PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- The rain held off long enough Sunday for a Champion to be crowned as Bill Loeffler, owner and operator of the Highlands Ranch (Colo.) Golf Club, posted a final-round even-par 72 for a 72-hole total of 12-under-par 276 to hold off David Lundstrom of Houston, Texas, to capture the 19th Callaway Golf Senior PGA Professional National Championship.
The Championship was in doubt, however, until the final hole. Loeffler came to the 18th tee clinging to a one-stroke lead. The daunting 405-yard par 4 has a waste bunker lining the right side of the fairway, which Loeffler's tee shot found. He left himself with 158 yards to the pin and the ball partially submerged in water from the six inches of rain that The PGA Golf Club took on that week.
Loeffler choked up on a 6-iron and hit an approach shot that left him with a 15-foot downhill putt. He two-putted to tap-in range to seal the victory.
"I made a great swing on the ball at the final hole," said Loeffler. "I caught the ball just how I wanted to and left myself about 15 feet and almost holed the putt. I really felt like that putt sealed the win for me."
Loeffler did not collect a birdie until the 16th hole, where he made an eight-foot putt and bring him back to even-par on the round.
"I was not real confident in my swing this week because I did not know if my swing would hold up the entire week," said Loeffler, who missed the cut in his only other Championship appearance in 2006. "I probably came out too conservative and just tried to keep it on the green. But it did work when all was said and done."
David Lundstrom finished a stroke back after a 69 for an 11-under-par 277.
"I did all I could do today," said Lundstrom, a PGA Life Member. "I made a huge birdie on the final hole to give myself a chance, but it just was not enough."
Darrell Kestner of Glen Cove, N.Y., William Britton, Tinton Falls, N.J., and Wayne DeFrancesco of Columbia, Md., all finished two strokes back.
"I knew I was still behind the whole round and I was just trying to make some birdies," said Kestner, the 1996 PGA Professional National Champion. "I hit great putts but I could not make enough birdies to pull it out and win this thing."
"I was pretty fortunate during my second round, where I made some good putts that normally would not go in, so I got pretty lucky," said Loeffler, the 1992 National Assistant Professional Champion.
Bob Boyd of Wilmington, N.C., the 1988 PGA Professional National Champion, was one of the low 35 scorers to gain a berth in the 2008 Senior PGA Championship. Boyd, 52, made his first national championship appearance after recovering from a second bout of leukemia. He finished with a 72-hole total of 4-under-par 284.
Players were able to return to the course at 10:00 a.m. so the damp course could dry. The final round began at 10:30 a.m. with the final group going out at 11:32 a.m.
Callaway Golf is in its sixth year as the title sponsor of the Senior PGA Professional National Championship.
The low 35 finishers qualified for the 2008 Senior PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club [East Course] in Rochester, N.Y. The top eight finishers, including ties, received exemptions into the 2008 Callaway Golf Senior PGA Professional Championship. In addition, the top 10 finishers are exempt into the Champions Tour National Finals at TPC Eagle Trace, provided they had filled out an entry by the deadline.
The PGA of America is the world's largest working sports organization, comprised of 28,000 men and women golf Professionals who are the recognized experts in growing, teaching and managing the game of golf while serving millions of people throughout its 41 PGA Sections nationwide. Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has enhanced its leadership position in a $62 billion-a-year industry by growing the game of golf through its premier spectator events, world-class education and training programs, significant philanthropic outreach initiatives, and award-winning golf promotions. Today's PGA Professional is the public's link to the game, serving an essential role in the operation of golf facilities throughout the country.
Callaway Golf Senior PGA Professional National Championship
PGA Golf Club, Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Ryder Course (Par 72, 6,729)
Wanamaker Course (Par 72, 6,736)
Final-Round Scores:
William Loeffler, Highlands Ranch, Col, $20,000 72-66-66-72--276
David Lundstrom, Victoria, Texas, $15,750 71-69-68-69--277
Darrell Kestner, Glen Cove, N.Y., $11,033.34 73-68-67-70--278
William Britton, Tinton Falls, N.J., $11,033.33 69-70-68-71--278
Wayne DeFrancesco, Columbia, Md., $11,033.33 68-67-72-71--278
Thomas Herzan, Findlay, Ohio, $7,300 73-68-73-65--279
