Meet the 2012 PGA Championship qualifiers
Mike Small during the second round of the 2009 PGA Championship.
SEASIDE, Calif. – Here are thumbnail bios for the 20 low scorers from the 45th PGA Professional National Championship. Each of these players has earned a spot in the field at the 94th PGA Championship, to be played Aug. 9-12 at Kiawah Island (S.C.) Golf Resort. (Players are listed in order of finish from the PNC.)
• • •
MATT DOBYNS
Age: 34
Residence: Lake Success, N.Y.
College: Texas
Occupation: Head professional at Fresh Meadow Country Club in Lake Success, N.Y.
Previous majors: None
Career highlights: Won the 2011 Long Island Open. . . . Finished second at the 2008 PGA Assistant Championship and was T-20 in 2007.
• • •
ROD PERRY
Age: 38
Residence: Port Orange, Fla.
College: Mississippi State
Occupation: Head professional at Crane Lakes Golf Course in Port Orange
Previous majors: None
Career highlights: Won the 2002 North Florida PGA. . . . Is a three-time North Florida PGA Match Play winner. . . . Has been named North Florida PGA player of the year four times and was the 2010 North Florida PGA teacher of the year.
• • •
KELLY MITCHUM
Age: 41
Residence: Southern Pines, N.C.
College: North Carolina State
Occupation: Assistant professional at Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort and Country Club.
Previous majors: 4 — MC at the PGA Championship from 2005-07; MC at the 1995 U.S. Open.
Career highlights: Three consecutive top-10s at the PGA Professional National Championship from 2005-07. . . . Won the 1993 North and South Amateur and the 1991 ACC Championship. . . . Was a semifinalist at the 1992 U.S. Amateur and was a member of the U.S. Walker Cup team in ’93. . . . Has won the Carolinas PGA (2004) and the South Carolina Open twice. . . . Was the Carolinas PGA player of the year in 2004 and ’05.
• • •
MIKE SMALL
Age: 46
Residence: Champaign, Ill.
College: Illinois
Occupation: Head coach of the men’s golf team at Illinois
Previous majors: Seven PGA Championships (2004-07, 2009-11); finished 76th in 2005 and T-69 twice (2007, ’11). Missed the cut in three U.S. Opens (1994, ’98 and 2007)
Career highlights: Won the PGA Professional National Championship three times (2005, ’09 and ’10) and has been in the top 10 in all but one of nine starts. . . . Has been a member of three U.S. PGA Cup teams. . . . Has won the Illinois PGA nine times, including eight in a row from 2003, and the Illinois Open four times. . . . Played on the Nike Tour and won twice in 1997 (Monterey Open and Cleveland Open). . . . Played on the PGA Tour in 1998 and finished T-9 at that year’s Canadian Open.
• • •
PAUL SCALETTA
Age: 37
Residence: Jupiter, Fla.
College: Virginia Commonwealth
Occupation: Assistant professional at The Bear’s Club in Jupiter, Fla.
Previous majors: None
Career highlights: Runner-up in the Virginia State Open in 1997 and 2003. . . . Has three top-10 finishes at the PGA Assistant Championship (2007-09). . . . Was the South Florida PGA player of the year. . . . Shot a 59 in October 2011 at The Bear’s Club.
• • •
JEFF COSTON
Age: 56
Residence: Blaine, Wash.
College: Seattle
Occupation: Teaching professional at Semiahmoo Golf Resort, Blaine, Wash.
Previous majors: Three PGA Championships (72nd place in 2004, MC in 2005 and 2011); MC at 1977 and ’78 U.S. Opens, T-53 in 2000
Career highlights: Has two top-10 finishes at the PGA Professional National Championship (T-4 in 2004, T-8 in 2006). . . . Won 1977 Pacific Northwest Golf Association Championship. . . . Three-time Washington Open winner, five-time Pacific Northwest PGA winner. . . . Nine-time winner of the Pacific Northwest PGA player of the year. . . . 2002 Pacific Northwest PGA teacher of the year.
• • •
FRANK BENSEL
Age: 44
Residence: Greenwich, Conn.
College: Maryland
Occupation: Assistant professional at Century Country Club in Purchase, N.Y.
Previous majors: 2 — MC at 2004 PGA Championship and ’07 U.S. Open.
Career highlights: Won the 2005 New York State Open, 2001 New York State PGA, 2009 Metropolitan PGA, 2007 Metropolitan Open. . . . Won consecutive Metropolitan PGA Assistant Championships in 2004 and ’05. . . . Was named the 2005 Metropolitan PGA Section player of the year.
• • •
COREY PRUGH
Age: 31
Residence: Spokane, Wash.
College: Washington
Occupation: Assistant professional at Manito Golf & Country Club in Spokane.
Previous majors: None.
Career highlights: Won the 2008 Oregon Open and the 2011 Northwest Open. . . . Was the 2011 Pacific Northwest PGA player of the year. . . . Has five career holes-in-one.
• • •
MARTY JERTSON
Age: 31
Residence: Phoenix
College: Colorado School of Mines
Occupation: Senior design engineer at Ping Golf, Phoenix
Previous majors: MC at 2011 PGA Championship.
Career highlights: Won the 2008 Southwest PGA Assistant Professional title and the 2010 Southwest PGA. . . . Finished fourth at the 2005 Arizona Open and was third at the ’07 Southwest PGA Assistant Professional Championship. . . . Was a member of the 2011 U.S. PGA Cup team.
• • •
BILL MURCHISON
Age: 28
Residence: Canton, Ga.
