Jesse Dromer wins PGA Professional; 20 club professionals are eligible for major points
BANDON, Ore. — Jesse Droemer survived a late bogey with a three-par finish at windy Bandon Dunes to close with a 2-under 70 and win the PGA Professional Championship by one shot on Wednesday, one of 20 club professionals to earn a berth in the PGA Championship.
Droemer, the teaching pro at Riverbend Country Club in the Houston area, was among six professionals to qualify for the PGA Championship for the second year in a row.
The PGA Championship is May 14-17 at Aronimink outside of Philadelphia.
Ben Kern, general manager at Hickory Hills Golf Club in central Ohio, made two birdies on the back nine and tied for the lead when Droemer in the front group bogeyed the par-3 15th.
Kern, however, went long for the 17th and failed to get up-close to fall behind. He chose to lie on the par-5 closing hole and missed a 12-foot birdie putt.
Droemer finished at 4-under 283 to win the Walter Hagen Cup.
“I always say it’s a blessing to test your game against the best in the world,” said Droemer. “To represent thousands of PGA professionals on that stage is a dream come true.”
The best finish was by Chris Gabriele, head professional at Old Westbury Golf and Country Club in New York. He was 3-over par, one shot away from what appeared to be a playoff for the PGA finals, when he hit a 3-footer for eagle on the final hole to ensure a top-20 finish.
There was no playoff due to the collapse of the back nine by Charlie Beljan, the former PGA Tour player who won at Disney in 2012 for his one title. Beljan shot a 40 on the back nine and closed with a 78, missing one shot.
Droemer, Michael Kartrude, Tyler Collet, Michael Block, Ryan Lenahan and Timothy Wiseman return to the PGA Championship for the second year in a row. Block is making his fifth straight appearance, one of those years in which he qualifies for a top-15 finish at Oak Hill in 2023.
Lenahan said he watched a video of his son saying last year after the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, “I want to come back.”
He was on the bubble when he got to 18, part of a big 2-over par that seemed destined to play, when he made a 20-foot birdie putt to lock up his spot at Aronimink.
“I knew exactly where I stood. It was very stressful,” said Lenahan, director of instruction at Walnut Creek Country Club in South Lyon, Michigan. “I wanted to give myself a chance, it was magical, I don’t know how else to say it.”
