PGA Senior Professionals Championship The Fort GC, Indianapolis September 5-6, 2007

Bill Schumaker Captures Indiana Senior PGA Professional Championship; Earns Berth in the 2007 PGA Senior Professional National Championship

Indiana Section PGA–Bill Schumaker of Crooked lake GC in Columbia City, winner of the Indiana Section Senior PGA Professional Championship held at The Fort GC, will lead 6 Section Senior PGA Professionals to compete in The Callaway Senior PGA Professional National Championship, Oct. 18-21, 2007, at Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Schumaker turned in a winning total of 9-under-par for 36 holes to capture the Senior Championship title. Denny Ford from Pleasant Run GC in Indianapolis was runner-up, finishing at 2-under par.

Schumaker recently finished in second place in the Indiana PGA Professionals Championship, which earned him a berth in the 2008 PGA Professional National Championship. He won that championship title in 1984. Schumaker is also a previous champion of the Senior Championship from 2006, 2004, 2003 and 2000.

The pair is joined at the national championship by Denny Hepler, Racoon Run GC; Lon Kinney, Harbour Trees GC; Bob Rothgeb, Rock Hollow GC and Cary Hungate, Kokomo CC. While the title was pretty much Schumaker’s for the taking, the real battle was for the remaining five spots to qualify for the 2007 PGA Senior Professional National Championship.

Schumaker began the second (final) round as the leader after firing a 6-under 66 at The Fort GC. He finished the tournament at 9 better than par after posting 69 for his second round, or a 135 total. Denny Ford moved up from third to finish in second place after posting matching 71s for a 142 total.

Schumaker birdied the first hole right out of the gate and never looked back, while the other qualifiers jockeyed back and forth for position. At the turn, Ford, Hungate, Hepler, Gant, Kinney, Rothgeb and Morris were within two shots of each other. Posting only two bogeys for the two rounds (one each day), Schumaker dominated the leader board with eleven birdies.

Ford lost a stroke with a bogey on the fifth hole, but earned it right back with back-to-back birdies on the par fives, six and seven. Two more birdies after two more bogies brought him home at 2-under.

Hepler’s drive found the woods on the sixth hole, but he was able to salvage bogey after returning to the tee to replay the shot. He then turned around and eagled the seventh hole, taking momentary position as second to Schumaker. Then playing even par through 16, bogeys on holes 17 and 18 moved him to third place.

Hungate, who began the day in second with a 3-under from round one, lost his touch with the putter and lipped out several putts that would have kept him in that position. As it turned out, Hungate was forced into a playoff with Scott Morris, Grey Eagle GC and Gary Gant, Pine Valley CC for the final qualifying spot.