Sets Championship record for margin of victory; Second player from the South Florida PGA Section to win Walter Hagen Cup;
20 PGA of America Golf Professionals earn spots on Corebridge Financial Team in 2025 PGA Championship
Click here for final results.
Click here for media hub/photos.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. ー Tyler Collet’s game plan never wavered.
He focused on missing in the right spots and playing smart all week at the 2025 PGA Professional Championship. That plan yielded historic results as Collet shot even-par 72 on Wednesday to finish at 15-under-par 272 and win by 10 shots at PGA Golf Club’s Wanamaker course.
The PGA Assistant Golf Professional at John’s Island Club set a Championship record for largest margin of victory, eclipsing the previous mark of eight shots by Matt Dobyns in 2012. Additionally, he is just the fourth wire-to-wire winner in PGA Professional Championship history and the second South Florida PGA Member to win the PGA Professional Championship (Bruce Fleisher in 1989).
“It means everything to hold this trophy,” said Collet. “I was looking at the names on it. There are some really spectacular people there. It means the world.”
Jesse Droemer (Houston, Texas) finished second at 5-under after shooting a final-round 2-over-par 74. Brian Bergstol (Nazareth, Pa.) and Michael Block (Mission Viejo, Calif.) finished T-3 at 4-under after fourth-round scores of even-par 72 and 1-over-par 73, respectively. Dylan Newman (Westbury, N.Y.), Brandon Bingaman (Dallas, Texas), Ryan Lenahan (New Hudson, Mich.) and Andre Chi (Queens, N.Y.) tied for fifth at 3-under.
Collet’s day started smoothly with six consecutive pars on holes 1-6. He registered back-to-back birdies at the par-5, 543-yard 7th and par-4, 364-yard 8th holes. The 29-year-old closed his front-nine with a par on the par-4, 454-yard 9th to make the turn at 2-under-par 34.
“I can tell you I did not sleep well last night,” said Collet. “After I made the birdies on seven and eight and I saw the leaderboard on nine green, I took a sigh of relief a little bit. I didn’t change my mindset at all, but my heart started to beat a little slower. I was trying to just cruise in to be honest.”
Collet tallied seven additional pars on holes 10-16. His only bogeys of the day came on 17 and 18, but by then it didn’t matter. With the help of caddie Dylan Miranda, a PGA Associate Assistant at John’s Island Club, Collet’s game plan had produced an insurmountable lead.
“We got a little scrappy there at the last two holes, but we could afford a couple bogeys coming in,” said Collet. “Making that last putt was big for me because I didn’t want to shoot over par so shooting even par on a tough golf course I’m really happy with.”
Droemer, a PGA Teaching Professional at Riverbend Country Club, grinded through lingering back issues to post his highest career PPC finish. The 33-year-old rebounded from bogeys at the par-4, 460-yard 2nd and par-3, 175-yard 4th with 14 consecutive pars.
“I was just hoping to be able to hang in there,” said Droemer. “I got off to a bad start. I’m just proud of myself for hanging in there. It was a grind and mind over matter.”
Bergstol’s final round was highlighted by an eagle at the par-4, 368-yard 10th when he holed his pitching wedge from 132 yards. The PGA Assistant Golf Professional at Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort began the day T-8 before jumping five spots to T-3 for his best career PPC result.
“I did enough and I’m happy about that,” said Bergstol. “There were some sloppy bogeys along the line, but I mean, happy to get it done and get it into the house. Obviously a little bit better would have been nicer, but I can’t complain.”
Block, the PGA Head Golf Professional at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, posted a pair of front-nine birdies en route to his fourth career top-3 finish in the PPC.
“The goal this week was to kind of show my kid (caddie Ethan) the nuances of playing golf, and I think I did,” said Block. “Keep it in the fairway off the tee. Hit the green. If you miss the green, get up and down, make a conservative chip, and then be a decent putter. I think I showed him a good way to do it. And if I finish third, fourth, or fifth, or whatever it is, as long as I’m in the top 20, I’m going to Quail Hollow and I’m very happy.”
