WPGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
PRESENTED BY
WPGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
WPGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
SUPPORTING PARTNERS
Write-Up Provided by the Rick Pledl (pledl@mailbag.com) and Wisconsin.Golf
Scoring was tight for the majority of this week’s Wisconsin PGA Professional Championship at stingy Ozaukee CC, but Tuesday afternoon the birdies began to land along Milwaukee’s North Shore.
But only David Bach of Sheboygan showed a finishing kick in the Wisconsin Section’s annual stroke play championship. Bach, who works at Whistling Straits, pulled away for a comfortable five-stroke victory.
Importantly, Bach also leads a list of five Wisconsin PGA Professionals who through their finishes at Ozaukee on Tuesday qualified for the PGA Professional Championship, a national championship to be held next April at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon.
“It’s very meaningful,” Bach said of his win in this tournament, one which he said has greater importance because of those PGA of America repercussions. “This is a tournament that I have circled, and it means a lot to me. And I couldn’t be more excited to be heading over to Bandon.”
Bach dropped two birdies of his own on the back nine Tuesday to complete his round of 4-under 66, the same score he posted in Monday’s opening round. Thus, the 30-year-old Bach finished the 36-hole championship at 8-under 132.
Tied for second at 3-under 137 at Ozaukee were Davis Jensen of North Shore CC (71-66) and Jim Schuman of Blue Mound G&CC (69-68).
The final two national qualifiers, who tied for fourth place overall at 138, were Mick Smith of Mick Smith Golf (69-69) and Michael Nagy of TPC Wisconsin (73-65).
Several of the chasers played well enough to put some heat on Bach on the back nine Tuesday, just not enough to make a difference in the outcome.
Jensen, who won the WPGA Match Play Championship in August, made three birdies on the front nine Tuesday and two more on the back, but he closed with three pars to finish tied for runner-up honors, five behind Bach.
“He played fantastic. You’ve got to kind of tip your cap to that,” Jensen said of Bach. “After the first day, I think my expectations of winning changed.”
Nagy, whose final-round 65 was the lowest score of the tournament, recorded two birdies and an eagle on the back nine but closed with a bogey on 18. Likewise, Smith made three birdies on the back before bogeying his final two holes, and Schuman had a wild final six holes, featuring three birdies and two bogeys.
That provided Bach all the space he needed to complete his victory. After opening the final round with a three-stroke lead, he made three birdies on the front nine Tuesday to grow the lead to six. He recorded two more birdies and a bogey on the back.
“I knew I had a good lead going into today, so I just wanted to keep the pedal down and do today what I did yesterday,” he said, which he did almost perfectly, putting five birdies and a lone bogey on his card both days.
Bach started strong Tuesday with a birdie on No. 1, which he said was important because he knew he had at least pulled farther ahead of his two playing partners on the day, WPGA stalwarts Schuman and Smith. He also birdied the par-4 eighth hole, which he considers one of the most difficult on the course.
Bach credited his putter as the key club in his bag this week. That’s important at Ozaukee, with all its confounding green complexes.
“When people think of Ozaukee CC, it’s the undulated greens,” Bach said. “And I made my fair share of downhill sliders, some longer putts and some good two-putts from crazy spots. So it was my putter, for sure.”
Jensen, a New York native in his fourth season in Wisconsin, said the greens got his attention, too. Though he works almost next door at North Shore CC, he hadn’t played Ozaukee, so he showed up Tuesday for his usual one-hour warm-up and dedicated 50 minutes of it to the putting green working on his speed.
Bach said he’s never played Bandon Dunes – neither has Jensen – but he has friends living nearby, so he hopes to make a visit before next April.
But both of them made clear the significance of earning one of the much-coveted berths in the PGA Professional Championship that were up for grabs this week at the section championship.
That’s because each of them feel they have unfinished business at the national level. Bach played in the 2023 PGA Professional Championship and missed the cut, while Jensen qualified for the 2020 tournament, which was canceled due to Covid.
“You’ve got to do it in this event – that’s the only way we can qualify,” Jensen said. “I’ve been knocking the door down to get back in. So it’s definitely a goal to win the Section championship like (Bach) did, but also finishing in that top five and go on and represent the Wisconsin Section in the spring. I’m really looking forward to that.”
#####
The WPGA would like to thank both our presenting and supporting sponsors of the 2025 WPGA Professional Championship. With their help and support the the WPGA was able to present a top-notch championship once again. A great deal of appreciation goes out to all the company representatives that made it out to the event and lent a helping hand.
We would also like to express our gratitude to the staff and membership at Ozaukee CC. The course was in first-class shape and provided a great test of golf. From a logistics standpoint the club provided all the support and service that was needed to conduct a great championship.