With leader Mike Weir still on the course late Friday, of the players who completed their second rounds, only one – PGA Club Professional Frank Bensel Jr. of Century Country Club in Purchase, N.Y. – found a way to cover 18 holes at Southern Hills without making a bogey. Bensel started his day at 8 over, but shot 3-under 67 and was poised to make the cut at his second Senior PGA.
“I’ve been playing golf and teaching golf my whole life, and you’re always tinkering, working on something, trying to get better,” Bensel said. “Every once in a while everything comes together. Today, it came together.”
Starting on the back nine, he drove the green at the par-4 17th to set up a two-putt birdie, hit driver-9-iron to set up birdie at the 451-yard first hole, and then hit the hole with his approach at the par-4 seventh, his ball finishing just 6 feet away. He hit 8-iron in.
“The crowd was really into it, and that was exciting,” Bensel said.
He has had a busy stretch of golf. Bensel closed with 68 to finish second at the PGA Professional Championship at PGA Golf Club, competed at last week’s PGA and is here at the PGA Senior.
“Last week was really hard,” Bensel said. “I didn’t drive it well, so that was challenging. This week, I was more positive about it. I knew I could compete a little better. What a great golf course. If you don’t control your ball around these greens, you can get into some rough places. Today I got it in the right spots and hit some great shots. Turned out to be a great round. I feel really good.”