Chris Starkjohann, Encinitas, Calif., $7,300 68-69-68-74--279
Freddy Gibson, Orlando, Fla., $7,300 70-66-71-72--279
Jim Woodward, Chandler, Okla., $5,600 72-65-73-70--280
Jim White, Lincoln, Neb., $5,150 75-67-69-70--281
Bob Darling, Lewiston, Maine, $5,150 70-70-69-72--281
Mike San Filippo, Hobe Sound, Fla., $4,625 73-69-71-69--282
Robert Thompson, Huntsville, Texas, $4,625 69-67-72-74--282
Ralph West, Litchfield Park, Ari, $4,250 70-68-73-72--283
Bob Boyd, Wilmington, N.C., $3,875 74-69-71-70--284
Bob Ford, Oakmont, Pa., $3,875 64-71-77-72--284
Bill Sautter, Warrington, Pa., $3,230 72-70-72-71--285
Tommy Brannen, Augusta, Ga., $3,230 72-72-67-74--285
George Forster, Villanova, Pa., $3,230 73-72-70-70--285
Mike Barge, Chanhassen, Minn., $3,230 67-73-74-71--285
Perry Arthur, Plano, Texas, $3,230 68-70-72-75--285
John Mazza, Beaver Falls, Pa., $2,800 69-70-76-71--286
Scott Spence, Portsmouth, R.I., $2,800 73-72-67-74--286
Matthew Seitz, Hutchinson, Kan., $2,800 71-67-76-72--286
Mike Zinni, N. Mankato, Minn., $2,435 70-70-74-73--287
James Blair, Ogden, Utah, $2,435 71-69-73-74--287
John Calabria, Naples, Fla., $2,435 73-72-73-69--287
Bob Ralston, Little Rock, Ark., $2,435 69-70-75-73--287
David Arbuckle, Colorado Springs, Co, $2,435 72-73-70-72--287
Glen Stubblefield, Valley Springs, Cali, $2,125 69-73-75-71--288
Gary Sowinski, Rancho Santa Fe, Cal, $2,125 71-73-70-74--288
Scott Mahlberg, San Diego, Calif., $2,125 71-70-71-76--288
Rod Nuckolls, Wichita, Kan., $2,125 70-71-73-74--288
Gary Robison, Canton, Ohio, $2,125 69-68-76-75--288
Mike Parrish, Guntersville, Ala., $2,125 74-71-68-75--288
John Traub, Oakland Township, Mi, $1,875 72-71-72-74--289
Jerry Impellittiere, Palm City, Fla., $1,875 73-70-73-73--289
Christopher Campbell, Vero Beach, Fla., $1,875 74-70-72-73--289
Jack Seltzer, Panama City, Fla., $1,875 71-74-71-73--289
Dave Kendall, Saline, Mich., $1,650 73-70-74-73--290
Thomas Anderson, Laurel, Mont., $1,650 69-72-75-74--290
Mike Gray, Jupiter, Fla., $1,650 73-72-70-75--290
Mark Pelletier, El Paso, Texas, $1,650 69-71-71-79--290
Jim Fellner, Little River, S.C., $1,650 70-70-74-76--290
Steve Heckel, Carterville, Ill., $1,379.17 67-75-74-75--291
Christopher Dachisen, Wayne, N.J., $1,379.17 72-70-78-71--291
Steve Waugh, Naples, Fla., $1,379.17 70-74-73-74--291
Randy Towner, Lawrence, Kan., $1,379.17 69-73-75-74--291
Kevin Bishop, Tumwater, Wash., $1,379.16 74-70-73-74--291
Will Brewer, Franklin, Tenn., $1,379.16 68-72-77-74--291
Bill Schumaker, Columbia City, Ind., $1,227.50 74-68-78-72--292
Fran Marrello, Plymouth, Conn., $1,227.50 72-73-73-74--292
Brad Sherfy, Santa Rosa Valley, C, $1,227.50 75-70-74-73--292
John Godwin, Pine Mountain, Ga., $1,227.50 73-72-71-76--292
Denny Hepler, Winona Lake, Ind., $1,175 72-71-74-76--293
Robert Makoski, Novi, Mich., $1,175 71-71-77-74--293
Paul Wise, Redondo Beach, Calif, $1,175 72-73-75-73--293
Bruce Zabriski, Jupiter, Fla., $1,088 74-70-69-81--294
Stan Stopa, New Orleans, La., $1,088 69-75-74-76--294
Michael Burke, Towaco, N.J., $1,088 72-69-77-76--294
Donald Reese, Defuniak Springs, Fl, $1,088 65-76-77-76--294
Tony Saraceno, Cortland, N.Y., $1,088 72-73-72-77--294
Ric Burgess, Colusa, Calif., $1,088 74-71-76-73--294
Bill Sakas, Northbrook, Ill., $1,088 71-74-78-71--294
Butch Sheehan, Rancho Mirage, Calif, $1,088 68-71-80-75--294
Bob Irving, Sarasota, Fla., $1,088 72-73-76-73--294
Thomas Fussaro, Shaker Heights, Ohio, $1,088 71-68-82-73--294
Lindy Miller, Fort Worth, Texas, $1,015 70-73-73-79--295
Don Brigham, Jersey City, N.J., $1,015 68-73-78-76--295
Gregg Wolff, Metter, Ga., $1,015 75-69-75-76--295
Thomas Costello, Park City, Utah, $1,015 71-74-75-75--295
John Hayes, St. Louis, Mo., $985 72-72-72-80--296
Michael Paul, Reno, Nev., $985 73-72-79-72--296
Gene George, West Palm Bch, Fla., $955 73-70-75-79--297
Ralph Salito, Danbury, Conn., $955 71-73-76-77--297
Allan Menne, Mashpee, Mass., $955 70-74-78-75--297
Bill Dodd, Phoenix, Ariz., $955 74-67-75-81--297
Randy Erskine, Lake Orion, Mich., $920 69-74-79-76--298
Victor Tortorici, Stuart, Fla., $920 71-74-71-82--298
John Graham, Idaho Falls, Idaho, $920 73-72-78-75--298
Glen Miller, Herndon, Va., $890 73-69-78-79--299
Jon Stanley, Phoenix, Ariz., $890 76-68-75-80--299
Don Germer, Omaha, Neb., $890 73-72-77-77--299
Gary Groh, Highland Park, Ill., $855 75-68-79-78--300
Mike Gove, Snohomish, Wash., $855 72-70-77-81--300
Mick Herron, Monument Beach, Mass, $855 73-72-78-77--300
Richard Von Tacky, Titusville, Pa., $855 72-73-77-78--300
Robert Bailey, Old Greenwich, Conn., $825 73-70-77-82--302
Dennis Foster, Thousand Palms, Cali, $825 70-71-80-81--302
Tom Joyce, Long Island, N.Y., $810 73-72-81-78--304
Vic Lipscomb, Spartanburg, S.C., $800 74-71-78-88--311
Russ Moore, Socorro, N.M., $790 74-70-83-88--315
Jim Dickson, The Woodlands, Texas, $300 74-71-75-NC-NC
