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By Craig Dolch
Special to the PGA of America
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla.– It may not have been the runaway victory everybody was expecting, but Domenico Geminiani was all smiles Sunday after winning the National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship for the second time in the last three years at PGA Golf Club
Then again, Geminiani is always smiling. If you played golf like he did, you’d be happy, too.
Geminiani shot a steady 2-over 74 on the Wanamaker Course to cruise to a three-shot victory over defending champion Preston Cole of Quail Hollow Club and Zac Oakley of Bidermann Golf Club.
After making 18 birdies and an eagle to build a seven-shot lead after 54 holes, Geminiani didn’t make a birdie Sunday until the 16th hole. But he didn’t have to; he just had to avoid big mistakes, which he did with three bogeys. He finished at 12-under 276.
“I was playing the same way, just wasn’t playing as well,” said Geminiani, who was born in Lugo, Italy and works at Old Corkscrew Golf Club in Naples. “I really hung in there, which is important on this course with the (renovated) greens so firm.
“My words for the day were patience and maturity. At the beginning of my career, when I’m not playing well, I might have forced it and tried to make birdies. I stayed really patient and let the game come to me.”
Oakley (68) made a Sunday charge, playing a four-hole stretch in 4-under on the back nine to move within two shots of Geminiani. Oakley’s hopes ended with a double bogey on the 18th hole to drop into a tie with Cole.
“I made eagle on 13 and I had a really good look for eagle at 16, but I misread that putt,” Oakley said. “Then I just completely botched the final hole.”
Oakley’s runner-up finish was impressive, considering he almost had to start his third round with three clubs after he locked the rest of his clubs in his car. His father, Pete, the 2004 Senior British Open champion, rushed to PGA Golf Club to bring Zac a set of spare keys.
“It was perfect timing – I was just about to take the club back (on the first tee) when my clubs arrived,” Oakley said. “I gave my dad a ton of props. It will be a fun story to tell.”
Cole (70) was looking to become the first repeat champion since Frank Bensel in 2010-2011, but settled for T2 after making eagle at 16 and a birdie at 17.
“I played well all week, just didn’t make a lot of birdie putts,” Cole said. “I couldn’t put pressure on Dom early today.”
“Dom made a couple conservative moves that were smart and made total sense. He was not going to make mistakes for us to catch him.”
Evan Bowser (68) of LaPlaya Golf Club tied for fourth place with Michael Kartrude (69) of The Bear’s Club. Kartrude was playing a week after he and wife Ashley welcomed their second child.
Geminiani earned the $14,700 first prize. He was already qualified for next year’s PGA Professional Championship – where a top-20 finish would earn him a spot in the PGA Championship, his first major.
PGA Golf Club has become like a second home to Geminiani. In addition to his two National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship titles, he was the leading money winner in last year’s PGA Tournament Series.
“It’s just the energy, the aura of this place,” he said. “The people here are amazing, and the courses are great. I just love coming back here.”
The 72-hole tournament record score for the National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship is 23-under 265 in 2009 by Tim Thelan, who would go on to win five European Senior Tour titles.
The National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship is supported by Srixon Golf and Cleveland Golf.
For more about the National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship, visit here.
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Media Contacts
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