For the second year in a row, Mike O’Toole of Riverside Golf Academy qualified for the Senior PGA Professional Championship after defeating Craig Bowden of KBS Shafts in a playoff for the title. O’Toole and Bowden posted 36-hole totals of 3-under-par, 137 to force a playoff. After both players made par on the difficult par-4, 1st at Delaware Country Club, O’Toole’s par to Bowden’s bogey was enough for victory.
“I played very consistently the last two days,” said O’Toole. “I’ve been working on ball control a lot lately, and I saw my hard work pay off this week.”
A turning point during today's final round was O'Toole's long par save on the par-4, 13th hole to keep himself within three shots of Bowden. With bogeys on holes 14 and 16, Bowden opened the door – and O’Toole stepped in, making birdie on the par-4, 17th and heading to 18 with a share of the lead.
Last year, O’Toole participated in the PGA Senior Professional Championship and finished in the top-20, earning himself a spot in the 2017 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.
“It is definitely my goal to finish in the top-20 again this year and have another chance to play in the Senior PGA,” said O’Toole.
Bowden will join O’Toole at the 2018 Senior PGA Professional Championship along with Brad Mays, Pebble Brook GC, Dave Carich, Harbour Trees G&CC, and Jon Stutz, Purgatory GC. The event will take place October 25-28 in Port St. Lucie, Fla. at the Wanamaker and Ryder Courses at PGA Village.