Genovese Wins Fourth Title of the Season
by Hayden Lewis, PGA / Monday, July 12, 2021
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Jul. 12, 2021) – The Fourth Stroke Play Series event of the season took place at Huntsville Country Club on Monday. A total of thirty-two players convened in Huntsville for a mid-summer showdown on HCC’s classic layout, where virtually every hole is accessible and birdies are plentiful. Earlier in the season, the Section hosted the Monday Qualifier for the Korn Ferry Tour’s Huntsville Championship at The Ledges. The score to just get into a playoff – a seven-under-par 64. Needless to say, there were plenty of opportunities for low scores on a day that provided soft conditions and minimal winds.
The day got started at 10:00 a.m. with a shotgun start. Noah Miller of Valley Hill Country Club got off to a hot start on his front nine, making four birdies on holes 3, 5, 6, and 8 with no bogies to blemish his scorecard. He made the turn in four-under-par 32 and was able to hold steady on the back-nine. After making the turn, however, he cooled off some and made eight pars and bogey on the back nine. Meanwhile, Jake Greer of Mountain Brook Club was making his third appearance in a Section event this season since returning from the Southern Texas Section – he’s already finished in the top ten in both the events he’s played in. Greer was able to get off to a decent start, making two birdies on his front nine to make the turn in two-under-par 34. He was able to make three more birdies on the back nine but bogeyed holes 10 and 15. Both Greer and Miller tied for second place with three-under-par rounds of 68.
About midway through the round, Will Smartt, PGA Assistant Golf Professional at Huntsville Country Club, made an ace on the par-three tenth hole. Playing about 166 yards, the tenth green sits right behind the clubhouse with an elevated green from where the players hit their tee shot. Smartt would finish in a tie for ninth place with a round of even-par 71.
Mike Genovese entered this Fourth Stroke Play finishing first a remarkable three times already this season – all coming from his first three starts of the season. To begin his round, he made four birdies on his front nine on holes 2, 3, 6 and 9 with no bogies and made the turn in four-under par 32. On the back nine he was able to make one eagle on the par-five eleventh hole, a birdie on hole fourteen and just a single bogey for the day on the hole twelve. He finished his round with a six-under-par 65 – good enough to take the title over Miller and Greer by two shots. Rounding out the top five were Todd McCorkle (Old Overton Club) who finished in a tie for fourth place with Jeff Jordan (Mountain Brook Club) at two-under-par 69.
The Alabama–NW Florida PGA would like to thank Brad Story, PGA Head Golf Professional and the rest of the team at Huntsville Country Club for providing an incredible venue for our PGA Professionals and Associates. Further, the Section would like to extend its gratitude to the PGA Tour for their continued support of the 2021 Stroke Play Series. The Series will wrap up on Monday, August 23 at Highland Park Golf Course in Birmingham. As we near the end of July, the Section turns its attention to the 2021 Alabama Open which will be played July 23-25 at Twin Bridges Golf Club in Gadsden.
Media Contact: Hayden Lewis, PGA / hlewis@pgahq.com
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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.