Applebrook's McNabb claims two-shot victory in Philadelphia Senior PGA Professional Championship

   Applebrook Golf Club head pro Dave McNabb admits he was disappointed that he was unable to finish the deal in June’s PGA Professional Championship and earn his fourth trip to the PGA Championship in six years.

   It looked like McNabb was going to finish in the top 20 after he carded a 4-under-par 68 over the Bayonet Course on northern California’s Monterey Peninsula in the third round. But he struggled early in the final round and failed to earn a ticket to Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis.

   McNabb stayed home for PGA week this year and worked on his game. It showed Tuesday as he added a 2-under-par 69 at White Manor Country Club in Willistown Township to the opening round of 3-under 68 he shot Monday to capture the Philadelphia Senior PGA Professional Championship with a 5-under 137 total.

   McNabb will lead a contingent of seven Philadelphia Section PGA pros to the 30^th Senior PGA Professional Championship, presented by Mercedes-Benz USA, in October at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla. A top-35 finish there means a ticket to the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, a PGA Tour Champions major which will be held at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y. next May.

   This year’s KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship did not have a representative from the Philadelphia Section and that’s unusual because the Philly Section boasts as talented a group of senior pros as any in the country.

   “It feels incredible to get this win today,” McNabb told the Philadelphia Section PGA website. “I had been working really hard to get my game in shape for this event. I was disappointed when I didn’t qualify for this year’s PGA Championship, but I used that time practicing.

   “I am looking forward to competing alongside my fellow Philadelphia PGA professionals in this year 30^th Senior PGA Professional Championship.”

   Philmont Country Club’s Dave Quinn made a strong defense of the Philadelphia Senior title he won a year ago, taking the opening-round lead with a sparkling 4-under 67 over the challenging 6,510-yard, par-71 White Manor layout.

   Paired with Quinn and trailing him by a shot, McNabb bogeyed the first hole, but made three birdies on the front nine and drew even with Quinn after nine holes. Quinn faltered a little on the back and McNabb took control of the tournament with three more birdies and a bogey. He had enough of a cushion to survive a double bogey at the last for a two-shot victory.

   Radnor Valley Country Club head pro George Forster matched the low round of the day Tuesday with a 3-under 68 and he caught Quinn as they shared second at 3-under 139. Quinn ended up with a 1-over 72 in Tuesday's final round. The 62-year-old Forster will be making his 13^th straight appearance in the Senior PGA Professional Championship when he tees it up at the PGA Golf Club.

   John Pillar, the director of golf at The Country Club at Woodloch Springs, finished alone in fourth at 2-uder 140 after adding an even-par 71 to his opening-round 69. Pillar was coming off a victory over his fellow Section senior pros in the Robert “Skee” Riegel Senior Open earlier this month at Radnor Valley.

   Brian Kelly of Bucknell Golf Club was a shot behind Pillar in fifth as he matched Forster’s second-round 68 after opening with a 73 for a 1-under 141 total.

   John Allen of Huntingdon Valley Country Club and John Appleget, the head of instruction at The Shore Club, grabbed the final two tickets to the Senior PGA Professional Championship as they finished tied for sixth at even-par 142. Allen bounced back from an opening-round 73 with a 2-under 69 in Tuesday’s second round while Appleget opened with a 68 and struggled a little in the final round with a 3-over 74.

   The top two alternates are Deerwood Country Club head pro Greg Farrow, who finished alone in eighth at 1-over 143, and Concord Country Club head pro Mike Moses, who was another two shots behind Farrow in ninth at 3-over 145. Farrow added a 1-under 70 to his opening-round 73 while Moses opened with an even-par 71 and added a 74 in the second round.

   The final three alternates finished tied for 10^th at 5-over 147 and includes, in order, Rick Gibney (73-74) the head pro at Colonial Golf Club, Bill Sautter (74-73) of Philadelphia Cricket Club and Mike Molino (74-73), the head pro at The Country Club of Scranton.