Laurel, MS: The 2022 National Car Rental Gulf States Assistant PGA Professional Championship was held in conjunction with the Gulf States PGA Senior Championship and Senior PGA Professional Championship Qualifying at Laurel Country Club on July 25-26. The field included 22 PGA Assistant Professionals and Associates along with 26 PGA Senior Professionals.
Gulf States PGA Senior Champion, Emlyn Aubrey, PGA from Centenary College, claimed the low qualifier for the Senior PGA Professional Championship with a two-day score of 68-74—142. Reed Hughes, PGA from Senatobia, MS, was the 2nd qualifier for the Professional Championship with a score of 70-75—145. Both Emlyn and Reed will move on to the 34th Senior PGA Professional Championship at Twin Warriors & Santa Ana Golf Clubs on October 13-16, 2022.
Emlyn commented, “Yesterday was good, pretty smooth all the way around, I had a couple good breaks that I took advantage of. And then today was a different situation, I struggled a little bit. But that’s the kind of golf course it is. If you’re driving the ball well off the tee, you’ll score well, but if you’re a little bit off…it’s a struggle and that’s what it was today.”
Alternates for the Senior PGA Professional Championship include Cliff Bailey, PGA of East Ridge Country Club (75-75—150), Blaine Patin, PGA of the Country Club of Louisiana (72-79—151), and Reg Adams, PGA of Huntington Park Golf Course (74-78—152). Rich Fulkerson, PGA from Laurel, MS, took Super Senior honors with 75-76—151.
Adam Manuel of East Ridge Country Club claimed the Assistant PGA Professional Championship honors with a score of 71-75—146. He will be moving on to the 46th PGA Assistant Championship to be held on November 17-20, 2022 at PGA Golf Club, Wanamaker Course in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Reed Balcerowicz of East Ridge Country Club (73-77—150) won the playoff against Colby Blake of Canebrake Country Club (74-76—150) for the first-place alternate. Greg Sonnier, PGA of Lake Charles Country Club (77-75—152) won the 3rd place alternate.
Adam admitted, “Yesterday I only hit 6 greens, so I got up and down a lot to shoot 71. And I just hung in there, kept grinding, kept grinding. And today, the same deal, I only hit 5 greens. So if it wasn’t for my short game I wouldn’t have made it.”
The Gulf States PGA would like to thank the entire staff at Laurel Country Club including PGA General Manager Andy Loving, PGA Head Golf Professional Jim Dorman, and Golf Course Superintendent JD Conn. Special thanks to our sponsors for this event: Cadillac, Golf Channel, Jeff Jungers & Shannon Caverly, PGA of Yamaha, the PGA Tour, National Car Rental, Craig Gibson of Srixon/Cleveland Golf, and Greg Sones of Greg Norman.
Also, many thanks to all the people who donated money towards the 2022 assistant’s raffle. Their contribution helped form the largest Gulf States Assistant’s Championship purse to date.
We look forward to seeing everyone at our next tournament, the American Seniors Benefit Stableford Four-Ball at The Preserve Golf Club, on August 15th.