Woodward, Phillips qualify for 26th Senior PGA Championship

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (Nov. 16, 2014) – Frank Esposito Jr. of Monroe Township, New Jersey, had difficulty sleeping on a four-stroke lead in the 26th Senior PGA Professional National Championship presented by Mercedes-Benz USA. In fact, he wasn’t what he called "at peace" until the starter called his name Sunday morning at PGA Golf Club.
 
From that point, Esposito performed like he was driving a pace car around a track. The sole leader over the final 33 holes, Esposito, PGA Head Professional at Brooklake Country Club in Florham Park, New Jersey, capped a steady 1-under-par 71 at the Wanamaker Course by making a downhill 25-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole. With an emphatic fist pump, the 51-year-old sealed a four-stroke victory and his first national championship.
 
He also earned the Leo Fraser Trophy and a check of $20,000 in the $285,000 Championship.
 
James Mason of Dillard, Georgia, who came within two strokes of the lead before a closing bogey, finished with a 70 to share runner-up at 276 with Steve Schneiter of Sandy, Utah (69) and Rick Schuller of Chester, Va. (70). Jerry Haas of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the men’s head golf coach at Wake Forest University, was fifth at 277 after a 70.
 
The low 35 finishers f earned a berth in the 76th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, May 21-24, 2015, at French Lick (Indiana) Resort. Those 35 included Oklahoma pros Jim Woodward of Oak Tree National and Tracy Phillips of Cedar Ridge Country Club.

 Woodward tied for 11th at 5-under 283 while Phillips tied for 15th at 4-under 284. Also in is long-time PGA South Central Section professional Rod Nuckolls of Wichita at 3-under 285.

"Winning this is great, it really is," said Esposito, whose last victory at PGA Golf Club came in the 2010 PGA Stroke Play Championship. "I didn’t know what to expect, and it means a lot to me, especially out here. "The hard part was the waiting, the anticipation. I was ready to go. I’m not usually great doing it [playing with the lead]. But, I was at peace out there. It was fun to have the lead the whole way."

The 72-hole National Championship featured 264 PGA Professionals who are at least 50 years of age and have qualified to compete in the Championship through one of the 41 PGA Sections.
 
Visit PGA.com for complete Championship coverage, and join the social media conversation using the hashtag #SeniorPNC.
 
26th Senior PGA Professional National Championship presented by Mercedes-Benz USA
PGA Golf Club – Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Wanamaker Course – Par 72
 
