45th annual PGA Tournament Series starts Thursday at PGA Golf Club

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -  The 45th annual PGA Tournament Series kicks off this week at PGA Golf Club, with the first of six events starting Thursday on the Dye Course.

  

The 36-hole tournaments feature PGA Professionals from around the country competing on the acclaimed Wanamaker, Dye and Ryder courses at PGA Golf Club.

  

Zac Oakley, an Assistant PGA Professional at Heritage Shores Golf Club in Bridgeville, Del., won two of last year’s PGA Tournament Series events. Those were the first two Series victories of his career.

  

The other winners were Danny Balin of Rockville, Md., Daniel Iceman of Shelbyville, Ky., Bob Sowards of Dublin, Ohio and Brett Melton of Coatesville, Pa. Oakley and Melton are in the field for the first event.

  

Balin was last year’s leading money winner with $12,705, edging out Oakley ($11,972). Rod Perry ($8,902) was third, followed by Rich Berberian ($8,545) and Melton ($8,476). A total purse of more than $200,000 was split among 192 players last year with the field size averaging 94.3.

  

Balin also had the lowest scoring average last year (70.20), more than a stroke better than Frank Bensel (71.30) of Jupiter.

 

Bruce Zabriski leads with 18 career wins in the PGA Tournament Series, followed by Hobe Sound’s Mike San Filippo at 16 and recently named South Florida PGA Omega Senior Player of the Year Gene Fieger at 13.

  

The schedule for the remaining five PGA Tournament Series events: No. 2 (Dec. 3-4) on Wanamaker Course; No. 3 (Dec. 6-7) on Ryder Course; No. 4 (Dec. 10-11) on Dye Course; No. 5 (Dec. 13-14) on Wanamaker Course; and No. 6 (Dec. 17-18) on Ryder Course.

  

The PGA Tournament Series is presented by GolfAdvisor.com.