Knoll in position to punch ticket to PGA Championship

   Alex Knoll, the head pro at Blue Shamrock Golf Club in Palmerton, heads into Wednesday’s final round of the 52^nd PGA Professional Championship at Belfair in Bluffton, S.C. with a shot at a top-20 finish that would earn him a ticket to the PGA Championship in a couple of weeks at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y. on Long Island.

   Knoll carded a 1-over-par 73 over Belfair’s par-72 West Course to join the group tied for 14^th at 1-over 216 after three rounds of the PGA Professional Championship, presented by Cadillac, Club Car and OMEGA.

   It is the second straight year that Knoll has played all four rounds in the PGA Professional Championship. He finished in a tie for 49^th in last year’s championship at the Bayonet and Black Horse Resort on northern California’s Monterey Peninsula.

   The PGA Professional Championship had traditionally been played in June, but with the PGA Championship moving from August to May, the National Club Pro, as it used to be called, also moved up a couple of months on the golf calendar.

   Knoll had opened with a 4-under 67 at Belfair’s East Course in Sunday’s opening round before posting a 4-over 76 at Belfair’s West Course Monday.

   Knoll heads a group of three Philadelphia Section PGA professionals who will tee it up in Wednesday’s final round.

   One of them, Overbrook Golf Club assistant pro Ashley Grier will be making some history. Grier and Mays Landing, N.J. native Joanna Coe, a teaching pro at Baltimore Country Club and the reigning three-time Middle Atlantic Section PGA Women’s Player of the Year, became the first two women to survive the 54-hole cut in the PGA Professional Championship.

   The 35-year-old Grier struggled a little Tuesday with a 5-over 77, but made the cut on the number at 6-over 221. Two years ago, Grier, a native of Hagerstown, Md., became the first woman to win a Philadelphia Section PGA official points event.

   Coe, 29, carded a solid 1-over 73 to join the group tied for 31^st at 3-over 218.

   Grier and Coe are both former Symetra Tour players. Grier recently accepted a sponsor’s exemption to play in the Symetra Tour’s Valley Forge Invitational, which tees off May 31 at Raven’s Claw Golf Club in Limerick Township.

   The third member of the Philadelphia Section PGA playing in the final round of the PGA Professional Championship is Lookaway Golf Club assistant pro Michael Little, the 2017 Philadelphia Section PGA OMEGA Player of the Year.

   Little matched par with a 72 at Belfair’s West Course Tuesday to move into a tie for 48^th at 5-over 220.

   Spring-Ford Country Club hear pro Rich Steinmetz carded a 78 Tuesday and his 10-over 225 left him outside the cut line to the low 70 and ties for the final round. Steinmetz starred scholastically at Perkiomen Valley back in the days when this blogger was covering high school golf for The Mercury in Pottstown.

   It looks like a couple of Metropolitan Section PGA pros are going to battle it out for individual honors at Belfair as Danny Balin, the head pro at Fresh Meadow Country Club in Lake Success, N.Y. and a Penn State graduate, and Alex Beach, an assistant pro at Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y. and a Nebraska graduate, will enter Wednesday’s final round tied for the lead.

   Balin had trailed Beach by a shot entering Tuesday’s third round, but caught him by matching par with a 72 while Beach posted a 1-over 73. They both landed on 7-under 208. And, no matter what happens Wednesday, both are in very good shape to earn a trip to Bethpage Black, a Metropolitan Section PGA member, for the PGA Championship.

   Stuart Deane, a native of Australia who stepped down as the head golf coach at the University of Texas at Arlington last year, and Matt Lohmeyer, an instructor at GOLFTec in Fort Worth, Texas, are five shots behind the co-leaders in a tie for third at 2-under 213.

   Deane posted a 1-over 73 while Lohmeyer, who will play in the final group Wednesday with Balin and Beach, fell back with a 3-over 75.

   Three past champions, Matt Dobyns, a two-time winner, Rich Berberian Jr., who won the title in 2016, and 2013 winner Rod Perry are part of a group of five players tied for fifth at 2-under 214. Dobyns will be seeking to advance to the PGA Championship out of the National Club Pro for the sixth time.

   Dobyns matched the low round of the day with a 3-under 69 while Berberian and Perry of Port Orange, Fla., each matched par with a 72.

