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lan Morin had come close several times before in the Senior PGA Professional Championship, but he never quite finished at the top of the leaderboard — until this year.
Morin, from Royal Palm Beach, Florida, registered an impressive 6-under-par 65 on Sunriver Resort’s Meadows Course on Sept. 29 to finish the week at 14-under-par 271 and win by two. His 65 matched the record for the lowest fourth-round score in Championship history.
The win marks Morin’s first time hoisting the Leo Fraser Trophy and follows his recent string of notable finishes in the Senior PGA Professional Championship, including T-3 (2022), T-4 (2021) and T-8 (2020). The PGA of America Assistant Professional at The Club at Ibis also won the 2024 South Florida Senior PGA Professional Championship in August.
“To finally be able to put everything together and not make too many mistakes, it’s quite a sense of accomplishment just from playing golf for many years, being in this business and being able to compete against a lot of really good players,” said Morin.
Robert Russell (Stilwell, Kansas) finished second at 12-under-par 273. Jeff Gove (Sandpoint, Idaho) and Tracy Phillips (Tulsa, Oklahoma) tied for third at 11-under-par 274. Third-round leader Steve Holmes (Simi Valley, California) finished fifth at 10-under-par 275.
Morin entered Sunday’s final round in third, three shots off the lead. He tallied his first of four front-nine birdies at the par-5 second hole, then three in a row on holes 4-6.
The South Florida Section Member made the turn at 4-under-par 31, and added birdies at the par-4 11th and 12th holes. After another birdie at the par-4 15th, Morin posted the lone blemish on his scoreboard, a double-bogey at the par-3 16th.
He rebounded nicely with his eighth and final birdie at the par-5 17th to extend his lead to two. Morin parred the par-4 18th to finish with the low round of the day at 65 and secure the win.
“I was playing steady,” said Morin. “I was playing really well. I hit a lot of greens.”
Russell, the Head Golf Professional at Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate, started T-4 on Sunday, before shooting a solid 5-under-par 66 to finish runner-up. The Midwest Section Member went 4-under on the front nine by birdieing three of his first four holes. Back-to-back birdies on holes No. 8-9 followed his lone bogey on the front at the par-4 seventh. Russell collected birdies at the par-4 11th and par-3 16th, as well as a bogey on the par-4 14th to finish 1-under-par 35 on the back nine.
“It was fantastic, what a great place and great venue,” explained Russell. “I made the best of the opportunity. I drove it fairly well for the most part. I putted well and hit a lot of greens over the four days.”
Gove, a Pacific Northwest PGA of America Life Member, shot 5-under-par 66 on Sunday. Phillips, the PGA of America Director of Instruction at Cedar Ridge Country Club, registered 1-under-par 70. Holmes, a PGA of America Teaching Professional at Rustic Canyon Golf Course, posted 1-over-par 72.
Morin headlines the Corebridge Financial Team of PGA of America Golf Professionals (listed above) who will compete in the 2025 Senior PGA Championship on the Blue Course at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, May 22-25. Since turning 50, Morin has qualified for five consecutive Senior PGA Championships.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to play in that major,” said Morin. “To have Corebridge behind us, sponsoring us so nicely like that, it’s pretty exciting. I can’t wait. I’ve never played Congressional. I watched it for so many years on TV; now I get to play it.”
—Greg Dillard