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Alex Beach shot a closing 67 on Sunday at the Wanamaker Course at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., to capture the National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship. Beach, an assistant professional at Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y., finished at 8-under-par 280, three shots clear of Carlos Sainz Jr., who closed with a 70.
With the victory, Beach became the first player to win multiple PGA of America national championships in the same calendar year. The 30-year-old also captured the 52nd PGA Professional Championship in May at Belfair in Bluffton, S.C. That victory earned him a berth in the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black, where he missed the cut.
Last week in Florida, Beach saved his best for last. After rounds of 69 and 70 had him tied for the lead with Matt Rachey at the halfway mark, Beach struggled on Saturday with two double bogeys and a bogey on his back nine. A 74 left him three shots behind Colin Inglis, who shot 69 in the third round.
But Beach came out hot on Sunday, opening with three consecutive birdies to reclaim the lead after Inglis bogeyed the second. Beach added a birdie at the par-3 sixth to turn in 32. He tacked on two more birdies at Nos. 13 and 16 along with his lone bogey of the day at the 10th. Two closing pars gave him the victory.
“I felt very comfortable this week,” Beach said. “I committed a couple mistakes (Saturday) that I was frustrated with. But I knew coming back today, it’s almost an advantage to play from behind. I was confident that my experience might prevail if I could play well. Getting off to the fast start was huge.”
Inglis struggled to an 80 on Sunday and finished T9 at 2-over par.
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