   Also in that group at 1-under 214 were Rob Labritz, the director of golf at GlenArbor Golf Club in Bedford Hills, N.Y. and Ben Cook, a pro at Cascade Hills Country Club in Grand Rapids, Mich. Labritz toured Belfair’s West Course in 1-under 71 Tuesday while Cook matched par with a 72.

Oklahoma State beats back a host of challengers to capture title in Big 12 Championship

   The Big 12 has produced the last two national champions and half of the eight teams that qualified for match play in last spring’s NCAA Championship, so when it plays its conference championship, you can’t help but pay close attention.

   Reigning national champion Oklahoma State, No. 1 in the latest Golfstat rankings, claimed its first Big 12 championship since 2011 and its 10^th overall with an 11-shot victory over No. 33 Texas Christian University at The Greenbrier in West Sulphur Springs, W.Va. It was the 55^th conference championship in one of the most storied golf programs in the country.

   Oklahoma State did not win the Big 12 title a year ago at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. Oklahoma claimed that honor. But the Cowboys went on to capture the national championship on their home course at Karsten Creek.

   Oklahoma was the national champion two years ago, but it was Texas that captured the Big 12 crown in some wild weather at the challenging Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan.

   The Greenbrier might not be in the class with Southern Hills and Prairie Dunes, but the 7,201-yard, par-70 layout does play host to a PGA Tour stop and offered just the type of challenge for a Big 12 Championship that keeps producing national champions.

   Bad weather hit The Greenbrier and forced the tournament to be scaled back to a 54-hole event. Teams were originally scheduled to play 36 holes Friday and then single rounds Saturday and Sunday. But with Friday a washout, teams played 36 holes Saturday and 18 Sunday.

   Of course, with an Oklahoma State lineup that features three players in the top 15 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), the Cowboys might have been tough to deny, no matter how many holes were played.

   Oklahoma State has been considered a favorite to become the first repeat national champion since Alabama accomplished the feat in 2013 and 2014 ever since the wraparound 2018-’19 season started late last summer. At The Greenbrier, the Cowboys were facing some of the biggest challengers to their repeat bid.

   Oklahoma State took control of the team chase at The Greenbrier with a sparkling 12-under 268 in Saturday afternoon’s second round. The Cowboys had opened with a 2-under 278, which left them five shots behind TCU, which carded a 7-under 273 in Saturday morning’s opening round.

   Its 12-under round Saturday afternoon enabled Oklahoma State to carry an eight-shot lead into Sunday’s final round. The Cowboys closed with a 1-over 281 that left them with a 13-under 827 total.

   The Horned Frogs, behind individual champion Hayden Springer, a senior from Trophy Club, Texas, carded a 4-over 284 in Sunday’s final round to hold onto second place with a 2-under 838 total. TCU was the only other team beside Oklahoma State to finish under par for three rounds.

   No. 7 Oklahoma and No. 6 Texas were four shots behind TCU in a tie for third at 2-over 842, four shots behind TCU. The Sooners had posted a 4-under 276 in Saturday afternoon’s second round and the Longhorns had fired a 3-under 277 to land in a tie for third. They each closed with a 4-over 284 to remain tied for third.

   No. 10 Texas Tech closed with a 2-under 278 to finish fifth, two shots behind Oklahoma and Texas, at 4-over 844. No. 25 Baylor struggled in the opening round with a 293, but came on strong with a 6-under 274 in Saturday afternoon’s second round and a 1-under 279 in Sunday’s final round to finish sixth, two shots behind Texas Tech at 6-over 846.

   No. 64 Kansas State closed with a solid 6-under 274 to finish seventh at 7-over 847, a shot behind Baylor.

   Oklahoma State was led by Viktor Hovland, a junior from Norway and the No. 1 player in the WAGR. Fresh off earning low-amateur honors at the Masters, Hovland battled Springer right to the finish before settling for second place in the individual standings at 7-under 203.

   Hovland, who captured the U.S. Amateur last summer at the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links, fired a 6-under 64 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to catch Springer, but a final round of 1-over 71 left him one shot short of an individual conference crown.

   Matthew Wolff, a sophomore from Agoura Hills, Calif. and No. 3 in the WAGR, finished alone in seventh place for the Cowboys at 2-under 208. Wolff contributed a 3-under 67 to Oklahoma State’s strong team effort in Saturday’s second round before closing with a 1-over 71.

