdie at 17 to finish at 2-under for her round and 8-under for the tournament.
Michael Bolcar, an assistant pro at Brandywine Country Club in Maumee, Ohio, was Changkija’s closest pursuer as he registered a 2-under 70 that left him a shot behind the leader with a 7-under 209 total.
After matching par in the opening round with a 72, Bolcar had surged into contention with a sparkling 5-under 67 in Friday’s second round.
Evan Wentgrow, a Midvale, Utah resident and an assistant pro at Koshkonong Mounds Country Club in Fort Atkinson, Wis., matched par in Saturday’s third round with a 72 that left him two shots behind Bolcar in third place at 5-under 211.
Dalton Bartlett, an assistant pro at Rockledge Country Club in Rockledge, Fla., was a shot behind Wentgrow in fourth place at 4-under 212 after carding a 1-over 73.
Adam Fisher, a native of Scotland and an assistant pro at North Ridge Country Club in Raleigh, N.C., had grabbed the lead with an opening round of 5-under 67. After matching par with a 72 in Friday’s second round, Fisher fell back with a 3-over 75 Saturday, but remains in the hunt as he was two shots behind Barlett in fifth place at 2-under 214.
Interesting name in that group along with Green Valley’s Cornish tied at 11-over in Josh Rackley, who was one of the Philly Section’s top players a decade or so ago when he was an assistant pro at Gulph Mills Golf Club.
Rackley, a Wilmington, N.C. resident who is working out of the pro at shop at Castle Bay Golf Course in Hampstead, N.C., posted a 4-over 76 in Saturday’s third round. He had opened with a 2-over 74 before adding a 77 in Friday’s second round.
The National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship is also supported by The Golf Channel, Srixon and Cleveland Golf.
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