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Alan Sorensen Takes One-Shot Lead at 2022 Senior PGA Professional Championship
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Alan Sorensen hits his tee shot on the 10th hole during the second round of the 34th Senior PGA Professional Championship at Twin Warriors Golf Club on October 14, 2022 in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/PGA of America)
Saturday’s third round at the 2022 Senior PGA Professional Championship moved exclusively to Twin Warriors Golf Club and along with that move came more movement atop the leaderboard.
Alan Sorensen, the General Manager at Buena Vista Golf Course from the Southern California PGA Section, used a 6-under par 66, highlighted with seven birdies to take over the top spot at 14-under par 202. Sorensen hopes to guarantee a third straight trip by a Sorensen brother to the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.
Alan Sorensen hits a tee shot on the third hole during the third round of the 34th Senior PGA Professional Championship at Twin Warriors Golf Club on October 15, 2022 in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/PGA of America)
Sorensen’s brother, Chad, missed the third-round cut, and is headed back to Buena Vista Golf Course where he works alongside his brother as the Head Professional. He and his brother are partners in Sorensen Brothers Inc., a golf management company of which Chad is president.
Chad Sorensen hits his tee shot on the 10th hole during the second round of the 34th Senior PGA Professional Championship at Twin Warriors Golf Club on October 14, 2022 in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/PGA of America)
“Someone has to work and run the business,” Alan joked after his round. “I did a pretty good job today keeping it in play, hit a few greens and made some good quality putts. That was pretty much it. I gave myself opportunities.”
Alan’s next opportunity comes Sunday in the final round where he will tee off in the final group at 9:50 a.m. (MT). On the line is a spot on the Team of 35 Senior Professionals who will head to the 2023 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship - the first major to be contested at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco - as well as a third straight senior major for a Sorensen.
“Tomorrow it’s supposed to be blowing 30 mph out here,” Alan said. “It’s going to be more against the elements. I’ve got to be solid with my ball striking to play in those kinds of conditions. That’s pretty much it. In conditions like that, you have to have solid ball striking.”
Despite admitting a day earlier, he turned to YouTube to get some tips on his golf game entering the 2022 Senior PGA Professional Championship. Alan already has had some success in 2022. He traveled cross-country with his wife from their home in Bakersfield, California to Southeastern Connecticut where he won the 40th Connecticut Senior Open at Shennecossett Golf Course.
Matt Schalk makes a putt for birdie on the 16th hole during the third round of the 34th Senior PGA Professional Championship at Twin Warriors Golf Club on October 15, 2022 in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/PGA of America)
PGA Director of Golf at Colorado National Golf Club Matt Schalk also turned in a 6-under par 66 to move into a tie for second place. Schalk, representing the Colorado Section, birdied six times and eagled No. 8. He’s 13-under par for the championship.
“I played solid,” Schalk said. “I was a little anxious to start. I had great birdie chances on two, three and four. I really should have made some of those. I hit some good putts, but just didn’t go in. I stayed really patient, and then they kind of started dropping. I relied on the putter and some good ball striking.
“It was a solid round. I did make that eagle which was great. I hit a great shot. That was a tough pin. I made about a 20-footer for eagle.”
David Hronek putts on the 18th hole during the third round of the 34th Senior PGA Professional Championship at Twin Warriors Golf Club on October 15, 2022 in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/PGA of America)
Also at 13-under par, David Hronek and Steve Schneiter share second with Schalk, and trail Sorensen by one stroke. Hronek, a GOLFTEC Sarasota Coach from the North Florida PGA Section, shot three-under par 69. Schneiter, an Assistant PGA Professional at Schneiter’s Pebblebrook in Sandy, Utah, dropped one spot after holding the lead on Saturday. He shot even-par 72. At 10-under par, Jeff Gove, a PGA Life Member representing the Pacific Northwest Section, rounds out the top five.
Steve Schneiter hits a chip shot on the 15th hole during the third round of the 34th Senior PGA Professional Championship at Twin Warriors Golf Club on October 15, 2022 in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/PGA of America)
The final round gets under way at 8 a.m. (MT) Sunday from Twin Warriors.
In addition to the Leo Fraser Trophy, named after the 16th president of the PGA of America, players are competing for a $318,000 purse, including the winner’s share of $26,000.
The Leo Fraser Trophy during the final round of the 33rd Senior PGA Professional Championship held at the PGA Golf Club on October 24, 2021 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Montana Pritchard/PGA of America)
The low 35 scorers will earn a spot in the 2023 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco in Frisco, Texas, May 24-28, 2023—the first major to be contested at the new Home of the PGA of America.
The 2022 Senior PGA Professional Championship is the first of three PGA of America events to be staged at Twin Warriors over the next seven months. The 2022 Women’s PGA Cup will take place Oct. 25-29, and the 2023 PGA Professional Championship is scheduled for Apr. 30-May 3. Twin Warriors has previously hosted a variety of notable events, including the PGA Professional Championship in 2003 and 2009.
