Overbrook Golf Club assistant pro Ashley Grier, the Philadelphia Section PGA’s top female player, opened play in the 44th National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship at the PGA Golf Club’s Wanamaker Course in Port St. Lucie, Fla. with a solid 2-under-par 70 that left her in a tie for fourth place Thursday.
The Assistant PGA Professional Championship is supported by Srixon, Cleveland Golf, XXIO, Asics and John Deere.
The 36-year-old Grier, who has been solid all season, headed a group of five Philadelphia Section assistant pros who teed it up on the Wanamaker Course Thursday.
Starting off the 10th tee, Grier bogeyed the 11th hole, but got it into red figures with an eagle at the par-5 16th. A bogey at the 18th hole left Grier at even-par heading for the front nine at the Wanamaker Course, where she made bridies at the third and seventh holes and seven pars to get it to 2-under for the round.
Not sure what the highest finish for a woman is in the Assistant PGA Professional Championship, but if Grier stays in contention, I’m sure we’ll find out. Grier was one of the first two women, along with Baltimore Country Club assistant head of instruction Joanna Coe, to survive two cuts and play four rounds in the PGA Professional Championship, which they accomplished in the spring of 2019 at at Belfair in Bluffton, S.C.
Two players are tied atop the leaderboard, Aaron Purviance of Red Ledges near Park City, Utah and Jin Chung of Chateau Elan Golf Club in Braselton Ga., both of whom carded a 5-under 67.
The 24-year-old Purviance started off the 10th tee and had birdies on the 10th, 12th and 15th holes to turn for the Wanamaker Course’s front nine at 3-under. A bogey at the second hole slowed Purviance’s momentum a little, but he finished strong with birdies at the sixth, seventh and ninth holes that got him to 5-under for the round.
The 32-year-old Chung got it going on the front nine with birdies at the first, second, eighth and ninth holes as he made the turn at 4-under. The lone blemish on Chung’s card was a bogey at the 11th hole, but back-to-back birdies at 15 and 16 enabled him to get a share of the lead with Purviance.
Steven Delmar, an assistant pro at Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Md. and an assistant coach for the Maryland men’s golf team, was a shot behind the two co-leaders in third place after posting a 4-under 68. The 32-year-old Delmar was the runnerup in the Assistant PGA Professional Championship two years ago when it was also held on the Wanamaker Course.
Five other players landed in the tie for fourth place along with Grier at 2-under, including Matt Vancleave of Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club in Gold Canyon, Ariz., Greg Koch of the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Grande Lakes, Fla., Casey Pyne of The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, Conn., Justin Bardgett, an assistant to Mike Small with the Illinois men’s golf team, and Kyle English of Crosswicke Country Club in Bloomington, Ill.
Defending champion Alex Beach of Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y., was among the group tied for 40th place after he carded a 2-over 74. The field will be cut to the low 70 and ties following Friday’s second round.
Ross Seaman, a 26-year-old assistant pro at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club, was inside the projected cut line as he posted a 3-over 75 that left him among the group tied for 50th place.
The West Shore Country Club pro shop had two players in the field and one shot separated them. Scott Swartz registered a 5-over 77 that left the 46-year-old among the group tied for 75th place. Jordan Shuey signed for a 6-over 78 that left the 30-year-old among the group tied for 90th place.
Deerfield Golf Club’s Mike Tobiason, who captured medalist honors in the Philadelphia Assistant PGA Professional Championship in August at St. Davids Golf Club, struggled to an 81 that left the 36-year-old in the group tied for 113th place.
Grier’s colleague in the Overbrook pro shop, Trevor Bensel, had finished in a tie for second at St. Davids and earned a ticket to Port St. Lucie, but apparently was unable to make the trip. Shuey was the first alternate and got into the field.
No comments:
Post a Comment