I
t may not have been the runaway victory everybody was expecting, but Domenico Geminiani (pictured above and right) was all smiles on Nov. 17 after winning the National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship for the second time in the last three years at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Then again, Geminiani is always smiling. If you played golf like he did, you’d be happy, too.
Geminiani shot a steady 2-over 74 on the Wanamaker Course to cruise to a three-shot victory over defending champion Preston Cole of Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Zac Oakley of Bidermann Golf Club in Wilmington, Delaware.
After making 18 birdies and an eagle to build a seven-shot lead after 54 holes, Geminiani didn’t make a birdie Sunday until the 16th hole. But he didn’t have to; he just had to avoid big mistakes, which he did with three bogeys. He finished at 12-under 276.
“I was playing the same way, just wasn’t playing as well,” said Geminiani, who was born in Lugo, Italy and works at Old Corkscrew Golf Club in Naples, Florida. “I really hung in there, which is important on this course with the (renovated) greens so firm.
“My words for the day were patience and maturity. At the beginning of my career, when I’m not playing well, I might have forced it and tried to make birdies. I stayed really patient and let the game come to me.”
Oakley (68 on Sunday) made a final-round charge, playing a four-hole stretch in 4-under on the back nine to move within two shots of Geminiani. Oakley’s hopes ended with a double bogey on the 18th hole to drop into a tie with Cole.
Cole (70) was looking to become the first repeat champion since Frank Bensel in 2010-11, but settled for T2 after making eagle at 16 and a birdie at 17.
“I played well all week, just didn’t make a lot of birdie putts,” Cole said. “I couldn’t put pressure on Dom early today.
“Dom made a couple conservative moves that were smart and made total sense. He was not going to make mistakes for us to catch him.”
PGA Golf Club has become like a second home to Geminiani. In addition to his two National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championships, he was the leading money winner in last year’s PGA Tournament Series at the facility.
“It’s just the energy, the aura of this place,” Geminiani said. “The people here are amazing, and the courses are great. I just love coming back here.”
The National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship is supported by Srixon Golf and Cleveland Golf.—Craig Dolch