   Zach Bauchou, a senior from Forest, Va. and No. 15 in the WAGR, and Austin Eckroat, a sophomore from Edmond, Okla. and No. 43 in the WAGR, both landed in the group tied for 14^th at 1-over 211. Bauchou added a 2-under 68 to his opening-round 73 before closing with an even-par 70. Eckroat fired a pair of 1-under 69s in Saturday’s double-round before matching par in the final round with a 70.

   Rounding out the Oklahoma State lineup was Hayden Wood, a senior from Edmond, Okla. who finished in the group tied for 31^st at 7-over 217. Wood’s final round of 1-under 69 was the low round of the day for the Cowboys.

   All Springer had to do to win the Big 12 individual title was stare down the reigning U.S. Amateur champion and No. 1 amateur player in the world. Springer opened with a sizzling 6-under 64 and added a 2-under 68 Saturday afternoon, but still couldn’t shake Oklahoma State’s Hovland.

   In the final round, Hovland finally blinked on the 16^th hole with a bogey that gave Springer a one-shot lead. Springer and Hovland both drained long birdie putts on the 17^th hole before Springer found the green on the par-3 finishing hole and two-putted for a par that gave him the edge on Hovland.

Springer matched par in the final round with a 70 for an 8-under 202 total.

   Oh yeah, Springer also had to hold off the best freshman in the country, Texas’ Cole Hammer of Houston and No. 5 in the WAGR. Hammer, who lost to Hovland in the U.S. Amateur semifinals at Pebble Beach, struggled a little in the opening round with a 73.

   But then he ripped off a 5-under 65 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 4-under 66 to finish in a tie for third with TCU’s David Ravetto, a senior from France, at 6-under 204. Ravetto was under par in all three rounds at The Greenbrier, opening with a 68 and adding a 67 Saturday afternoon before closing with a 1-under 69 to join Hammer at 204.

   Baylor’s Garrett May, a senior from Hope, Ark., and Texas Tech’s Sandy Scott, a junior from Scotland, both got it going in Sunday’s final round, firing matching 4-under 66s to share fifth place at 5-under 205.

   Five players finished a shot behind Oklahoma State’s Wolff in a tie for eighth at 1-under 209, led by Kansas State senior Roland Massimino, the PIAA Class AA runnerup as a senior at New Hope Solebury and, yes, Rollie’s grandson. After opening with a 74, Massimino ripped off a 2-under 68 in Saturday afternoon’s second round and closed with a 3-under 67.

   Massimino’s Kansas State teammate Jeremy Gandon, a senior from France, joined him at 1-under as Gandon added a pair of 1-under 69s to his opening-round 71.

   Oklahoma also had two players in the quintet tied for eighth at 209, Garett Reband, a junior from Fort Worth, Texas, and Patrick Welch, a freshman from Providence, R.I. Reband and Welch each sandwiched a 1-under 69 in Saturday afternoon’s second round with a pair of even-par 70s.

   Rounding out the group at 1-under was Iowa State’s Trip Kinney, a junior from Waukee, Iowa who, like Reband and Welch, bracketed a 1-under 69 in Saturday afternoon’s second round with a pair of even-par 70s.

Knoll falls back into tie for 17th in PGA Professional Championship at Belfair

   Alex Knoll, the head pro at Blue Shamrock Golf Club, led a group of four pros from the Philadelphia Section PGA that survived the 36-hole cut after Monday’s second round of the PGA Professional Championship at Belfair in Bluffton, S.C.

   Knoll had fired an opening round of 4-under-par 67 on Belfair’s par-71 East Course Sunday and was just two shots out of the lead. But some gusty winds buffeted Bluffton Monday and Knoll fell back with a 4-over 76 on Belfair’s 4-over 76 West Course for an even-par 143 total that left him the group tied for 17^th place.

   Still, Knoll is very much in the hunt for the ultimate goal at the PGA Professional Championship, presented by Cadillac, Club Car and OMEGA, which is a top-20 finish that earns you a ticket to the PGA Championship, which tees off May 16 at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y. on Long Island.

It won’t be much of a road trip to the PGA Championship if the two players at the top of the leaderboard hang on and finish among the top 20.

   Alex Beach, a 29-year-old assistant pro at Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y., and Danny Balin, a 37-year-old assistant pro at Fresh Meadow Country Club in Lake Success, N.Y., are rivals and friends on the Metropolitan Section PGA circuit.

   Beach actually just started at Westchester, taking the spot in the pro shop vacated by Balin when he accepted a position at Fresh Meadow.

