NEWS

Omar Uresti claims final event of 2016 PGA Tournament Series

By Craig Dolch
Published on
Omar Uresti claims final event of 2016 PGA Tournament Series

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – Omar Uresti wasn’t going to let this opportunity get away. Not after two close calls during the last week.

Uresti bogeyed the second playoff hole to win Event No. 6 of the PGA Tournament Series at PGA Golf Club after losing a playoff and finishing second in his last two starts. Uresti lagged his par putt after Kyle Higgins made a triple bogey on the 18th hole of the Ryder Course.

“It’s a shame it ended like that,” said Uresti from Austin, Texas. “But it feels good to win again. I played great yesterday. The swing didn’t feel as good today. I finally started hitting some good shots, but didn’t make a lot of putts.”

FINAL SCORES: PGA Tournament Series Event No. 6

Uresti said his last victory came in the South Texas Section Championship in 2015. He made more than 550 combined starts on the PGA Tour and Web.com Tour, winning twice on the latter.

The key moment Friday came when Uresti, with Higgins close for birdie on the first playoff hole, hit his wedge to 4 feet and made the birdie to keep the playoff going. Both had shot 69s to finish at 11-under 133.

Higgins’ tee shot on the 18th went right, his approach landed in a greenside bunker and it took him three tries to get it on the green. Higgins, from Massapequa, N.Y., was still upbeat afterward.

“I’m really happy with how I played the last two days,” Higgins said. “My short game was pretty good except for the last playoff hole. I was unfortunate I had a bad lie in the bunker, but you can’t leave the ball in that bunker.”

Rich Berberian Jr. clinched his first PGA Professional Player of the Year Award. Berberian, a 29-year-old PGA Assistant Professional at Windham Country Club in Derry, N.H., won the PGA Professional Championship in June with a 33-foot birdie putt on the final hole.

Mike Midgette shot the day’s low round, a 65, to finish alone in third at 134. Rod Perry (68), who won two PGA Tournament Series events and led the money list at $17,441, tied for fourth with Kyle Dobbs (68) at 135.

The PGA Tournament Series is presented by Golf Advisor.