The first round of play ended on Monday afternoon with two players tied at the top of the leaderboard as Grover Justice and Bruce Oldendick each shot 68 (-4). They were followed closely by Tom Walters at 70 (-2) who claimed his spot in the final grouping for Tuesday’s final round of competition. 

All three golfers got off to a hot start in the second round as they each birdied the first hole. An eagle on the par-five hole #3  helped Walters to gain ground on the leaders, but a birdie on the same hole maintained a one-shot lead for Oldendick. This lead, however, was short-lived as Walters went on to record an incredible streak of four birdies in five holes to finish the front nine with a score of 29 (-7). Walter’s run resulted in a four-stroke lead as the group headed to the more difficult back nine. 

On the back nine, Walters grew his lead to six strokes after making birdies on holes #10 and #13. Walters finally showed his humanity by making his lone bogey of the day, and only his second bogey of the tournament, on the par-four hole #17. Regardless, his brilliant second-round 64 (-8) was enough to carry him to victory. 

Tom Walters currently serves as the Director of Golf at Summit Hills Country Club in Crestview Hills. He is no stranger to success, as he was an All-American and national runner-up during his time at Northern Kentucky University in the mid-90s. Walters then went on to play on mini-tours for many years before becoming a teaching professional. Most recently, Walters won the 2023 Kentucky PGA Professional Championship. Now in just his first year in the senior division, Walters is set up to make quite the splash for years to come. 

With his victory, Walters not only takes home the title of best senior PGA professional in the state and a $1,000 prize but also a spot in the 2024 Senior PGA Professional Championship. This year’s event will take place on September 26-29 in Sunriver, Oregon, at the Sunriver Resort. A top-35 finish in the championship would earn Walters a spot in the 2025 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. This year’s Championship field will include 264 players from section qualifiers.

Along with Walters, Bruce Oldendick (-5) and Grover Justice (-4) picked up qualifications for the national senior professional tournament. Dan Utley (-3), Otis Smith (-3), and Kirk Schooley (-2) picked up alternate spots for the national tournament. 

The Kentucky PGA extends its gratitude to Vincent Prather, PGA, as well as Jeremy Martin, Dwayne Stephens, and the entire Griffin Gate Golf Club staff for their effort and sacrifice in creating a hospitable tournament environment. 

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Quick Facts:

Next Up:
The KPGA headed to Woodhaven Country Club for the 2024 Pro-Official/Superintendent Championship on August 12th. 

About the Kentucky PGA:
The Kentucky PGA Section (KPGA) is one of forty-one Sections across the country representing the PGA of America and its Members. It is also one of three organizations encompassed within Golf House Kentucky, including the Kentucky Golf Association (KGA) and Kentucky Golf Foundation (KGF). The KPGA contains more than 300 Members and more than 30 Associates working in various roles across Kentucky; all of whom share the goal of bettering the game and its players. The KPGA and its Members assist with the organization of many chief growth-of-the-game initiatives including PGA HOPE and PGA Jr. League among others. The Section also operates more than thirty tournaments throughout the golf season, including the three State Open championships and qualifiers for the ISCO Championship.