Seven NCPGA professionals earn berth at 44th PGA Professional National Championship
Vacaville, CA, July 23, 2010- Jason Schmuhl of Windsor, Calif, winner of the Northern California PGA Professional Championship contested Monday & Tuesday, July 19th and 20th at TPC Stonebrae (Hayward, Calif.), will lead six other Section PGA Professionals to compete in The 44th PGA Professional National Championship, June 26 – 29, 2011, at the Hershey (Pa.) Country Club.
Schmuhl won on the 2nd hole of a sudden-death playoff after turning in a score of six-under-par (138) to capture the Northern California PGA Professional Champion title. Also with a six-under par 138, Rick Leibovich of Salina, Calif. was runner-up. They are joined by Stuart Smith, Somersett Country Club (Reno, Nev.), Kris Moe, Kris Moe Golf Schools (Glen Elen, Calif.), Joe Dolby, Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club (Palo Alto, Calif.) and Jason Owen, Mobile Golf Fitting Lab (Marina, Calif.)
Both Schmuhl and Mitch Lowe, PGA Director of Instruction at Del Rio Country Club in Modesto, Calif., are exempt due to their finish at the 43rd PGA Professional Championship which was contested in June, which also earned them automatic berths to compete at the 92nd PGA Championship to be held next month.
44th PGA Professional National Championship
Making its first appearance in Pennsylvania, the PGA Professional National Championship will bring together a field of 312 contestants representing The PGA of America’s 41 nationwide Sections.
In 2011, the National Championship field will compete on the East and West Courses in Hershey, Pa., a complex that showcases some of the classic architectural designs of the early 20th century and retain the challenges demanded of today’s premier championships. The National Championship will be contested on the par-72, 6,847-yard West Course, which opened in 1930, and the par-70, 7,039-yard East Course, which opened for play in 1969. The final two rounds will be conducted on the East Course.
The PGA Professional National Championship, carrying a $550,000 total purse this year, is broadcast (all four rounds) by GOLF CHANNEL. Following 36 holes of play, the field will be trimmed to the low 70 scorers and ties.
The low 20 scorers in 2011 will earn berths into the 93rd PGA Championship, Aug. 8-14, 2011, at The Atlanta Athletic Club in Duluth, Ga.
In addition to the Walter Hagen Cup, the PGA Professional National Championship winner also receives an exemption into the next 10 PGA Professional National Championships and exemptions into six PGA Tour events over a 12-month period.
The PGA Professional National Championship is presented by Titleist, FootJoy and Cobra; Club Car; and Mercedes-Benz. GOLF CHANNEL is an exclusive media partner, and the PGA Tour is the Supporting Sponsor of PGA of America Professional Championships. The 41 Section Championships and the National Championship offer a combined purse of $1.5 million.
Contact:
Nancy Maul, Northern California PGA
(707) 449-4742
E-mail: nmaul@pgahq.com
