Indiana PGA Professional Championship won by Todd Smith
French Lick, IN (August 20, 2009) – French Lick Resort, home to the spectacular new Pete Dye Course, played host to its first marquee professional event this week by successfully hosting the Indiana PGA Professional Championship, which was won by Todd Smith of Rock Hollow Golf Club. The states premier PGA professional event was a perfect test run for the popular resort destination, which will host the National PGA Professional Championship in 2010.
“It was an honor to host the Indiana sections premier event and it gave us a good indication of what the players will face next year when we host the National PGA Professional Championship”, said Dave Harner, PGA Director of Golf for French Lick Resort. “The Dye course proved to be a formidable but fair challenge for the players, who indicated that it was one of the most spectacular courses they have played.”
The 54-hole tournament was conducted on both the new Pete Dye course and the historic Donald Ross course, with the final round taking place on the Dye course. A similar combination will be used for the National Championship in 2010. It is a unique and challenging combination for the professional players to test their skills on two completely different styles of golf courses.
“It is rare opportunity for players to compete on two such contrasting courses and two courses designed by two of golf’s greatest architects, the greatest classic architect, Donald Ross, and arguably the greatest modern-day architect, Pete Dye, all on the same piece of property,” said Harner.
Todd Smith, who won the Indiana section event in a playoff, shot rounds of 76 (Dye)-71 (Ross)-76 (Dye). Runner up Brett Melton, who lost to Smith on the second play-off hole, also shot a tournament low round of 73 in the final round to get into the playoff.
Smith will compete again in 2010 at French Lick Resort in the PGA National Professional Championship along with five other PGA Members from the Indiana Section. Those players are Melton, Shadday, Ousley, Brad Fellers of Indiana National GC and Chad Jones of The Sagamore Club.
Smith, a five-time champion of the section event, commented on the Dye Course track as, “the hardest course I have ever played, and the best course I have ever played.”
French Lick Resort, site of the 1924 PGA Championship won by the legendary Walter Hagen, will be the host site of the 43rd PGA Professional National Championship. The showcase event for PGA Professionals will be conducted in June 2010. It will mark the first visit by the PGA Professional National Championship to Indiana, and to a resort that features courses designed by two of the game’s legendary golf architects – Donald Ross and Pete Dye.
The National Championship, featuring a nationwide field of 312 PGA Professionals, will utilize the par-70, 7,000-yard Donald Ross Course, which opened in 1917 and the par-72, 7,400-yard Pete Dye Course, which opened this past spring to rave reviews. The Championship’s final two rounds will be conducted on the Pete Dye Course.
About French Lick Resort
French Lick Resort is a $500 million historic restoration and casino development project that includes the West Baden Springs Hotel, French Lick Springs Hotel and the new French Lick Casino. This premier resort and casino destination in Southern Indiana features 686 guest rooms and suites; a 51,000-square-foot, single-level casino; 45-holes of golf, including the fully restored 1917-designed Donald Ross Course at French Lick, and the new 18-hole Pete Dye Course at French Lick; two full-service spas with a combined 36 treatment rooms totaling 42,000 square feet; meeting and event space totaling 115,000 square feet and an array of dining and entertainment options.
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