A dramatic four-player playoff featuring Brad Lardon (Santa Fe, N.M.), Dakun Chang (North Palm Beach, Fla.), Michael Kartrude (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) and Andy Svoboda (Oak Brook, Ill.) took place to determine the 20th and final spot on the Corebridge Financial Team. All four finished regulation at even-par.
Kartrude, the PGA Lead Assistant Golf Professional at The Bear’s Club, defeated Lardon with a par on the fifth playoff hole, the par-4, 472-yard 14th.
“I had the best moment of my golfing life for sure,” said Kartrude. “I’m going to play in a Major. I didn’t give myself anything easy there. I had to get up and down on 10. I had an unbelievable two-putt on 11. Lipped out on 12. I should have made a birdie on 13. And then just one of the best shots of my life out of the trees. How about that?”
The low 20 scorers who earned exemptions into the 2025 PGA Championship and a position on the 2025 Corebridge Financial Team are listed below in order of finish, including the number of career PGA Championship appearances for each.
Tyler Collet (Vero Beach, Fla.) – John’s Island Club, South Florida Section – 4th
Jesse Droemer (Houston, Texas) – Riverbend Country Club, Southern Texas Section – 2nd
Brian Bergstol (Nazareth, Pa.) – Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort, Philadelphia Section – 1st
Michael Block (Mission Viejo, Calif.) – Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, Southern California Section – 7th
Dylan Newman (Westbury, N.Y.) – Meadow Brook Club, Metropolitan Section – 2nd
Brandon Bingaman (Dallas, Texas) – Gleneagles Country Club, Northern Texas Section – 2nd
Ryan Lenahan (New Hudson, Mich.) – Walnut Creek Country Club, Michigan Section – 1st
Andre Chi (Queens, N.Y.) – Deepdale Golf Club, Metropolitan Section – 1st
John Somers (Trinity, Fla.) – Southern Hills Plantation Club, North Florida Section – 3rd
Justin Hicks (Wellington, Fla.) – Stonebridge Golf & Country Club, South Florida Section – 1st
Rupe Taylor (Virginia Beach, Va.) – Virginia Beach National Golf Club, Middle Atlantic Section – 1st
Tom Johnson (San Francisco, Calif.) – Meadow Club, Northern California Section – 1st
Nic Ishee (Columbus, Miss.) – Old Waverly Golf Club, Gulf States Section – 2nd
Eric Steger (Westfield, Ind.) – Pebble Brook Golf Club, Indiana Section – 1st
Bob Sowards (Dublin, Ohio) – Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club, Southern Ohio Section – 12th
Bobby Gates (The Woodlands, Texas) – Summit Golf School, Southern Texas Section – 1st
Greg Koch (Orlando, Fla.) – Ritz-Carlton Golf Club-Grand Lakes Orlando, North Florida Section – 3rd
Timothy Wiseman (Corydon, Ind.) – Old Capital Golf Club, Indiana Section – 1st
Larkin Gross (Fairfax, Va.) – Westwood Country Club, Middle Atlantic Section – 3rd
Michael Kartrude (Port. St. Lucie, Fla.) – The Bear’s Club, South Florida Section – 1st
Collet will be competing in his fourth PGA Championship after competing in 2021, ‘22 and ‘24.
Block will appear in his seventh PGA Championship after finishing T-15 and earning Low PGA of America Golf Professional honors in 2023 at Oak Hill Country Club.
Sowards is slated to play his 12th PGA Championship, which matches the record for most appearances by a player qualifying as a PGA of America Golf Professional. The 56-year-old is also a member of the Corebridge Financial Team headed to the 2025 Senior PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club.
Ten of the PGA of America Golf Professionals will be competing in their first PGA Championship.
Steger is the son of 38-year PGA Member Scott Steger who played in the 1994 PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
For additional information on the PGA Professional Championship, visit here.
About PGA of America
The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals who love the game, are expert coaches, operators and business leaders, and work daily to drive interest, inclusion and participation in the sport. The PGA of America owns and operates numerous championships and events, including major championships for men, women, seniors and the Ryder Cup, one of the world’s foremost sporting events. For more information, visit PGA.com and follow us on X, Instagram andFacebook.
Media Contacts
Greg Dillard, PGA of America, gdillard@pgahq.com
Alan Cox, PGA of America, acox@pgahq.com
