Chhim birdies eight of first 12 holes to edge Phillips, win PGA South Central Section Professional Championship
By Ken MacLeod
Tracy Phillips looked up after Cameron Chhim bombed another drive well over 300 yards and smiled.
“It feels like I’m back at Valhalla,” Phillips said, referring to his experience playing in the 2024 PGA Championship where he was routinely outdriven by 30-40 yards by the world’s top players.
And when the fourth-year assistant at Southern Hills birdied eight of the first 12 holes Tuesday in the final round of the South Central Section Professional Championship presented by Clear Creek Golf Cars at The Oaks Country Club in Tulsa, Phillips was really experiencing some déjà vu.
Still the remarkable 61-year-old, who took a 2-shot lead over Chhim into the final round, hung tough, shooting a 1-under, bogey-free 70 in the final round and forcing Chhim to make a couple of clutch putts down the stretch to eke out a one-shot victory for his first section championship title.
“I really respect Tracy and everything he’s accomplished,” Chhim said. “I played some practice rounds with him at the PGA Professional Championship this year in Frisco and it was great to see how he gets around and scores. If I can implement some things from him in my game it will make me a better player.”
Phillips did that on the final hole after driving way left into trees. Chhiim was also left in the trees and made bogey while Phillips somehow salvaged another par. Chhim had a two-shot advantage to start the hole, even though he thought on the tee box it might just be a single shot.
Chhim birdied five of the first six holes but made bogeys on holes 5 and 7. He then birdied the long uphill par-3 ninth, hitting a 5-iron 222 yards to 15 feet below the hole. He stuffed an approach to a foot on the par-4 10th then hit the flag and nearly made eagle on the par-4 12th for his eighth birdie of the round and a three-shot lead.
From there, Chhim made bogeys on the par-4 13th and 18th holes to finish with a 4-under 67. Phillips had several reasonable birdie chances over the final nine holes but nothing would drop and he finished with 16 consecutive pars after his lone birdie on the par-4 second hole.
“That’s kind of been the story of my year,” Phillips said. “I’m playing good but just can’t make the putts to really get some momentum going. But Cameron played great. That was pretty stout play. He was fun to watch. I just wish I could have coerced a couple of putts in down the stretch.”
Chhim made a crucial up-and-down from well short of the green on 17, knocking in a 6-footer for par, to take the two-shot lead to the final hole.
Qualifiers for the 2025 PGA Professional Championship, from left, sponsor Shawn Andrerson of Clear Creek Golf Car, Seth Garner, Austin Peters, Cameron Chhim, Tracy Phillips, Chris Tidland, Jett Johnson, Trent Rommann and Bernie Jorgensen of Clear Creek.“It was one of those days where it just kind of flows,” Chhim said. “I was driving it well and on the first four holes if you hit your driver in the right spots it works out.”
The top seven players qualified for the 2025 PGA Professional Championship scheduled April 27-30 at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The top 20 there qualify for the 2025 PGA Championship.
Phillips was already exempt for the 2025 PGA Professional Championship due to qualifying for the 2024 PGA Championship. He said earlier this summer that if he qualified again next year he would probably not go after being somewhat overwhelmed by the length at Valhalla, but has since reconsidered.
“I could be the oldest player to play in the PGA Championship,” said Phillips, who also this year played in the Senior PGA Championship and the Senior U.S. Open. “That would be pretty cool.”
Chhim will be making his third appearance in the PGA Professional Championship and hopes to get through to the PGA Championship.
“That’s the goal, he said. “Getting from here to nationals is one big step, but the dream is to advance to the PGA Championship.
Chhim finished at 5-under after rounds of 72-69-67 while Phillips was a 4-under with rounds of 70-69-70. Also qualifying were Austin Peters of The Territory in Duncan at 1-under; Chris Tidland of Stillwater Country Club at 1-over, Trent Rommann of Crestview Country Club in Wichita at 2-over; Seth Garner of Country Club of Little Rock at 2-over and Jett Johnson of Quail Creek Golf & Country Club in Oklahoma City at 2 over.
Champion Cameron Chhim
