Phillips, Rommann rally to make first cut at PGA Professional Championship
SANTA ANA PUEBLO, New Mexico (May 1, 2023) ー Tracy Phillips of Tulsa rallied with a 2-under 70 in the second round Monday to become the only one of four Oklahoma pros in the field to make the first cut in the 2023 PGA Professional Championship. Also advancing from the South Central Section was Trent Rommann of Wichita.
Phillips and Romman were tied for 89th at 3-over and both will have to move into the top 60 following today’s third round to advance to the final round.
Not advancing were Austin Peters of The Territory in Duncan (75-76), Tucker Roderick of Golf Club of Oklahoma (81-74) and Shannon Friday of Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club (80-78).
Ben Kern, PGA General Manager at Hickory Hills Golf Club in Grove City, Ohio, made four consecutive birdies to vault o the top of the leaderboard at 6-under 138.
Kern posted a 4-under-par 68 on Monday for a 6-under-par 138 total and a two-shot lead over first-round-leader Wyatt Worthington II (4-under-par 140) in the 2023 PGA Professional Championship at Twin Warriors and Santa Ana Golf Clubs in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico.
Kern enters day three looking to fend off nine players within three shots of the lead.
Three of the seven women in the field are currently under the cut line, led by Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth who sits T-21 after posting rounds of 73-70 for a total of 143. This is the second consecutive year the PGA Teaching Professional from San Jose Country Club in Jacksonville, Florida, is slated to make the 36-hole cut. She finished T-50 in 2022.
The Championship will have a second cut after 54 holes on Tuesday to the low 70 scorers and ties. The third and final rounds will be contested at Twin Warriors.
The third round of the 2023 PGA Professional Championship will be broadcast live on Golf Channel on Tuesday, May 2 from 300 – 6:00 p.m. CDT