   Beach eagled the par-5 third hole to jump-start his round Monday. He went on to card a 4-under 67 on Belfair’s East Course for an 8-under 135 total that gave him a one-shot lead over Balin. Beach had opened with a 4-under 68 on Belfair’s West Course Sunday.

   Balin had six birdies against a lone bogey on his way to a 5-under 66 on Belfair’s East Course which, combined with his opening-round 70 on Belfair’s West Course, gave him a 7-under 136 total.

Matt Lohmeyer, an instructor at GOLFTec in Fort Worth, Texas, was alone in third place, two shots behind Balin at 5-under 138 after adding a 4-under 68 on Belfair’s West Course to his opening round of 1-under 70 Sunday Belfair’s East Course.

   The survivors of the 36-hole cut, which fell at 5-over 148, will all play at Belfair’s West Course for Tuesday’s third round. There will be another cut to the low 70 and ties at the end of the third round.

   Overbrook Golf Club assistant pro Ashley Grier, one of four women in the field, is in very good position to make that cut after Tuesday’s third round. Grier added a solid 1-under 71 at Belfair’s West Course to her opening round of 2-over 73 at Belfair’s East Course and is tied for 26^th at 1-over 144.

   Spring-Ford Country Club head pro Rich Steinmetz, who has qualified for the PGA Championship at least twice out of the event once known simply as the National Club Pro, bounced back from an opening round of 3-over 75 at Belfair’s West Course with a 1-over 72 at Belfair’s East Course that left him in the group tied for 59^th at 4-over 147.

   Lookaway Golf Club assistant pro Michael Little made the cut on the number at 5-over 148 after adding an even-par 72 at Belfair’s West Course to the 5-over 76 he carded in the opening round at Belfair’s East Course.

   Joanna Coe, a Mays Landing, N.J. native who is the three-time reigning Middle Atlantic Section PGA OMEGA Women’s Player of the Year, was among the group tied for 32^nd at 2-over 145. Coe, an instructor at Baltimore Country Club, added a 2-over 74 at Belfair’s West Course Monday to her opening round of even-par 71 at Belfair’s East Course.

   Billy Stewart, an assistant pro at The ACE Club and the reigning Philadelphia Section PGA OMEGA Player of the Year, couldn’t get it going at Belfair in his second PGA Professional Championship appearance and headed the group of Philadelphia Section PGA pros who failed to make the 36-hole cut. Stewart carded a 5-over 77 at Belfair West’s Course Monday after opening with a 5-over 76 at Belfair’s East Course in the opening round for a 10-over 153 total.

   The PGA Championship’s move from August to May dictated that the PGA Professional Championship had to move from June to April. That move may favor some of the club pros from areas where year-round golf is possible.

   A lot of the Philadelphia Section PGA pros have a chance to go south in the winter to play some golf, but not for the whole winter. The Philadelphia Section PGA contingent definitely didn’t seem to be in midseason form at Belfair.

   Mark Sheftic, the head of instruction at Merion Golf Club who has contended for this championship a couple of times, and Brian Hollins of The Links Golf Club both landed among the group at 154. Sheftic added a 3-over 75 at Belfair’s West Course to his opening-round 79 at Belfair’s East Course. Hollins bounced back from an opening round of 6-over 78 at Belfair’s West Course with a 5-over 76 at Belfair’s East Course.

   The Country Club of York head pro Terry Hertzog and Philadelphia Cricket Club assistant pro Rusty Harbold both landed in the group at 12-over 155. Hertzog carded a 5-over 77 at Belfair’s West Course Monday after opening with a 7-over 78 at Belfair’s East Course. Harbold added a 7-over 78 at Belfair’s East Course Monday to his opening round of 5-over 77 at Belfair’s West Course.

   Stu Ingraham, the head of instruction at the M Golf Range in Newtown Square, added an 80 at Belfair’s West Course to his opening-round 76 at Belfair’s East Course to end up at 156. Ingraham, playing in his 31^st PGA of America championship, has taken the National Club Pro route to the PGA Championship six times in his career.

   Harbold’s colleague in the Cricket Club pro shop, Mark Anderson, added an 84 at Belfair’s East Course to his opening-round 80 at Belfair’s West Course for a 164 total.

   Whitford Country Club head pro Mike Ladden struggled to an 87 at Belfair’s West Course Monday after opening with an 83 at Belfair’s East Course for a 170 total.