Stewart, Gibbs two shots out of the lead in Assistant PGA Professional Championship

   Billy Stewart of The ACE Club and Jordan Gibbs of Gulph Mills Golf Club got off to solid starts in the 41^st National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship Thursday as each carded a 4-under-par 68 at the PGA Golf Club’s Wanamaker Course in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

   Stewart, a Malvern Prep and Saint Joseph’s University product, and Gibbs, winner of the 2016 Philadelphia Section PGA Championship, are in a group of five players tied for seventh, two shots behind four co-leaders tied at 6-under 66 in the Assistant PGA Professional Championship, which is also supported by Srixon/Cleveland Golf/XXIO, John Deere and Golf Advisor.

   Stewart, making his first start in a national PGA of America event, birdied three of the par-5s on the  7,123-yard, par-72 Wanamaker Course layout. Both of his front-nine birdies came on par-5s, the first and seventh. After making a bogey at the 11^th, he finished strong with birdies at the 12^th, 15^th and the par-5 16^th.

   The 33-year-old Stewart won the 2015 Pennsylvania Open at Rolling Green Golf Club and shut it down in 2016 after undergoing surgery. He was named the Philadelphia Section PGA’s Comeback Player of the Year in 2017.

   The 30-year-old Gibbs got it to 5-under with birdies at one, two, 11, 12 and 16 before a bogey at 17 left him at 4-under for the round.

   The foursome tied for the lead at 6-under 66 includes Jesse Masie of Hurstbourne Country Club in Kentucky, J.D. Griffin of the Capital City Club in Atlanta, Chris Mory of Hawk Hollow Golf Course in Michigan and Ryan Batty of Old Hickory Country Club in Tennessee.

   The quartet were all among the first six groups of the day in Thursday’s opening round. Massie and Griffin were playing partners.

   Benjamin Cook of Beechmont Country Club in Michigan and  Callum McNeill of The Clubs at Houston Oaks in Texas are tied for fifth after each posted a 5-under 67.

   Joining Stewart and Gibbs in the group tied for seventh at 4-under 68 are Tim Feenstra of Broadmoor Golf Club in Washington, Ryan Zylstra of The Federal Club in Virginia and Derek Berg of Sahalee Country Club in Washington.

   Andrew Turner of Sunnybrook Golf Club, who claimed the $100,000 jackpot earlier this year that goes to the winner of the Haverford Philadelphia PGA Classic played at his home course, also got off to a solid start at PGA Golf Club’s Wanamaker Course with a 2-under 70 that featured five birdies and two bogeys. Turner is tied for 19^th.

   Jakob Gerney of the Trump National Golf Club Philadelphia is just outside the projected 36-hole cut line after an opening round of 3-over 75 that has him tied for 81^st. Brian Bergstol of the Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort, winner of the Philadelphia Assistant Professional Championship, is a shot behind Gerney in a group tied for 90^th at 4-over 76.

   The field will be cut to the low 70 and ties after Friday’s second round. Gerney and Bergstol are certainly still in with a shot to play the weekend.

   The top assistant pros from around the country are playing for a top prize of $12,000 out of a total purse of $113,000.