Hassell earns spot in 2019 PGA Professional Championship
Cartersville Country Club golf professional Bill Hassell tied for third place this week at the Georgia PGA Professional Championship earning one of six spots from the event at the 52nd PGA Professional Championship, April 28 - May 1, 2019 at Belfair in Bluffton, South Carolina. Hassell fired rounds of 69-76 for a 4-over-par 145 total and it will be a debut appearance for Hassell in the PGA Professional Championship. Kyle Owen, head PGA professional from Dunwoody Country Club, won the Georgia tournament held at Barnsley Resort in Adairsville with a 1-under-par 143 total. Owen held off defending champion Paul Claxton by a single shot.
Hassell was one of three players tied for third place at +1 over par 145 which included Robby Bruns of Augusta National Golf Club and Sonny Skinner of Sylvester, GA. Rounding out the Georgia PGA qualifiers was Matthew Sanders of Oak Mountain Golf Club in Carrollton who earned the final spot in a on the first playoff hole over J.P. Griffin of Capital City Club in Atlanta. They both tied for 6th place at +2 over par 146.
The PGA Professional Championship will mark its first visit to the Belfair. The Championship brings together a field of 312 contestants representing the PGA of America’s 41 nationwide Sections. Belfair, featuring the Tom Fazio-designed East and West Courses, will host the 2018 U.S. Open local qualifying tournament; and was the site of the 2013 South Carolina Open; and the Players Amateur (2000-11), which featured past Champions Ben Curtis, Rickie Fowler, Bill Haas and Brian Harman. The PGA Professional Championship, carrying a $550,000 total purse this year, is broadcast (all four rounds) by Golf Channel. Following 36 holes of play, the field will be trimmed to the low 90 scorers and ties, and following 54 holes of play, the field will be trimmed to the low 70 scorers and ties.
The low 20 scorers in 2019 will earn berths into the 101st PGA Championship, May 16-19, 2019, at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York.