College: Eastern Michigan
Occupation: Assistant professional at Towne Lake Hills Golf Club in Woodstock, Ga.
Previous majors: None
Career highlights: Two-time winner of the One Club World Championship (2008 and 2010). . . . Won a PGA Tournament Series event in Port St. Lucie, Fla., in 2010.
• • •
MITCH LOWE
Age: 45
Residence: San Francisco
College: Pacific
Occupation: Director of instruction at Half Moon Bay (Calif.) Golf Links
Previous majors: 2 — MC at the PGA Championship in 2009 and ’10.
Career highlights: Three-time (2000, ’05 and ’09) Northern California PGA player of the year.
• • •
BOB SOWARDS
Age: 44
Residence: Dublin, Ohio
College: Glenville State
Occupation: Teaching professional at New Albany (Ohio) Country Club
Previous majors: MC at five PGA Championships (1997, 2001, ’03, ’04, ’11)
Career highlights: Won the 2004 PGA Professional National Championship a year after finishing T-3. . . . Has been named Southern Ohio PGA player of the year seven times since 1996. . . . Competed on the PGA Tour in 2005, ’07 and ’08 with his best finish being T-9 at the 2008 Wyndham Championship.
• • •
DARRELL KESTNER
Age: 58
Residence: Glen Cove, N.Y.
College: Concord
Occupation: Director of golf at Deepdale Golf Club in Manhasset, N.Y.
Previous majors: 17 — eight U.S. Opens between 1979 and 2002, and nine PGA Championships between 1988-2005 (MC at each except in 2005, when he was 78th at the PGA Championship).
Career highlights: Has three top-10 finishes at the Senior PGA Professional National Championship. . . . Won the 1996 PGA Professional National Championship and has four other top-10s in 21 career starts. . . . Has won three Long Island PGAs and two Long Island Opens. . . . Has won two New York State Open titles and three Metropolitan PGA Championships. . . . Was the Metropolitan PGA player of the year in 1995 and ’96. . . . While playing on the PGA Tour in 1983, had two eagles on par 4s at the Texas Open.
• • •
ALAN MORIN
Age: 43
Residence: Royal Palm Beach, Fla.
College: Ferris State
Occupation: Assistant professional at The Falls Country Club in Lake Worth, Fla.
Previous majors: 6 — MC at the PGA Championship in 2002, ’03, ’05 and ’08; MC at the 1998 and 2003 U.S. Open.
Career highlights: Had consecutive top-10s at the PGA Professional National Championship in 2002 and ’03. . . . Was a member of the U.S. PGA Cup team in 2003. . . . Is a four-time South Florida PGA player of the year. . . . Won the 2004 South Florida PGA Open with a tournament-record score of 23 under par.
• • •
BRIAN GAFFNEY
Age: 41
Residence: Monmouth Beach, N.J.
College: Montclair (N.J.) State
Occupation: Head professional at Rumson (N.J.) Country Club
Previous majors: 3 — MC at the PGA Championship in 2000 and 2009; MC at the 2012 U.S. Open.
Career highlights: Was the 2011 New Jersey PGA player of the year. . . . Won the 2009 New Jersey Open. . . . Was a member of the U.S. PGA Cup team in 2000. . . . Was a Division III All-America selection in 1994.
• • •
DANNY BALIN
Age: 29
Residence: Rockville, Md.
College: Penn State
Occupation: Assistant professional at Burning Tree Country Club, Greenwich, Conn.
Previous majors: 2010 PGA Championship (MC)
Career highlights: Finished fourth in last year’s PGA Professional National Championship. . . . T-9 at the 2008 Metropolitan Open and T-8 in 2007.
• • •
BRIAN CAIRNS
Age: 48
Residence: Walled Lake, Mich.
College: Barry
Occupation: Teaching professional at Fox Hills Learning Center in Plymouth, Mich.
Previous majors: MC at the 2011 PGA Championship
Career highlights: Past winner of the Michigan PGA Match Play. . . . Won the Michigan PGA in 1996 and 2000. . . . Was the 2000 Michigan PGA player of the year.
• • •
DOUG WADE
Age: 33
Residence: Cincinnati
College: Ohio State
Occupation: Head professional at Miami Valley Golf Club in Dayton, Ohio.
Previous majors: None
Career highlights: Won the 2011 Southern Ohio PGA Assistant Championship. . . . Was runner-up at two events while a collegiate player, at the 2001 Ping Intercollegiate and the 2002 Marshall Invitational. . . . Was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2002.
• • •
MARK BROWN
Age: 45
Residence: Oyster Bay, N.Y.
College: Eckerd
Occupation: Head professional at Tam O’Shanter Country Club in Glen Head, N.Y.
Previous majors: 3 — MC at the PGA Championship in 2000, ’01 and ’06.
Career highlights: Had consecutive second-place finishes at the PGA Professional National Championship in 2000 and ’01. . . . Was a member of the 2006 U.S. PGA Cup team. . . . Won the New York State Open three times, the 2010 Long Island Open, 1999 Metropolitan PGA Open and the 2005 Metropolitan PGA. . . . Was the Metropolitan PGA player of the year in 1999 and 2009.
• • •
MICHAEL FRYE
Age: 26
Residence: Sedona, Ariz.
College: Idaho
Occupation: Assistant professional at Oakcreek Country Club in Sedona, Ariz.
Previous majors: None
Career highlights: Won three (2001, ’03 and ’04) Montana high school championships and the 2003 Montana Junior Amateur.
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