DOWNS WINS THE 2016 SOUTHWEST PGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Dennis Downs entered the final round of the Southwest PGA Professional Championship with a two-shot lead over Michael Hopper and three shots over four other competitors. He held on to that cushion and captured the Championship, his second major title in the Southwest PGA.

“I’m ecstatic to win this; I’m very happy,” said Downs. “The Section Championship is my favorite event, and to win it last year was awesome, but winning this title is a very close second.”

Downs, 33, PGA director of instruction at Reid/West Golf Academies (Pebble Creek), carded a 2-under-par 68 in the final round at Talking Stick G.C., which included five birdies and three bogeys. He ended the 36-hole championship at 8-under-par 132, good for a two-stroke victory over Hopper, Aaron Johnson and Marty Jertson.

Jertson, 35, PGA Professional and Senior Design Engineer at Ping Golf, who started the day three shots behind Downs, took the overall lead after the fifth hole. Playing in the final group with Downs and Hopper, Jertson made his second birdie of his day on No. 5 and Downs made his second bogey.

“You try not to think about any of the other competitors,” Downs said. “To win it, for me, you have to be in your own head and focused on your game but it’s human nature to think about it and I believe that was my problem on the front nine having it in my head too much.”

The lead remained one until the ninth hole where Downs made birdie and tied Jertson for the lead as the competitors headed to the back nine.

“On No. 9 I hit my approach in the dirt and made birdie,” said Downs. “That gave me that little kick-start that I needed to get going on the back nine, where I finally found the putter and made a few putts.”

The odd-numbered holes on the back nine were very kind to Downs as he made birdie on Nos. 11, 13, 15, and 17, which essentially secured the championship title.

Hopper, 32, PGA assistant golf professional at Lookout Mountain G.C., finished tied for second place with Jertson and Johnson, 26, from Desert Mountain, with a 36-hole total of 134 (-6).

“It was awesome to play in a group today with Hopper and Marty, who are both great players,” said Downs. “It’s always nice to play in a good group where everyone is competing hard to win. It just worked out really good for me today.”

Downs, Hopper, Jertson, Johnson, Ralph West from Reid/West Golf Academy, and David Engram from Mirabel G.C., along with the 2016 Southwest PGA Player of the Year, qualified to play in the 50th PGA Professional Championship, which will be contested June 25-28, 2017 at Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Ore. The low 20 scorers in the 50th PGA Professional Championship will advance to the 99th PGA Championship at Quail Hollow G.C. in Charlotte, NC.