GULF SHORES, AL (Sept. 24, 2019) – The 2019 Gulf Coast Chapter Championship was contested this past week at the beautiful Kiva Dunes in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Thirty-four players from across the Section convened on the gulf coast for one of the last premiere Section events of the year.
Earlier in the spring, Todd McCorkle of Old Overton Club took the title at Pine Tree Country Club for the 2019 Alabama Chapter Championship. It would be Todd Bailey of Rock Creek Golf Club in Fairhope, Alabama who would take the title in Gulf Shores this week.
This is Bailey’s third win in a Section event this year! The first coming at the Stroke Play Event at Camp Creek Golf Club, and his second winning the 2019 Alabama-NW Florida PGA Assistant’s Championship Presented by National Car Rental.
The week got started with a bang as the field recorded two aces! The first coming from Matt Workman, PGA Assistant Golf Professional at Vestavia Country Club, on the par-three seventeenth – playing at 181 yards. The second came later in the afternoon when Clay Brown, PGA Associate at Shoal Creek, on the par-three third hole.
In the first round, Brown got off to a hot start with a five-under front nine (including his Ace) to only have a double bogey on the back side and finish ahead of the field with a three-under par 69. Mike Giammaresi of Regatta Bay Golf & Country Club and David Pilkington of Pensacola Country Club would file in closely behind with rounds of two-under par 70 to finish one shot back heading in to the final day.
The second round was met with gustier winds in a completely opposite direction as it was blowing the first day, making the already tricky layout that much more tedious for all players. Todd Bailey got off to a hot start with four birdies on his front nine. Mike Giammaresi and Todd McCorkle were never able to get a good streak going and faltered to one-over par rounds of 73 – Giammaresi would finish in second place by himself while McCorkle finished at a tie for third with David Pilkington. Justin Waltman would tie a bow on the top five finishers with a two-under par second round of 70.
In the Senior Division Life Member, Mike Genovese, would run away from the field with a second round of six-under par 66. Rea Schuessler of Gulf Shores Golf Club and John Carney of Riverchase Country Club would finish out the top three. Finally, in the Super-Senior Division, Carl Pederson would take home the title with rounds of 73 and 80.
The Alabama-NW Florida PGA and the Gulf Coast Chapter Board would like to extend a special thank you to Mark Stillings, PGA General Manager and David Watson, PGA Head Golf Professional at Kiva Dunes for hosting our players and staff and being so accommodating for our players and guests.
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ABOUT THE ALABAMA-NW FLORIDA PGA
The Alabama – NW Florida PGA is one of 41 Sections that make up the PGA of America. Our Section is headquartered in the Birmingham suburb of Pelham, Alabama at Ballantrae Golf Club. Established in 1969, the Section consists of over 400 Members and Associates in the state of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. The Section exists to support its Members who are the driving force to growing the sport and business of golf.