Bill Breen & Gary Robison Win PGA Quarter Century Championship

Bill Breen of Nashville, Tennessee, birdied the last three holes Tuesday to win the Quarter Century Championship at PGA Golf Club. 

Breen was one behind Mark Anderson of St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, with three holes to play, but took the lead with birdies at the 16th and 17th holes on the Wanamaker Course. Breen added a birdie at the closing hole to finish at 12-under 132, three ahead of Anderson (71) and Brian Cairns (70) of Walled Lake, Michigan, after Anderson bogeyed the 18th. 

Sonny Skinner (68) of Sylvester, Georgia, and Bob Sowards (69) of Dublin, Ohio, tied for fourth place at 6-under 138. 

Gary Robison of Port St. Lucie won the 65-and-older division by shooting his age, a 4-under 67, on the Ryder Course to beat Bobbie Heins (67) of White Plains, New York. Robison, who won the 50-to-64 division two years ago, finished at nine-under 133. 

“I don’t think too much about shooting my age, but it’s nice to do it when you win,” Robison said. “I wasn’t sure I had won until afterward. I don’t pay a lot of attention to what the other guys are doing. I have enough issues going on with my own game and swing.” 

Robison led after an opening 66 and despite playing 4-under through 12 holes Tuesday, he fell into a tie for the lead with Heins, who was 5-under. But Robison made a 10-footer for birdie at the 15th to take the lead for good. 

“I finally made a putt there,” Robison said. “That was the key for me.” 

Heins fell three back after a double bogey at the par-5 17th, enabling Robison to win by one with a final hole-bogey (and a birdie by Heins). 

Jerry Tucker of Stuart finished third at 7-under 135, a stroke ahead of Jay Horton (69-136) of Port St. Lucie. Three players tied for fifth place at 5-under 137: Fran Marrello (67) of Plymouth, Connecticut, James Mason (70) of Dillard, Georgia, and Michael Zaremba (70) of Pueblo West, Colorado. 

Roy Vucinich of Port St. Lucie won the Half Century Championship among PGA Professionals who have been members for at least 50 years. Vucinich shot 1-under 70 to finish at 1-under 141, two ahead of Tom Joyce of Huntington, New York. 

The oldest player in the field, 90-year-old Paul Kelly of Dorset, Vermont, made a hole-in-one on the 12th hole of the Ryder Course. Kelly used a 9-iron from 110 yards.