Rod Perry among first-round leaders in PGA Stroke Play Championship

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – Rod Perry of Port Orange, Florida, the only left-hander to win the PGA Professional National Championship, posted a 4-under-par 68 Tuesday at PGA Golf Club to share the first-round lead in the 62nd PGA Stroke Play Championship presented by Premier Golf and GOLF ADVISOR.

 

Perry, the 2007 PGA Stroke Play Champion and the PGA Head Professional at Crane Lakes Golf & Country Club in Port Orange, is tied with Liam Friedman of Lackawanna, New York; Jason Martin of Wheeling, West Virginia; and Jeff Sorenson of Blaine, Minnesota. 

 

Perry overcame a  bogey on the second hole of the Wanamaker Course by rattling off five birdies to close with the day’s low nine-hole round of 32. Sorenson and Martin also played the Wanamaker while Friedman had the day’s low 18-hole round on the Ryder Course. 

 

Kyle Baehler of Greenwich, Connecticut; Rich Berberian of Derry, New Hampshire; and Charles Meola of Mamaroneck, New York, were one stroke behind at 69. Two-time defending champion Bob Sowards of Dublin, Ohio, the 2014 PGA Professional Player of the Year, had a 71.   

 

“The conditions were extremely difficult at times, with the wind and firm greens,” said Perry. “The course has changed so much in the past five years. It went from a soft golf course, where we were firing at hole locations, to one with highly manicured fringes and edges, where you have to be careful where you hit the ball.  I’ve been coming here the past 10 to 12 years and it’s the best that I’ve ever seen the greens.” 

 

Sorenson, who last week accepted a PGA Teaching Professional position at The Minikahda Club in Minneapolis, had seven birdies and three bogeys. Martin, the PGA Head Professional at Wheeling Country Club, made eight birdies to offset four bogeys, while Friedman, a PGA Assistant Professional at Orchard Park (New York) Country Club, collected six birdies and two bogeys.      

 

The field of 138 will be trimmed to the low 70 scorers and ties after Wednesday’s round, with the final 36 holes to be played on the Ryder Course. 

 

The PGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship, running concurrently at PGA Golf Club, features a field of 23 who are competing on the Ryder and Wanamaker Courses. The field will play 54 holes, with the final 18 holes Thursday on the Ryder Course.  

 

The PGA Winter Championships conclude Feb. 10-13, with the 52nd PGA Match Play Championship on the Dye Course.

 

2015 PGA Winter Championships

62nd PGA Stroke Play Championship presented by Premier Golf and GOLF ADVISOR

PGA Golf Club, Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Ryder Course:  6,963 yards, Par-72

Wanamaker Course:  6,987 yards, Par-72

 

