Defending Champion Alex Knoll, PGA, Leads 99th Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship After Opening Round 65
Lititz, Pa. (September 21, 2020) — Defending Champion Alex Knoll, Glen Brook G.C., leads the 99th Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship, presented by Club Car and OMEGA, by one stroke after firing a 6-under-par 65 in the opening round at Bent Creek C.C., fueled by two eagles on Nos. 9 and 12, both par-5s.
Two PGA Members, Mark Sheftic, Merion G.C.; and Tom Cooper, Pine Valley G.C.; are tied for second place, one stroke behind Knoll.
“I hit it excellent off the tee and gave myself a lot of opportunities,” Knoll said of his opening round. “I made some nice putts today and really played the par-5s excellent; I was 5-under on those holes, so that really helped my score today.”
To hear Knoll’s full remarks following his round, click here.
Sheftic, who played his opening round at the C.C. of York and made five birdies and an eagle, said that the course played outstanding.
“My game plan going into today was to stay below the hole, and I did putt well.” For Sheftic’s full comments, click here.
Cooper, like Knoll, played Bent Creek C.C. for his first round, and said he hit the ball consistently throughout the day, following a good stretch of ball-striking.
“I was hovering around even-par and 1-under for most of the front nine, thinking ‘just keep hitting fairways and greens and see if we can make some more birdies,” Cooper said. “I was able to make some long putts and hit some good shots coming in.”
Cooper made eight birdies during his round. For his full remarks, click here.
One-hundredd-forty-four of the Philadelphia PGA Section’s best players are competing for the William B. Packer Trophy and a berth into the 54rd PGA Professional Championship, April 25-28, at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Along with the trophy, the winner will earn a $9,000 first-prize out of the $72,000 purse.
The second round continues tomorrow, Sept. 22, at 8:30 a.m. at both Bent Creek C.C. and the C.C. of York. Follow the action via our live scoring by visiting golfgenius.com/pages/
For more information on the championship, including the week’s schedule, pairings, and more, visit the championship’s official e-publication.
Members of the media are welcome onsite to cover the championship.
The 99th Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship is presented by Club Car and OMEGA, and supported by Titleist / FootJoy, Nike, TaylorMade, Golf Channel, and the PGA Tour.
About the Philadelphia PGA Section
The Philadelphia PGA Section, covering eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware, is one of 41 geographical managing entities of the PGA of America. This Section manages nearly 900 PGA Members and Associates who are employed at over 590 golf facilities in our region.
Contact: Matt Frey, PGA, Communications Director, mfrey@pgahq.com