Mark Brown of Oyster Bay, N.Y., completed a wire-to-wire performance with a closing 2-under-par 70, his highest score of the week, to win the 55th annual TaylorMade-adidas Golf PGA Stroke Play Championship, Jan. 31, on the Wanamaker Course at The PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
The PGA head professional at Tam O'Shanter Golf Club in Brookville, N.Y., Brown equaled the scoring record for the nine years the PGA Stroke Play Championship has been played at The PGA Golf Club. The mark of 16-under-par 272 was first set two years ago by Bob Sowards of Dublin, Ohio.
Brown finished with a two-stroke margin over Tim Weinhart of Duluth, Ga., who birdied the last hole for a 67-274. It was the second day in a row that Weinhart, a PGA teaching professional at St. Marlo Country Club, had shot the lowest score of the day. He moved into contention with a 65 in the third round. Weinhart trailed Brown by eight after the first 36 holes.
Brown, Weinhart and Jeff Sorenson of Blaine, Minn., the third member of the final pairing, collectively agreed that when Brown salvaged his par-5 at the 16th hole, the championship was over.
After hitting a cut into the water at 16 in the third round, Brown may have over-corrected in the final round, pushing his tee shot into the right rough. His 4-iron second shot hit an overhanging branch and dropped well short of the green. He followed with a gap wedge to within three feet and two-putted.
"I thought I might have a chance for an eagle and pick up three strokes," said Weinhart, who reached the green in two. "Then, he stiffed it," added Sorenson, "I'm looking at eagle and he's looking at a six, but that was a great shot he hit there." Sorenson finished third at 69-276.
"I was pretty sure I would win after the 16th, especially after I got my tee shot on the green at the 17th," said Brown.
After starting with bogey from a bunker at the par-5 first hole, Brown birdied the seventh, ninth and 11th holes, then parred in. Over 72 holes, he had 19 birdies and three bogeys. "I never three-putted and that's unusual for me," he said. Brown opened with 66 on the Ryder Course and shot a pair of 68s the middle two days on the Wanamaker.
Brown, who was runner-up in the 2000 and 2001 PGA Professional National Championships, called his win one of his biggest ever. "When you consider the level of competition, it's pretty exciting," he said. Brown's only Metropolitan PGA Section victory last year was in the Treiber Memorial, the final event of the year.
He also won the last Srixon PGA Tournament Series event of the season on Dec. 14. Weinhart and Sorenson were also Srixon winners late in 2007.
Brown earned $5,000 from a $74,630 purse. Weinhart received $3,500 and Sorenson $2,800.
The PGA Golf Club, Port St. Lucie, Fla., Wanamaker Course (Par-72, 7,020 yards)
| Player, Hometown | Money | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Brown, Oyster Bay, N.Y. | $5,000 | 66-68-68-70--272 |
| Tim Weinhart, Duluth, Ga. | $3,500 | 71-71-65-67--274 |
| Jeff Sorenson, Blaine, Minn. | $2,800 | 67-68-72-69--276 |
| Frank Bensel, Greenwich, Conn. | $2,400 | 71-69-68-69--277 |
| Frank Esposito, Monroe, N.J. | $2,175 | 69-72-69-68--278 |
| Bob Rittberger, Garden City, N.Y. | $2,175 | 67-71-70-70--278 |
| Danny Balin, Rockville, Md. | $1,975 | 72-70-69-68--279 |
| Steve Schneiter, Sandy, Utah | $1,750 | 73-67-74-68--282 |
| Don Berry, Brooklyn Park, Minn. | $1,750 | 69-71-73-69--282 |
| Chad Kurmel, Margate, Fla. | $1,750 | 73-69-70-70--282 |
| Sonny Skinner, Sylvester, Ga. | $1,550 | 72-70-72-69--283 |
| Mark Faulkner, Marion, Ill. | $1,318.75 | 73-72-71-69--285 |
| Curt Sanders, Wilmington, N.C. | $1,318.75 | 75-68-71-71--285 |
| J.C. Anderson, Quincy, Ill. | $1,318.75 | 68-75-71-71--285 |
| Ed Sabo, Tequesta, Fla. | $1,318.75 | 72-68-71-74--285 |
| Dennis Colligan, Cazenovia, N.Y. | $1,125 | 72-74-73-67--286 |
| Gary Robison, Canton, Ohio | $1,125 | 69-73-72-72--286 |
| Micah Rudosky, Cortez, Colo. | $1,025 | 75-71-70-71--287 |
| Eric Manning, Utica, N.Y. | $1,025 | 73-71-70-73--287 |
| Brett Melton, Washington, Ind. | $940 | 73-68-78-69--288 |
| Michael Tucker, St. Louis, Mo. | $940 | 72-70-74-72--288 |
| Charles Meola, Mamaroneck, N.Y. | $940 | 72-72-71-73--288 |
| Colin Amaral, Danbury, Conn. | $940 | 70-73-71-74--288 |
| Darrell Kestner, Glen Cove, N.Y. | $940 | 69-68-74-77--288 |
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