The 2010s in the Kentucky PGA Professional Championship will be looked back on as the decade of Blake Watts’ dominance in the event. For the fourth time, he has won the Kentucky PGA Section’s most coveted title, adding the 2019 prize to his 2010, 2016 and 2017 crowns. The Wildwood Country Club Head Golf Professional’s win on Tuesday at Indian Hills Country Club comes via a 36-hole score of 138 (-4), good enough for a two-stroke margin of victory over his brother Logan, an Assistant Golf Professional at Louisville Country Club, and Grover Justice, the Director of Instruction at High Performance Golf Academy. The Watts brothers and Justice have qualified for the 2020 PGA Professional Championship as a result of their finish in the top three. They will all be in Austin, Texas next spring to compete at Omni Barton Creek along with other PGA Professionals across the country seeking twenty exemptions into the PGA Championship.

Coming into the final round, Blake Watts trailed Brent Paladino, Executive Director at Golf House Kentucky by a stroke. An outward nine of 38 (+3) from Paladino took him out of the lead, while Blake Watts’ 34 (-1) put him in front as the contenders entered the closing stretch. Blake Watts made eight pars and one birdie on the par-five 13^th to build a comfortable cushion. Despite a late push from Justice by making birdie on two of his last three holes, while Logan Watts’ three birdies coming in were cancelled out by three bogeys, Blake Watts glided towards victory on the last hole, with a two-putt par on the 18^th clinching his fourth career Kentucky PGA Professional Championship.

“My driver was a weapon,” Blake Watts said. “I hit a lot of good tee shots and I had a dream short game week. My chipping was unreal and I just didn’t have to stress over a lot of pars. Each of the four wins I’ve had in this event have been different and special in their own way. This one is a little bit more surreal since we have the live scoring and leaderboard next to the 18^th green now. Definitely makes this one really cool.”

ROUND TWO NOTES

• With the Watts brothers and Justice bound for Austin, there are three alternates who will be hoping for a call with word they will also get to compete in Austin. Aaron McDowell, Head Golf Professional at Lakeside Golf Course, Adam Gary, Golf Coach at Western Kentucky University, and Robert Costello, Head Golf Professional at Nevel Meade Golf Course, in that order could possibly represent the Kentucky PGA in Texas.
• Today’s hardest hole was the par-three 15th. This long and tight hole stifled many players and did not give up a single birdie while less than half the field, eighteen to be exact, made par on Tuesday.
• The par-five 13^th was once again the easiest hole at Indian Hills. Two eagles were made, coming from Kevin Childers (T19) and Patrick Vadden (33). Nine other birdies were made during the final round.
• Aaron McDowell recorded the only other eagle made on Tuesday which was on the par-five 16^th.
• Along his win and the exemption into the PGA Professional Championship, Blake Watts pockets a first-place check of $3,200 thanks to his win.

The Kentucky PGA Section would like to express a great deal of thanks towards Indian Hills Country Club, their staff and Head Golf Professional John Mullendore, who finished T8 this week. Players, staff and fans were blown away by the facility’s conditioning and friendliness. The Section hopes to return to Indian Hills in the future for more significant tournaments. Each player’s participation in the event is extremely appreciated and the Section is proud to be represented by Blake and Logan Watts along with Grover Justice for next year’s PGA Professional Championship. Congratulations to Blake Watts on his fourth title in the event!

Click here to view the final results.