BENTON HARBOR – Record eight-time champion Scott Hebert, 55 years young and who underwent heart surgery four years ago, shot a 4-under-par 67 on Tuesday to take the lead with one round to go in the 103rd Michigan PGA Professional Championship at Harbor Shores Resort.
The Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member, who serves as director of golf at Traverse City Golf & Country Club, was one stroke ahead of Birmingham Country Club’s Tim Pearce, who finished with a score of 70 for 139.
“Nine wins would be cool, but this one would be even cooler because it was a long time ago,” he said of his last championship win for the Michigan Section PGA members in 2016.
“A lot has happened since then, and I was thinking about that when I was watching the Little League World Series. They talked about a first baseman from the Southeast, the Florida team, who had just had open-heart surgery. And, you know, they talked about this kid’s comeback and how he beat stuff. People can come back from something like that. I’ve played good golf since then, but it would be cool if I could get through one more round.”
Pearce, who took bogeys on the final two holes, is close, and Benny Cook of Quail Ridge Golf Club in Ada, the 2021 and 2022 champion, stayed close with 72 for 141, just three strokes behind Hebert.
Hebert lamented some missed putts for birdies, but said a par save on the par-5 14th hole saved the round.
“That kind of got me going,” he said. “I hit a divot, and it wasn’t a bad one, but I hit it 40 yards across the green. Being able to move it up and down from there really got me going.”
Pearce said he was proud of himself for staying in the race on the second lap.
“I hit two balls out of bounds (into the penalty areas) and still made bogeys on both of them, and I made enough birdies to keep going,” he said. “I wish I could have finished better, but those are two really tough holes. But yeah, here I am again. I think this is the fifth year in a row that I’ve been in the last couple of groups with a chance, and I really want to do this. Tomorrow will be fun. That’s how I approach it.”
The cut after 36 holes was 165 strokes in strong winds and 61 players will tee off in the final round on Wednesday. The leaders will tee off at 11:20 a.m.
The winner will receive the $7,800 check from a $58,500 first-place purse, be inducted into the historic Gilbert A. Currie Trophy and receive a sponsor exemption to the PGA Tour’s 2025 Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.
In addition, there will be multiple “winners,” as the top nine golfers at the end of the championship (excluding Hebert and five-time champion Jeff Roth of BOYNE Golf Academy, who are already exempt) will receive playing spots in the 2025 PGA Professional National Championship, to be held next April at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
The final 20 players of this championship will travel to Quail Hollow to compete against the best players in the world in the 105th PGA Championship.
Hebert, Pearce and Cook were followed on Tuesday by Patrick Wilkes-Krier and Ryan Lenahan, who both teach at the Kendall Academy at Miles of Golf in Ypsilanti.
Wilkes-Krier shot a 69 and Lenahan scored 71, leaving the score tied at 143.
Julian Thompson of Plum Hollow Country Club shot 73 of 144 and finished in sixth place.
Rounding out the top 10 were 2018 champion Lee Houtteman of Leland Country Club, who shot 71 of 145, Cody Haughton of Red Run Golf Club in Royal Oak, who shot 73 of 145, 2015 champion Dan Urban of Gull Lake Country Club, who shot 73 of 148 and Adam Schumacher of nearby Point O’Woods Golf & Country Club, who shot 73 of 148.