Jeff Sorenson, Blaine, Minn. 33-35–68

Jason Martin, Wheeling, W. Va. 34-34–68

Liam Friedman, Lackawanna, N.Y. 34-34–68

Rod Perry, Port Orange, Fla. 36-32–68

Charles Meola, Mamaroneck, N.Y. 36-33–69

Kyle Baehler, Greenwich, Conn. 34-35–69

Rich Berberian, Derry, N.H. 34-35–69

Billy Anderson, Wilmington, N.C. 33-37–70

Brian Cairns, Walled Lake, Mich. 35-35–70

Kirk Stauffer, Bradford, Pa. 35-35–70

Rick Schuller, Chester, Va. 37-34–71

Bob Sowards, Dublin, Ohio 36-35–71

Kirk Hanefeld, Acton, Mass. 36-35–71

Ben Polland, Manhasset, N.Y. 34-37–71

Jerry Tucker, Stuart, Fla. 36-35–71

Patrick Steffes, Milwaukee, Wis. 35-36–71

Gary Bashford, Alamo, Calif. 39-33–72

Mark Brown, Glen Head, N.Y. 35-37–72

Dwayne Randall, Clymer, N.Y. 38-34–72

Brett Melton, Washington, Ind. 35-37–72

Wyatt Worthington, Reynoldsburg, Ohio 34-38–72

Charles Raulerson, Fleming Island, Fla. 35-37–72

Mike Thomas, Loveland, Ohio 38-34–72

JC Anderson, O' Fallon, Mo. 36-36–72

Nick Frontero, Oviedo, Fla. 38-34–72

Shawn Warren, Cape Elizabeth, Maine 34-38–72

Sonny Skinner, Sylvester, Ga. 35-37–72

Adam Rainaud, South Hadley, Mass. 35-37–72

Jake Pleczkowski, Siasconset, Mass. 35-37–72

Mark Faulkner, Marion, Ill. 35-37–72

Bill Sautter, Ocean City, N.J. 37-35–72

Frank Bensel, Jupiter, Fla. 38-35–73

Scott Berliner, Wilton, N.Y. 36-37–73

Joseph Moore, Englewood, Ohio 36-37–73

Kevin Loftus, Rocky Point, N.Y. 35-38–73

Mike Paukovits, Wyncote, Pa. 38-35–73

Anthony Aruta, Staten Island, N.Y. 37-36–73

Patrick Rada, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 36-38–74

Jeffrey Martin, Warwick, R.I. 39-35–74

Christopher Marinaro, East Norwich, N.Y. 37-37–74

Andrew Richardson, Norwalk, Conn. 38-36–74

Ben Stewart, Fairborn, Ohio 36-38–74

Matthew McAdow, Woodmere, N.Y. 39-35–74

Rob Corcoran, Melbourne, Fla. 37-37–74

Keith Grassing, Somerville, N.J. 35-39–74

Colin Amaral, Port St. Lucie, Fla. 38-36–74

Gary Robison, Canton, Ohio 38-36–74

Rob Schaal, Middlesex, N.J. 36-38–74

David Quinn, Marlton, N.J. 37-37–74

Matthew Sita, Glen Cove, N.Y. 36-38–74

Bill Harvey, Albuquerque, N.M. 36-38–74

Andy Hardiman, Stuart, Fla. 38-37–75

Kyle Higgins, Massapequa, N.Y. 39-36–75

Pete Catanzaro, Hartsdale, N.Y. 36-39–75

Devin Gee, Oakmont, Pa. 35-40–75

Kevin Savage, Baldwinsville, N.Y. 39-36–75

Mike Martin, New Haven, Conn. 37-38–75

Mark Anderson, St. Simons Island, Ga. 38-37–75

Grant Sturgeon, Port Chester, N.Y. 37-38–75

Shaun Powers, Jupiter, Fla. 40-35–75

Steve Barber, Victor, N.Y. 39-36–75

Patrick Hohman, Canton, Mass. 37-39–76

Aaron Ungvarsky, Wilmington, Mass. 39-37–76

Frank Dully, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 37-39–76

Joshua Rackley, Jupiter, Fla. 40-36–76

Michael Zaremba, Pueblo West, Colo. 40-36–76

Bobby Heins, Purchase, N.Y. 39-37–76

Roy Vucinich, Moon Township, Pa. 40-36–76

Clark Sisson, Germantown, Md. 40-36–76

Mitchell Camp, Aurora, Ohio 39-37–76

Rob Gick, Sands Point, N.Y. 38-38–76

Matt Noel, Nashua, N.H. 40-36–76

Sean Gorgone, Longwood, Fla. 40-36–76

Bryan Bessinger, Lakeland, Fla. 38-38–76

Louis de Kerillis, Southampton, N.Y. 37-39–76

Brad Peck, Madison, Wis. 35-41–76

Remington Post, Ponte Vedra, Fla. 38-38–76

John Paesani, Mattapoisett, Mass. 36-41–77

Bob Dolan, Chevy Chase, Md. 40-37–77

Gary Hardin, Easton, Pa. 38-39–77

Brian Lowe, Windham, N.Y. 33-44–77

David Allan, Terrace Park, Ohio 37-40–77

John Kerins, Hermitage, Pa. 38-39–77

John Francisco, Westminster, Md. 37-40–77

Larry Emery, Port St. Lucie, Fla. 41-36–77

Jamie Puterbaugh, Carlsbad, Calif. 37-41–78

Jeff Olson, Dublin, Ohio 40-38–78

Ryan Ford, Greenwood, Ind. 39-39–78

Nicholas Beddow, Shirley, N.Y. 42-36–78

Andy Santor, Boardman, Ohio 38-40–78

Jim Boyle, Cadillac, Mich. 39-39–78

Michael O'Connor, Erie, Pa. 40-39–79

Ryan Kalista, Greenwich, Conn. 39-40–79

Justin Roberto, Williamsburg, Va. 44-35–79

Jamie Kilmer, East Williston, N.Y. 34-45–79

Theodore Heins, White Plains, N.Y. 40-39–79

Jeb Boyle, State College, Pa. 39-40–79

Gregg Richbourg, Brewster, Mass. 37-42–79

Gregory McClimans, Clearwater, Fla. 43-37–80

Daniel Callahan, Chaska, Minn. 39-41–80

Sam Arnold, Cincinnati, Ohio 40-40–80

Brian Janty, Evanston, Ill. 38-42–80

Jason Peterson, New Canaan, Conn. 40-40–80

Bret Leon, Highland Park, Ill. 42-38–80

Ryan McClintock, Bettendorf, Iowa 38-42–80

Jaysen Hansen, Solon, Ohio 43-37–80

Ryan Hritz, Clearwater, Fla. 39-42–81

R.J. Austin, Waitsfield, Vt. 37-44–81

Joe Gothmann, Tarrytown, N.Y. 40-41–81

Tyler Jaramillo, New York, N.Y. 37-44–81

Kevin Syring, Demarest, N.J. 40-42–82

David Morano, Lancaster, Pa. 40-42–82

Gary Ostrega, Westfield, N.J. 44-38–82

Scott Ford, Manhasset, N.Y. 39-43–82

Patrick Langan, Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. 45-37–82

Joshua McWhorter, Deep Gap, N.C. 42-40–82

Lucas Langelier, Canton, Mass. 41-41–82

Matt Zdon, Lowell, Mass. 44-38–82

Tyler Lower, Norwalk, Conn. 40-42–82

Patrick Massi, Greenwich, Conn. 42-40–82

Joshua Fritz, Great Neck, N.Y. 41-42–83

Alex Weir, Scottsville, N.Y. 45-38–83

Chris Black, Lancaster, Ohio 45-38–83

Paul Barnsley, Orange, Conn. 47-36–83

Justin Pollock, Ann Arbor, Mich. 38-45–83

Bryan Dougherty, Jackson, N.J. 46-38–84

Brian Prokes, Port St. Lucie, Fla. 41-43–84

Earl Cooper, Port St. Lucie, Fla. 41-43–84

Andrew Hardin, Chevy Chase, Md. 43-42–85

Christopher Dymek, Brielle, N.J. 46-39–85

Garrett Carpenter, Staten Island, N.Y. 44-42–86

Gregory Rutkoski, Tarrytown, N.Y. 40-46–86

Kevin Ausserlechner, West Harrison, N.Y. 40-46–86

Dean Johnson, Hartsdale, N.Y. 41-46–87

Brian Keiser, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 47-40–87

RJ Ziats, New Smyrna Beach, Fla. 43-45–88

Adam Parisi, Holbrook, N.Y. 44-44–88

Brian Giordano, Port Chester, N.Y. 42-47–89

Tim Puetz, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. DNS--DNS