Omar Uresti, 52 years old and golf’s most controversial ‘club pro,’ just qualified again for the PGA Championship
The following written content by Daniel Rapaport
Appearance wise, there seems to be a disconnect. Omar Uresti doesn’t cut the figure of a man who is, at least according to the Court of Twitter Opinions, too accomplished to play in the tournament he just won rather comfortably. There were no 320-yard drives to speak of. He’s not a 20-something with biceps stretching his shirtsleeves.
Uresti is 52-year-old who stands 5-feet-6 on his best day, with no hair on the top of his head but grey mutton chops on his cheeks—and $3.87 million in career earnings on the PGA Tour. The Texas native never won (or finished second) in his 377 starts on the big tour, but this is a new chapter for him, and he’s now won the PGA of America’s PGA Professional Championship twice after a dominant performance this week at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
The former University of Texas All-American built a seven-shot lead after his first three rounds of 67, 68 and 65, which gave him enough cushion to survive a nervy final-round 76—he was four over for the day through four—and still win by three over Frank Bensel Jr. Uresti becomes the oldest winner in the championship’s history, and he will now lead the contingent top-20 finishers who earned a spot in next month’s PGA Championship at Kiawah.
“I was a little anxious on the driving range,” Uresti said. “But then on the course, I felt good with my swing. Just the first four holes played pretty difficult, especially the first three. Got a couple bad breaks on No. 3, then was able to settle down and hit shots. Didn’t make any putts like I did first three days, but was able to hang in there and hit greens and two putt.”
There’s a touch of romanticism to earning a spot in the field at Kiawah: the club pros, the guys who fold shirts and give lessons all year, getting a chance to tee it up alongside the Rorys and Dustins and Jordans for a week. Which is why there was a healthy chorus of blowback when Uresti first won this tournament in 2017. Why was a guy who played 11 full seasons on the PGA Tour—and who is not currently on staff at any golf club—competing in an event created for guys who spend their weekends buzzing around in carts waving to members?
The answer is twofold: Uresti isn’t breaking any rules, and a lot of the guys he’s playing against don’t exactly do what you think they do. Read more from Golf Digest.
