Omar Uresti became the PGA Professional Champion for the second time in his career, winning the Walter Hagen Cup at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida, by three strokes over runner-up Frank Bensel, Jr.
Uresti leads the top 20 PGA Professionals from the PGA Professional Championship – the 'Team of 20' – to Kiawah Island Resort in South Carolina in May for the 2021 PGA Championship at the Ocean Course.
A 52-year-old PGA Life Member, Uresti will be playing in the PGA Championship for the fifth time, but first since a four-year run from 2015-18.
Danny Balin of Rockville, Maryland, and Rob Labritz of Pound Ridge, New York, will be the most experienced of the 20 PGA Professionals at Kiawah Island. Both will be participating in their eighth career PGA Championship. Balin will be making his fourth straight appearance, while Labritz will appear in his third consecutive PGA Championship.
Frank Bensel, Jr., a PGA Assistant Professional from Purchase, New York, will be making his third career PGA Championship appearance in as many decades (2004, 2012, 2021).
Balin and Bensel were both in the PGA Championship field in 2012, when it was last played at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort.
Mark Geddes of Coronado, California; Greg Koch of Orlando, Florida; Patrick Rada of Jupiter, Florida; and PGA Life Member Sonny Skinner of Sylvester, Georgia, claimed the final four PGA Championship spots available this week as they emerged from a five-players-for-four-spots playoff.
Ten of the 20 PGA Club Professionals at The Ocean Course in May will be making their PGA Championship debuts, while four others return for consecutive trips after playing in last year’s PGA Championship at Harding Park (California).
Here’s a look at the 2021 Team of 20:
Player: Omar Uresti
Hometown: Austin, Texas
2021 PPC finish: Winner
Club/Facility: PGA Life Member
PGA Section: Southern Texas
PGA Championship Experience: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Player: Frank Bensel, Jr.
Hometown: Purchase, New York
2021 PPC finish: 2nd
Club/Facility: Century Country Club, New York
PGA Section: Metropolitan
PGA Championship Experience: 2004, 2012
Player: Ben Cook
Hometown: Caledonia, Michigan
2021 PPC finish: 3rd
Club/Facility: Yankee Springs Golf Course
PGA Section: Michigan
PGA Championship Experience: 2019, 2020
Player: Larkin Gross
Hometown: Center Cross, Virginia
2021 PPC finish: 4th
Club/Facility: Springfield Golf and Country Club, Virginia
PGA Section: Middle Atlantic
PGA Championship Experience: None
Player: Ben Polland
Hometown: Manhasset, New York
2021 PPC finish: 5th
Club/Facility: Shooting Star of Jackson Hole, Wyoming
PGA Section: Rocky Mountain
PGA Championship Experience: 2015, 2016
Player: Stuart Smith
Hometown: Reno, Nevada
2021 PPC finish: T6
Club/Facility: Somersett Country Club, Nevada
PGA Section: Northern California
PGA Championship Experience: 2011, 2013
Player: Alex Beach
Hometown: Rye, New York
2021 PPC finish: T6
Club/Facility: Westchester Country Club, New York
PGA Section: Metropolitan
PGA Championship Experience: 2017, 2019, 2020
Player: Danny Balin
Hometown: Lake Success, New York
2021 PPC finish: T8
Club/Facility: Fresh Meadow Country Club, New York
PGA Section: Metropolitan
PGA Championship Experience: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2020
Player: Brett Walker
Hometown: Ukiah, California
2021 PPC finish: T8
Club/Facility: Sunnybrook Golf Club
PGA Section: Philadelphia
PGA Championship Experience: None
Player: Tyler Collet
Hometown: Vero Beach, Florida
2021 PPC finish: T8
Club/Facility: John's Island Club, Florida
PGA Section: South Florida
PGA Championship Experience: None
Player: Peter Ballo
Hometown: Stamford, Connecticut
2021 PPC finish: T8
Club/Facility: Silvermine Golf Club, Inc., Connecticut
PGA Section: Metropolitan
PGA Championship Experience: None
Player: Joe Summerhays
Hometown: Syracuse, Utah
2021 PPC finish: T8
Club/Facility: Eagle Lake Golf Course, Utah
PGA Section: Utah
PGA Championship Experience: 2016
Player: Derek Holmes
Hometown: Cottage Grove, Minnesota
2021 PPC finish: T8
Club/Facility: PXG Minneapolis
PGA Section: Minnesota
PGA Championship Experience: None
Player: Brad Marek
Hometown: Berkeley, California
2021 PPC finish: T8
Club/Facility: Corica Park, California
PGA Section: Northern California
PGA Championship Experience: None
Player: Rob Labritz
Hometown: Pound Ridge, New York
2021 PPC finish: T8
Club/Facility: GlenArbor Golf Club, New York
PGA Section: Metropolitan
PGA Championship Experience: 2002, 2003, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2020
Player: Tim Pearce
Hometown: Birmingham, Michigan
2021 PPC finish: T8
Club/Facility: Birmingham Country Club
PGA Section: Michigan
PGA Championship Experience: None
Player: Mark Geddes
Hometown: Coronado, California
2021 PPC finish: T17
Club/Facility: Coronado Golf Course, California
PGA Section: Southern California
PGA Championship Experience: None
Player: Patrick Rada
Hometown: Jupiter, Florida
2021 PPC finish: T17
Club/Facility: McArthur Golf Club, Florida
PGA Section: South Florida
PGA Championship Experience: None
Player: Greg Koch
Hometown: Orlando, Florida
2021 PPC finish: T17
Club/Facility: Ritz-Carlton Golf Club - Grande Lakes Orlando, Florida
PGA Section: North Florida
PGA Championship Experience: None
Player: Sonny Skinner
Hometown: Sylvester, Georgia
2021 PPC finish: T17
Club/Facility: PGA Life Member
PGA Section: Georgia
PGA Championship Experience: 2008, 2010, 2013
