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West Palm Beach, FL - A Class-A PGA of America Golf Professional since 2024, Michael Kartrude, PGA, has excelled at the Section and National levels, qualifying for the 2025 PGA Championship through the PGA Professional Championship in his first attempt.
Today, the lead PGA Assistant at The Bear’s Club adds 2025 South Florida PGA Professional Champion to his quickly growing resume. With rounds of 66-61-73, 12-under par, Kartrude not only clinched the Championship title, but also earned entry into the 2026 Puerto Rico Open.
“It feels great," Kartrude exhaled after a grueling final round. “It is where I wanted to be when I got elected, and that was a goal, and we did it.”
After opening the 46th Section Championship with a 4-under 66, Kartrude was in a tie for fourth and two back of the lead. Kartrude set himself apart from the rest of the pack in round two, matching The Park's course record with a 10-under 61, giving himself a three-shot lead heading into the final round.
“I was playing great, and when I'm playing that way, I know I can go low,” Kartrude recalled in his second round. “The hardest part for me is holding that together.”
Following a career round, Kartrude reset and prepared for a crucial final round.
“I did my best to slow my emotions down,” Kartrude said. “Walk slower, walk around the hole a little more. I don’t want to speed up because if I speed up, it can snowball, and I think I could have held it together better than I did today, but I did enough.
Kartrude's emotions were certainly tested today, battling harsh conditions. His first test came on the par-4, 8th hole, where a bad lie on his approach shot led to a double bogey. Kartrude bounced back with a birdie on the par-5, 9th hole to hold a five-shot lead over Justin Hicks, PGA, heading into the final nine.
After losing his tee ball right on the par-4, 10th hole, Kartrude saved bogey before making another bogey on the par-4, 12th hole. Kartrude bounced back with a birdie on the par-4, 13th hole, before facing his toughest emotional battle.
On the par-5, 15th hole, Kartrude lost his ball in a tree just left of the fairway, leading to an eventual double bogey.
“Between the horrible situation I got on 8, losing a ball on 10, and then having a ball stuck in a tree. Talk about going through it, so I think my emotions were in check enough to get through it.”
Kartrude managed to play the final three holes at even-par to claim the title by three shots over Dakun Chang, PGA. Hicks finished in third at 6-under total, while Ian Shapiro, PGA, Jeremy Wells, PGA, and Raymond Miron, PGA, finished in a tie for fourth at 4-under.
The South Florida PGA Professional Championship (Section Championship) is the premier event for South Florida PGA Professionals. The 46th playing was hosted at The Park and Hunter’s Run Country Club (East Course) from September 15 to 17.
In addition to the 54-hole Championship, the event served as a qualifier for the 2026 National PGA Professional Championship, which will be played April 26-29, 2026, at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.
Kartrude, Hicks, and Chang were all exempt. Shapiro, Wells, Miron, Nick Beddow, Matt Cahill, Evan Bowser, Troy Pare, Alan Morin, Matt Doyle, Alastair Mackenzie, Tom Cooper, Ashley Grier, Jared Isaacs, and Tim Cantwell will join the trio.
The South Florida PGA Professional Championship is presented by Club Car, Corebridge Financial, and Rolex and run by the South Florida PGA. Supporting partners are Gallagher Insurance, Golf Channel, PGA TOUR, Titleist, FootJoy, Callaway Golf, Nike, TaylorMade, and COURSE RECORD.
Leaderboard
Naples, FL - Brant Peaper carded rounds of 67-69–136 to win the South Florida Assistant PGA Professional Championship by one shot held at Bear’s Paw Country Club, August 28-29.
With a staggered leaderboard following round one, Peaper, an Associate Assistant Professional at Lost Tree Club, trailed Ryan Crowley by three, who matched the Bear’s Paw course record with an 8-under 64 during the opening round.
For the second consecutive year, Peaper entered the final round in the lead group. While being 2-under on the day through 6, Peaper’s tee shot found a bunker on the par-5, 7th hole.
“I hit what I thought was a really good drive, which leaked into the bunker. Then I took off a little more than I could chew and hit it right into the lip,” explained Peaper on what led to a double-bogey on the 7th hole.
Undeterred, Peaper parred the 8th and 9th holes to finish even on the front-9 and 5-under overall, still within two shots of the lead.
“There is still a lot of golf to be played," Peaper told himself. “It doesn’t really matter, you just have to try to hit really good shots and see what happens.”
Heading into the back nine, Peaper did not drop a single shot, playing the final 9 holes at 3-under, including a birdie on the 17th that ultimately secured the one-shot victory over Taylor Morgan, PGA of Pine Tree Club, and Michael Kartrude, PGA of The Bear’s Club.
Following a runner-up finish in last year’s event and a T4 finish at this year’s Fort Lauderdale Open, a T2 finish at the E-Z-GO South Florida Open, and a T3 finish at the Bushnell Stroke Play Championship, Peaper hoists his first individual trophy since joining the South Florida PGA Section last year.
“I’ve finished second or third all year, and it is finally good to win one,” exclaimed Peaper. “There are a lot of good Assistants in this Section, and I am just proud to be one and finally get it done.”
In addition to the 36-hole Championship, the event served as a qualifier for the National Assistant PGA Professional Championship, which will be played November 13-16 at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie.
The top six finishers, excluding level one Associates, qualified for the National Championship. Those individuals include Taylor Morgan, Nick Latimer, Ryan Crowley, Andrew Filbert, Raymond Miron, and Derron Peyton. In addition, Evan Bowser and Michael Kartrude are exempt.
Of those qualifiers, Morgan, Crowley, Peyton, Champion, and Peaper all grew up and competed on the South Florida PGA Junior Tour before eventually joining the Section as PGA of America Golf Professionals.
The 2025 South Florida Assistant PGA Professional Championship was presented by Srixon | Cleveland and supported by StickXGolf. This year’s Championship was hosted at Bear’s Paw Country Club for the first time in the event’s 45-year history. Bear’s Paw is led by PGA Head Professional, Wayne Jardin, PGA Assistant Professional, Alejandro Jimenez, and two Associate Assistant Professionals.
