ASSISTANTS CHAMPIONSHIP
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Write-Up Provided by Rick Pledl of Wisconsin.Golf

The National Car Rental Wisconsin Assistant PGA Professional Championship is a little tournament with big repercussions, where one 36-hole day of golf determines the players who will represent Wisconsin in the National Assistant Championship.

There’s always a tournament within the tournament at these Wisconsin PGA events with national implications. So while Emmet Herb of Blackhawk CC won the championship on Monday in a one-hole sudden death playoff, two other state assistant pros will move on to nationals.

Herb finished at 4-under-par on rounds of 68-72-140 at Reedsburg CC to win the title in his first time playing the event. His play on the par 5s helped carry him, as he birdied six of the eight over the course of the two rounds. Two of which would come during his final eight holes, after he fell out of the lead and became a chaser.

“It’s cool,” Herb said after his win, which netted him a check for $1,300. “I haven’t won anything big like this for a while, so it’s been a long time coming. It’s validating to know I’m trending in the right direction with my game.”

However, Herb will have to wait for his chance to play in the national event, as he was not eligible to advance to the National Assistant Championship, based on his level of advancement on the PGA of America curriculum.

It was Drew Ringelstetter of Geneva National Resort and Michael Nagy of TPC Wisconsin who locked down the two Wisconsin berths in the national tournament, also finishing the day at 4-under-par 140, with identical scores of 71-69.

Although Ringelstetter and Nagy earned the trip to nationals, Herb got the ultimate prize via a three-man playoff.

The playoff lasted just a single hole but there was plenty of drama, as Herb’s tee shot went left on the dogleg-left par-4, and there was a loud crack as the ball hit a tree. When he reached the landing area, a search began for not only Herb’s ball but also Ringelstetter’s. Both balls were found, but Herb’s was discovered with about 15 seconds to spare under the Rules of Golf, right after a rules official had just told him he was almost out of time.

“I thought I was going to be out of the playoff without hitting a second shot,” Herb said.

Herb was still partially blocked by some trees, so he hit a wedge over the top from about 65 yards. The shot almost went in, leaving a straight, uphill 3-footer for birdie, which he cashed in.

Ringelstetter had more trouble getting out of the left trees, and he eventually made double bogey on the hole.

Nagy, however, kept pressure on Herb till the end, dropping a difficult 5-foot putt for par, which meant Herb had to make his 3-footer for the win.

The event featured two rounds of shotgun-start golf, held in the morning and afternoon on Monday. A field of 47 players participated, 20 of whom were eligible for one of the two spots in the National Assistant Championship, scheduled for Nov. 14-17 at PGA Colf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Only those with an A-8 PGA member classification or PGA Associates that are at least in level two of the education program were eligible.

Herb, 26, who is a first-year assistant pro at Blackhawk CC, isn’t there yet. But he might be eligible for the national event by next year’s Wisconsin Assistant PGA Professional Championship.

“If I crank out the bookwork, absolutely, that’s the goal,” said Herb.

Finishing in fourth place, one-stroke out of the playoff, was Wyatt Wilderman of The River Club of Mequon, who shot 71-70-141.

There was a tie for fifth place at 142 between Matt Sabol of Pine Hills CC (72-70) and Michael Higgins of Blackhawk CC (75-67).

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A big thank you goes out to National Car Rental, Hornung’s Golf Products, Cleveland/Srixon/Asics for their support of the WPGA Assistant Professional Championship. Their contributions are key to helping provide a great championship for our A-8 PGA members and associates.

The WPGA would also like to recognize and thank Reedsburg CC for playing host to this year’s championship.

National Car Rental Wisconsin Assistant PGA Professional Championship Results Summary