Final-Round Scores
 
Frank Esposito Jr., Monroe Township, N.J.    64-70-67-71-272
Steve Schneiter, Sandy, Utah    68-67-72-69-276
Rick Schuller, Chester, Va.    68-71-67-70-276
James Mason, Dillard, Ga.    69-71-66-70-276
Jerry Haas, Winston-Salem, N.C.    70-68-69-70-277
Jeff Coston, Blaine, Wash.    68-66-71-73-278
Jeff Roth, Farmington, N.M.    72-72-69-67-280
John Francisco, Westminster, Md.    69-68-71-72-280
Stu Ingraham, Broomall, Pa.    69-70-72-70-281
Sonny Skinner, Sylvester, Ga.    69-69-73-71-282
John Sikes, Frankston, Texas    68-71-75-69-283
Gene Fieger, Naples, Fla.    69-73-71-70-283
Shawn Baker, Hicksville, N.Y.    72-69-70-72-283
Jim Woodward, Oklahoma, Okla.    69-69-71-74-283
Michael Baker, Walpole, Mass.    71-72-70-71-284
Robert Thompson, Huntsville, Texas    72-70-70-72-284
Tracy Phillips, Tulsa, Okla.    72-68-70-74-284
JC Anderson, O’Fallon, Mo.    73-71-71-70-285
Rod Nuckolls, Overland Park, Kan.    70-74-70-71-285
Stephen Keppler, Kennesaw, Ga.    72-69-73-71-285
Ed Kirby, Wakefield, R.I.    71-70-73-71-285
Brent Murray, Lake Oswego, Ore.    76-68-73-68-285
John DalCorobbo, Indianapolis, Ind.    71-71-71-72-285
Carl Cooper, Humble, Texas    72-70-71-72-285
Rob Wilkin, Lenexa, Kan.    74-68-70-73-285
Lee Rinker, Jupiter, Fla.    72-68-72-73-285
Todd McCorkle, Birmingham, Ala.    67-69-75-74-285
Jim Estes, Germantown, Md.    70-69-70-76-285
Kirk Hanefeld, Acton, Mass.    73-71-73-69-286
Don Berry, Brooklyn Park, Minn.    74-68-71-73-286
Jim Deiters, Midland, Mich.    64-73-74-75-286
Brian Cairns, Walled Lake, Mich.    72-71-73-71-287
Bobby Heins, Purchase, N.Y.    70-70-76-71-287
George Forster, Villanova, Pa.    70-74-70-73-287
Craig Stevens, Dallas, Ga.    69-75-70-73-287
Steve Madsen, Jupiter, Fla.    74-68-71-74-287
Rick Lewallen, Kannapolis, N.C.    73-69-70-75-287
Gary Trivisonno, Aurora, Ohio    67-71-73-76-287
Mark Mielke, East Norwich, N.Y.    71-73-71-73-288
Jim Schuman, Scottsdale, Ariz.    70-73-74-71-288
Gary Robison, Canton, Ohio    74-69-72-73-288
Matt Seitz, Hutchinson, Kan.    74-70-73-71-288
Ken Martin, Port St. Lucie, Fla.    73-69-76-70-288
Paul Trittler, Scottsdale, Ariz.    70-74-74-70-288
David Hannon, La Grange, Ill.    72-71-73-73-289
Peter Oakley, Palm City, Fla.    69-72-74-74-289
James Kane, Edmond, Okla.    68-70-76-75-289
Bill Loeffler, Highlands Ranch, Colo.    71-73-73-72-289
Paul Norris, Dallas, Texas    68-76-72-74-290
Michael Zaremba, Pueblo West, Colo.    73-70-72-75-290
Craig Thomas, White Plains, N.Y.    72-72-73-73-290
Tim Parun, San Diego, Calif.    73-70-70-77-290
Kurt Donahoo, Oceanside, Calif.    73-70-73-75-291
Pat Stephens, Richmond, Ky.    73-71-71-76-291
Bob Stephens, Springboro, Ohio    69-71-75-76-291
Bob Gaus, St. Louis, Mo.    70-72-75-74-291
David Podas, Los Angeles, Calif.    72-68-74-77-291
Rob Gibbons, Molalla, Ore.    71-72-77-71-291
Kevin Hayashi, Hilo, Hawaii    73-70-73-76-292
David Young, Scarborough, N.Y.    71-73-72-76-292
Lonnie Nielsen, Orchard Park, N.Y.    74-69-75-74-292
Shawn McEntee, Napa, Calif.    73-71-73-75-292
Mark Faulkner, Marion, Ill.    71-72-75-74-292
Chip Johnson, Hingham, Mass.    73-71-74-74-292
Reed Hughes, Senatobia, Miss.    69-75-75-73-292
Mike Nokes, San Diego, Calif.    67-73-71-81-292
Gus Ulrich, Whispering Pines, N.C.    73-70-74-76-293
Mitch Adams, Troy, N.C.    69-74-74-76-293
Bryan Hughett, Norfolk, Neb.    75-68-76-74-293
Barry Evans, Charleston, W. Va.    72-70-75-77-294
Ron Beurmann, Jackson, Mich.    73-67-77-77-294
Jim Cichra, Pittsburgh, Pa.    72-71-75-76-294
Audie Johnson, Mount Juliet, Tenn.    71-73-75-75-294
Joey Carranza, Fall City, Wash.    68-76-74-77-295
Dave Kendall, Saline, Mich.    70-74-73-79-296
Mike Barge, Chanhassen, Minn.    76-67-77-76-296
Thomas Vizina, Owatonna, Minn.    74-70-77-75-296
Chas Bolling, Glen Cove, N.Y.    69-71-77-80-297
John Calabria, Naples, Fla.    71-70-78-78-297
Jerry Tucker, Stuart, Fla.    70-73-77-77-297
Mike Lawrence, Anderson, S.C.    71-73-79-75-298
Bradley Turner, Apopka, Fla.    73-71-77-78-299
Larry Mackin, Queen Creek, Ariz.    73-71-78-77-299
Mitchell Camp, Aurora, Ohio    66-76-82-77-301
Paul Daniels, Port St. Lucie, Fla.    71-72-79-81-303
Mike Kaido, Zanesville, Ohio    68-76-84-78-306