A course softened by intermittent showers and a putting tip from standout Chip Sullivan were the ingredients for success for David Hutsell, who fashioned a spectacular final-round 64 to win the Middle Atlantic PGA Professional Championship, Wednesday at the Green Course at Golden Horseshoe.
Hutsell, a teaching pro at Elkridge Country Club, shot a 10-under-par 69-72-64 – 205 to win by three strokes over Rick Schuller (70-68-70 – 208). Schuller, pro at Swaders Sports Park in Richmond, was bidding to become the first player since Fred Funk (1987-89) to capture three straight MAPGA Pro Championship titles.
Hutsell, 39, birdied six of the first eight holes, to snatch the lead, then had two more birdies on the back nine. He made only one bogey in three rounds on his way to the Tom Utterback Trophy and a check for $10,152.
Hutsell emerged from a field of 155, which was cut to 65 before the final round. The top 15 advance to the 2011 PGA Professional Championship at Hershey, Pa. Among those advancing were former PGA Professional national champions Sullivan (Hanging Rock/217), who won the title in 2007, and Wayne DeFrancesco (Woodmont/217), the 2001 titlist.
Others advancing include Dirk Schultz (Beaver Creek/210), Jim Estes (Olney Golf Park/212), Phil Bowers (Mount Vernon/212), John Bierkan (Caves Valley/213), Mark Evenson (Suburban/214), Jody Rokisky (Holly Hills/215), Tim White (Lake Chesdin/216), Faber Jamerson (Falling River/216), and Adam Decker (University of Richmond/216).
