Former Mines golfer Marty Jertson falls just short of 4th straight PGA Championship berth after late-round struggles
By Gary Baines – 4/28/2021
Had the national PGA Professional Championship lasted 64 holes, former Colorado School of Mines golfer Marty Jertson would have been sitting pretty.
At that point — 10 holes into Wednesday’s final round in Port St. Lucie, Fla. — the 2001 CGA Amateur champion was 4 under par for the tournament and well inside the top 10 out of the original field of 312.
And with the top 20 finishers qualifying for next month’s PGA Championship at Kiawah Island in South Carolina, Jertson looked to be in very good shape to earn his fourth consecutive PGA berth — and sixth overall.
Unfortunately for him, the event at PGA Golf Club was 72 holes long, and those last eight holes weren’t kind to Jertson, a vice president at Ping.
He ended up going 6 over par for those last eight holes, which left him one stroke out of a playoff that determined the final four berths into the second men’s major championship of 2021.
As it was, Jertson tied for 22nd place — a stellar showing to be sure, but frustratingly just higher than what he needed to return to the PGA Championship.
Jertson three-putted for bogey on the 18th hole — missing an 8-foot par putt that would have put him in the playoff. He ended up with a 4-over-par 76 for the day and at 2-over 289 overall.
After going bogey-free for 17 straight holes — the last seven on Tuesday and the first 10 on Wednesday, when he made two birdies — Jertson took a double bogey on No. 11 in the final round and followed that up by going par, bogey, bogey, bogey, par, par, bogey.
Jertson earned $7,561 for his showing.
Omar Uresti, a former PGA Tour regular, won the national PGA Professional Championship for the second time on Wednesday, finishing at 11-under-par 276 despite a closing 76.
Here are all the scores for players with significant Colorado connections:
22. Former Colorado School of Mines golfer Marty Jertson 69-74-70-76–289
MISSED 54-HOLE CUT
Micah Rudosky of Cortez 71-73-81–225
MISSED 36-HOLE CUT
Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale 79-70—149
Former Colorado Mesa University golfer Brandon Bingaman 74-76–150
Geoff Keffer of Lakewood 74-78–152
Kyle Voska of Highlands Ranch 75-77—152
Christopher Hyten of Castle Rock 75-78–153
Alexandra Braga of Edgewater 76-78–154
Doug Wherry of Lone Tree 80-79–159
Ryan Bakken of Westminster 82-80—162
Barry Milstead of Castle Rock 82-85–167
For all the scores, CLICK HERE.