MOUNTAIN BROOK, Ala. (June 29, 2020) – The Country Club of Birmingham is one of the most special venues in our Section and it did not disappoint Monday as eighty-eight PGA Professionals and Associates gathered on the property’s West Course for the 2020 E-Z-GO Pro-Pro Championship.
The Pro-Pro has historically been one of the most popular events in the Section with its two-man format where every six holes the format changes from Scramble, Alternate Shot and finally Best Ball.
The morning started off typical for a late-June day in Alabama – high humidity gave way to mostly clear skies for the morning. There wasn’t much breeze throughout the day to cool things down, but that didn’t stop the team of Clay Brown and Eric Williamson of Shoal Creek from going on an absolute tear on the back nine making birdies on holes ten through fifteen – the duo would bogey the par-four eighteenth and finish at nine-under par.
Mike Genovese, PGA Life Member, and Todd Bailey of Rock Creek Golf Club played slow and steady for most of the day, making four birdies on their front nine and five birdies on the back nine. They also turned in a score of nine-under par to send the 2020 E-Z-GO Pro-Pro to a sudden-death playoff against the team of Williamson and Brown – it was predetermined the playoff format consisted of team Best-Ball.
The playoff started on the par-four eighteenth hole – situated within the shadow of the enormous CCB clubhouse sitting on top of the hill, creating a perfect vantage point for onlookers and other tournament participants. Both Williamson and Brown hit the green with their approaches – Brown close-in at about six feet for a birdie. Genovese hit his approach shot to within ten feet of the hole, but on the same line as Brown. Genovese missed his birdie opportunity as did Brown to send the playoff to a second hole down the par-four first hole.
Williamson and Brown hit the fairway with their tee shots on the second playoff hole while both Genovese and Bailey missed the fairway left – leaving them with awkward stances and lies for their approaches into a tricky green with a narrow brook front and a tucked hole location. Bailey miss hit his approach and came up short in the water leaving Genovese no choice but to play safe and long leaving a tough two-putt. Williamson also went long with his approach from the fairway while Brown put his short wedge shot to about twelve feet past the hole. Genovese failed to two-putt leaving the door open for Williamson and Brown to seal the victory with a par.
We are grateful for the team at the Country Club of Birmingham and its Membership for preparing an incredible venue for our PGA Professionals, Associates and staff – their hard work made this event seamless and memorable for all. Additionally, the Section would like to extend a big thank you to Michael Howell of E-Z-GO for his hard work and all he does for the Section, its Members and their facilities.
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ABOUT E-Z-GO
From those humble beginnings, E-Z-GO has become a world leader in transportation and a leading global manufacturer of golf cars, utility vehicles and personal transportation vehicles. From our headquarters in Augusta, we build tens of thousands of vehicles each year, many of which feature game-changing technology and innovations to improve vehicle efficiency and enhance the user experience like no other vehicle can.
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.