3 Gateway PGA Professionals Compete for Chance to Play in PGA Championship
The stage is set for the 50th PGA Professional National Championship at Sunriver Resort in Sunriver,
Oregon. Three Gateway PGA Professionals will be joining the 312 person field in what will be a
nationally televised event. Each of these three accomplished players punched their ticket by qualifying
amoungst 50 of their PGA Professional peers at Persimmon Woods Golf Club in July of 2016. (A fourth
Gateway PGA Member, Jeff Schmid, also qualified but has since relocated to the Iowa PGA Section.) The
low 20 scores, in the National Championship, will earn a berth in the 2017 PGA Championship, Aug. 1013, at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. Please read more about each of our Gateway PGA
Professionals below:
Jimmy Bals, PGA Head Golf Professional - Westborough Country Club
Jimmy has been the PGA Head Golf Professional at Westborough Country Club
for 17 of his nearly 24 years as a PGA Member. Jimmy had a remarkable feat in
2016 when he qualified for both the PGA Professional National Championship
and the Senior PGA Professional National Championship. In an extremely strong
playing section like the Gateway PGA, qualifying for one event is an incredible
accomplishment – let alone two. Bals is extremely respected by his peers for the
qualities he brings as a PGA Professional at Westborough Country Club. He is in
rare company because of his abilities to play, teach and run a successful
operation all at the highest levels.
Shane Blankenship, Assistant PGA Professional – Franklin County Country Club
Shane has been a PGA Member for just over a decade and has spent the majority
of that time as an Assistant PGA Professional at Franklin County Country Club.
Since 2009, Shane has been a perennial top-10 player in the Gateway PGA. He
has hosted the Assistants Championship, Assistants Player of the Year as well as
other tournament trophies and majors contested within the Gateway PGA.
In 2008, Shane took advantage of relationships that he created at Scottsdale
National Golf Club to bring his game to the next level. Blankenship would spend
several winters in Scottsdale working as a PGA Professional while also dedicating
himself to being a great player. Before heading out to Oregon to compete in the
this year’s Professional National Championship, Shane married his best friend and
love of his life, Devon.
Loel Fischer, Assistant PGA Professional – Norwood Hills County Country Club
This will be the first appearance for Loel at the PGA Professional National
Championship. Fischer has been a member of the PGA and the Norwood Hills
Country Club staff for eight years. Before joining the PGA Professional staff at
Norwood he spent over four years as an Assistant at Millwood Golf & Racquet
Club in Ozark, MO. Loel finished 3rd in qualifying at the Gateway PGA
Professional National Championship at Persimmon Woods, in 2016, with scores
of 69 and 71. Fischer qualified for the PGA Assistants Championship in 2011.
Coverage of the PGA Professional National Championship
Television Schedule: Golf Channel (All Times EDT)
First Round:
Sunday, June 18 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Second Round: Monday, June 19 8:00 – 11:00 p.m. Replay: 2:00 a.m. – 5:00 a.m.
Third Round: Tuesday, June 20 8:00 – 11:00 p.m. Replay: 2:00 a.m. – 5:00 a.m.
Final Round: Wednesday, June 21 7:00- 10:00 p.m. Replay: 1:30 a.m. – 4:30 a.m.
About the PGA Professional National Championship
Begun in 1968, The PGA Professional National Championship provides additional playing opportunities
for PGA Professionals. The showcase event for PGA Professionals features a 312-player field
representing 41 PGA Sections competing at the peak of their games, and with its 20 top finishers earning
a berth in the PGA Championship.
For More Information and Scoring, PLEASE CLICK HERE