West of Arizona records ace in final round of Southworth Senior PNC

ALDIE, Va. -- Ralph West of Surprise, Ariz., recorded a hole-in-one during the final round of the 2012 Southworth Senior PGA Professional National Championship. It was the third career ace for West, all coming this year, and his second in competition.

"I have been playing golf for 45 years and never had a hole-in-one until this year, and now I have had three," said West. "I didn't see the ball go in, but I did see that it had hit the stick. The people around the green saw it and by how they reacted, I knew it went in the hole."

The PGA director of instruction at Reid/West Golf Academies in Peoria, Ariz., West used a 6-iron from 207 yards on the 17th hole at Creighton Farms in Aldie, Va.

It was the third ace of the Championship, and the second on the 17th at Creighton Farms.

Gary Sowinski of Schererville, Ind., and Jeff Whitfield of Weldon Spring, Mo., each made a hole-in-one at Creighton Farms in the opening round. Sowinski, the PGA director of golf at Briar Ridge Country Club in Schererville, Ind., used a 5-iron from 199 yards on the par-3 17th, while Whitfield, the PGA general manager at Mid-Rivers Golf Complex in Saint Peters, Mo., used a 4-iron from 195 yards on the par-3 ninth hole.

West was one of 76 players to make the cut at 7-over-par 151. He finished with a 77 and a 72-hole total of 307.

The low 35 finishers will qualify for the 2013 Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Mo.

The top eight finishers, including ties, will receive exemptions into the 2013 Senior PGA Professional National Championship.

In addition, the top five finishers will be exempt into the Champions Tour National Finals at TPC Eagle Trace in Coral Springs, Fla., provided they have submitted an entry by the entry deadline.