Bergstol, Oakley get off to solid starts in opening round of NCR Assistant PGA Professional Championship

   Two of the Philadelphia Section PGA’s most talented players, Brian Bergstol, the director of instruction at the Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort, and Zac Oakley, an instructor at Bidermann Golf Club, got off to solid starts as the 46^th National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship teed off Thursday at the PGA Golf Club’s Wanamaker Course in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

   Bergstol, winner of the Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship in August at DuPont Country Club and Concord Country Club, made a couple of late birdies to get to the clubhouse with a 1-under-par 71 that left him in a group of seven players tied for fifth place, two shots behind the three co-leaders.

   Bergstol is in familiar territory as he was the runnerup in the NCR Assistant PGA Professional Championship a year ago over the par-72 Wanamaker Course.

   It was an up-and-down round for Bergstol as he opened with a birdie at the first hole, made a bogey at five, a birdie at eight and bogeys at 12 and 13 that dropped him back to 1-over for the round. But he got it in red figures with back-to-back birdies at the 15^th and 16^th holes.

   Oakley also made a couple of late birdies to rescue his round as he matched par with a 72 that left him in a group of four players tied for 12^th place.

   Oakley started off the 10^th tee and was even-par heading to the front nine as he made a birdie at the 16^th hole and a bogey at 18. After making a birdie at the first hole to briefly get into red numbers, Oakley made a bogey at two and a double bogey at three to fall back to 2-over for his round.

   Birdies at the fifth and seventh holes enabled Oakley to finish the day at even par.

   Bergstol and Oakley finished in a tie for second place in the Philadelphia Assistant PGA Professional Championship in September at Heidelberg Country Club to punch their tickets to this week’s PGA of America national event at the PGA Golf Club.

   A couple of weeks earlier, Oakley took a one-shot lead over Bergstol into the final round of the Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship. Bergstol came on strong in the final round at DuPont to claim the Philadelphia Section crown. Oakley fell back to third place.

   Danny Lewis, an assistant pro at Hollywood Golf Club in Deal, N.J. – think Ocean Township, not all that far from Monmouth Park Racetrack – got a share of the lead after opening with a 3-under 69.

   Starting off the 10^th tee, Lewis made a bogey at the 12^th hole, but followed that up with birdies at 13 and 14 and then got it to 3-under with an eagle at the par-5 16^th. He then parred his final 11 holes to get it in at 3-under.

   Lewis was joined at 3-under by Colin Inglis of Shadow Hills Country Club in Junction City, Ore. and Andy Svoboda of Engineers Country Club in Roslyn Harbor, N.Y. on Long Island.

   Inglis had two birdies and two bogeys on the outgoing nine at the Wanamaker Course and the rattled off birdies at the 13^th, 14^th and 16^th holes to get his piece of the lead. Svoboda finished his round with birdies at the 17^th and 18^th holes to join the trio atop the leaderboard.

   An interesting name popped up in the group tied for 23^rd place at 2-over 74, that of former Overbrook Golf Club assistant pro Ashley Grier, who is working out of the Yinglings Golf Center in Hagerstown, Md. these days. Grier was honored by the PGA of America when she received the Women’s PGA Professional Player of the Year award in 2020 while she was still working out of the pro shop at Overbrook.

   Sandy Run Country Club assistant pro Trevor Bensel landed in the group tied for 34^th place with a 3-over 75. Bensel captured the Philadelphia Assistant PGA Professional Championship with a 3-under 67, two shots better than Bergstol and Oakley, at Heidelberg in September.

   Bensel was recently named the Philadelphia Assistants’ Organization’s Player of the Year for 2022.

   Another member of the Philadelphia Section contingent, Pine Valley Golf Club assistant Steve Sanderson, finished among the group tied for 46^th place with a 4-over 76.

   Also in that group at 4-over was defending champion Jin Chung, an instructor at the Chateau Elan Golf Club in Braselton, Ga. Chung finished seven shots clear of Bergstol in capturing the NCR Assistant PGA Professional Championship a year ago at the PGA Golf Club.

   Jeff Fick of Moselem Springs Golf Club landed in the group tied for 79^th place with a 6-over 78, Rocco Sgrillo of Philadelphia’s John F. Byrne Golf Course was among the group tied for 92^nd place with a 79 and Andrew Turner of Berkshire Country Club rounded out the Philadelphia Section contingent at the PGA Golf Club as he ended up in the group tied for 102^nd place with an 80.

   Not sure exactly where the cut falls, but the field will be cut following Friday’s second round.