Tyler Collet cruises to historic 10-shot victory at PGA Professional Championship, books PGA spot
Tyler Collet
delivered a commanding performance to win the 57th PGA Professional Championship by a record 10 strokes on Wednesday, securing his fourth career start at the
PGA Championship
, to be held May 15–18 at
Quail Hollow Club
in Charlotte, North Carolina.
A Record-Breaking Victory
Collet, a 29-year-old assistant professional at John's Island Club in Vero Beach, Florida, shot a 15-under 272 over four rounds on the Wanamaker and Ryder courses at PGA Golf Club. He entered the final round with a seven-shot lead and calmly closed with an even-par 72, sealing the largest margin of victory in the tournament's history, surpassing Matt Dobyns' previous record of eight shots in 2012.
'My mindset the whole week was not to move backward,' said Collet, who capped the tournament with an 18-foot bogey putt on the final hole. 'We had a game plan, and we stuck to it religiously. We didn't back down. We played the smart, safe shots. Tiger [Woods] won 82 championships by playing to the middle of the greens, and that's what we did this week."
Collet lifted the
Walter Hagen Cup
and took home $66,700 from the $750,000 purse. Beyond the prize money, the win granted him entry to six PGA Tour events over the next 12 months and into the second stage of the Korn Ferry Tour's Q-School, a major step for the aspiring tour professional. 'It means a lot to get those six starts plus the major,' he said. 'It's big to me when I have goals in life.'
Road to Charlotte
Collet led a group of 20 PGA professionals who qualified for the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, known collectively as the Corebridge Financial Team. Among those joining him are
Michael Block
— the California club pro and breakout star from the 2023 PGA at Oak Hill — John Somers, Larkin Gross, and 50-year-old
Justin Hicks
from Wellington, Florida.
Hicks, the reigning South Florida PGA Player of the Year, secured his first PGA Championship appearance with a 2-under 285 finish. 'There's certainly pressure on a day like today,' Hicks said. 'It's really hard to get in the majors. It's not intended for just anybody to have a seat at the table.'
High Drama at the Cut Line
While Collet cruised to victory, the final qualifying spot for the PGA Championship came down to a tense five-hole playoff.
Michael Kartrude, an assistant at The Bear's Club, and 60-year-old veteran Brad Lardon battled deep into sudden death after tying at even-par 287 alongside Andrew Svoboda and Dakun Chang. Svoboda was knocked out with a bogey on the first hole, followed by Chang's three-putt on the second.
Lardon appeared to have sealed it on the third hole with a 7-foot birdie putt — only for the ball to stop a turn short. On the fourth playoff hole, Kartrude nearly won it after his ball bounced off trees and landed just off the green, but his 3½-foot birdie putt lipped out. The contest finally ended on the fifth hole after Kartrude recovered from missing the fairway and two-putted for par. Lardon failed to get up and down from off the green.
'Best moment of my golfing life, for sure,' said a relieved and emotional Kartrude. 'I just hit one of the best shots of my life out of the trees, and I'm playing in my first major.'
Collet Joins South Florida's Elite
Collet's victory also marked a milestone for the
South Florida PGA section
, which swept all three
PGA of America
national tournaments this year. Collet joins Bruce Fleisher (1989) as the only players from the region to win the PGA Professional Championship. Alan Morin and Domenico Geminiani captured the Senior and Assistant Professional Championships, respectively.
Now, with momentum and confidence, Collet heads to Charlotte for another shot at a major. "It was in the back of my mind out there, but I tried my best not to think about it," he said. "Now I can't wait to tee it up."
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