Domenico Geminiani Widens Lead Entering Final Round of the 2024 National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship

It’s a good thing golf doesn’t have the mercy rule.

Otherwise, the PGA of America could have handed the trophy to Domenico Geminiani after Saturday’s third round.

Geminiani continued his inexorable march to his second National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship title in the last three years. The Italian shot 2-under 70 – his highest score of the week – in windy conditions on the Wanamaker Course to expand his lead to seven shots over defending champion Preston Cole entering Sunday’s final round at PGA Golf Club.

“Dom’s going to win this in a runaway,” said reigning Senior Professional Player Champion Alan Morin, who’s eight back in third place after a 68. “He plays this place so well. When you hit as far as he does and he rolls it like he does, it’s hard to beat.”

Then again, Geminiani’s lead was nine shots Saturday until he bogeyed his final two holes. Was he upset? Not a bit.

“I played really well. It’s getting tough out there,” said Geminiani, who works at Old Corkscrew Golf Club in Naples. “I know I made those two closing bogeys, but those were good bogeys. Those holes are playing tough.”

Cole, who works at Quail Hollow Club, was tied for the lead when he won last year’s National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship with a walk-off eagle. He birdied three of his last five holes Saturday for a 69 to keep him within distance of Geminiani.

“It’s nice to be in the final group again, but it’s a very different situation,” Cole said. “We’ll see if we can chase down Dom. It won’t be easy. Every 10-to-15-footer he has, which is a lot, you’re thinking this is going in. We may need a little help.”

The final group includes the last three winners of the National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship, and were placed together in the marquee group the first two rounds.

Chung, the 2021 champion, fired a 6-under 66 to move into a third-place tie with Morin at 6-under 210. Chung played with Geminiani in the first two rounds, when his pair of 72s seemed like 82s.

“I just wanted to play better golf than I did the last two days,” Chung said. “I hit it a little better and a lot of putts that were burning the edges the last two days went in today.”

Morin birdied the first three holes and added another birdie at the eighth to move into contention. But he was eight back after a 68.

“I was thinking it was going to be one of those days,” Morin said. “It was still good, don’t get me wrong.”

Zac Oakley (70) of Bidermann Golf Club is tied for fifth with Tommi Avant (72) of Lone Tree Golf Club at 5-under 211. Oakley’s score was solid considering he was prepared to start his round with three clubs – a driver, 8-iron and wedge – after he locked his bag in his car. He had to call his father, Pete, the 2004 Senior British Open champion who lived nearby, to unlock his car.

“I’m a little embarrassed, but I have a cold so I’m a little out of it,” Oakley said. “Once I realized nobody could open the car, I looked into rentals, bought some balls and called my dad. He was definitely going over the speed limit to get here.”

The snafu didn’t seem to bother Oakley. He made two birdies on his first three holes.

“Warmups are so overrated,” Oakley said, smiling.

Cole Ketterer of The Silverleaf Club made the first hole-in-one in this championship. He aced the 166-yard sixth hole with a 9-iron for his first career hole-in-one in competition, finishing with a 4-under 68 to move up 31 spots to T15.

“It started at the right bunker and the wind pushed it back toward the hole. It landed a few feet short and rolled in,” Ketterer said. “I didn’t know how to react. It took me a few seconds to react, then it was a lot of high fives and hugs.”

The winner receives first prize of $14,700 and a spot in next year’s PGA Professional Championship, where a top-20 finish would earn them a spot in the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. The top four finishers earn a spot in next year’s Assistant PGA Professional Championship at PGA Golf Club.

The National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship is supported by Srixon Golf and Cleveland Golf.

For more about the National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship, visit here.