Kevin Morris of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., made a three-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole, Jan. 25, as he teamed with Frank Bensel of Greenwich, Conn., to win the 50th anniversary TaylorMade-adidas Golf PGA Senior-Junior Team Championship. The Championship features teams paired of a PGA Professional 50 or older and a younger counterpart.
Morris and Bensel outlasted brothers Jerry Tucker of Stuart and Mike Tucker of
It was the second win in three years for Morris and Bensel, an unprecedented achievement in the historic championship. For the first 46 years of the four-ball stroke play event teams were formed by blind draw, hence it was unlikely the same two players would ever paired up more than once. They won with a 261 in 2006.
In the playoff, all four were in the fairway off the tee at the par-5 first hole. Only Bensel came close to reaching the green in two, his second shot landing in a swale in front of the green. Morris hit a 4-hybrid second shot and a 105-yard wedge to just below the hole and sank the putt after both Tuckers were in the hole with pars.
"We both played great today and the conditions were tough with the wind and cold weather," said Bensel, 39, an assistant professional at Century Country Club in White Plains, N.Y. Bensel made four of his five birdies on the front nine. Morris, 56, had all four of his birdies on the back. They made one team bogey in 72 holes.
It was Bensel's third victory in the PGA Winter Championships, counting the two Senior-Juniors and the 2004 Match Play Championship. Morris has the two team titles. Bensel grew up playing at Westchester Hills in
Don Brigham and Jamie Fordyce of Port St. Lucie, the third-round leaders who both consider The PGA Golf Club courses home turf, made only one birdie on the first 13 holes before the former birdied the 14th and 15th holes and Fordyce the 16th. They finished third with 68-261.
Morris and Bensel earned $3,500 apiece from the $89,180 purse. Brigham and Fordyce received $2,500 each.
No comments:
Post a Comment