Coston Earns Low PGA Professional Honors at Senior PGA

There have been several benchmarks in major championships during Jeff Coston's career. The most recent occurred at The Ocean Course during the recently completed 68th Senior PGA Championship.

Coston, a 51-year-old PGA teaching professional at Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine, Wash., overcame a rocky start in this final round. But he rallied for a closing 2-under-par 70 to tie for 19th and earn low PGA Professional honors in the most prestigious event in senior golf.

Coston learned he had won the honor in the clubhouse after fellow professional Mike San Filippo of Hobe Sound, Fla., stumbled on the 72nd hole. Tied for the award with Coston on the 18th tee, San Filippo hit two different bunkers on the 18th, and closed with a double-bogey to finish two strokes back at 294.

Coston's 4-over-par 292 total was worth $20,600. He was later presented a crystal bowl by PGA of America president Brian Whitcomb on the 18th green before a worldwide television audience. Earlier, he was greeted on the green with a hug by Senior PGA champion Denis Watson, whom had befriended Coston when they met at Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando. The two exchanged tips on bunker play, and met again at The Ocean Course in practice rounds and stepped into a bunker to continue the impromptu clinic. "I'm proud of you, Jeff," said Watson during the traditional clubhouse Champion's Toast. "Great playing today."

For Coston, his Senior PGA Championship debut ranks among his most memorable moments. The most prominent, and the subject of a printed card that he hands to friends, students and strangers he meets, features a photo of his son, Kyle, who caddied for him on Father's Day in the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. The other moment was his posting a 68 in the second round of the 2004 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis.

"To play well this week means a lot," said Coston. "Basically, because it's the PGA Championship - whether it's the regular or Senior PGA - it's a great opportunity for guys that are in the program or work for a living. I mean, it's just a neat thing. It's a memorable thing. I just love the opportunity The PGA of America presents for club professionals, whether it's the senior or the regular, it's a great, great opportunity and I don't take that lightly at all."

Standing on the porch of the Ocean Course clubhouse, Coston recalled his 2000 U.S. Open experience, when he was gazing at another ocean - the blue Pacific that frames Pebble Beach. "I'm playing the fourth round with Colin Montgomerie, it's Father's Da, in the year 2000, I have a 12-year-old kid, and we're on the 18th hole at the 100th U.S. Open at Pebble Beach . . . there's a lot of people around, everybody knows my son's caddying for me, there's a lot of stuff going on. And, a lot of people are pulling for me.

"So I hit this wedge that's kind of like oscillating in the air on the 18th hole, and thousands upon thousands of people are around this green and you hear this, 'Roll! Roll!" You hear this deafening roar. And at the pinnacle of the deafening roar, my son puts his face right next to mine and he goes, 'Happy Father's Day, Dad.' "

What also looms large for Coston is that he's slowly working his way into form to contend on the Champions Tour. He jokes that he is a "fossil," and on "the 13th hole of life." But the truth is that he's really just beginning to understand his potential.

His caddie at the Senior PGA Championship was Dudley Logan of Windsor, Calif., who played with Coston on the mini-tours and later caddied from 1996-2000 for Tom Lehman and Duffy Waldorf. "I caddied for Jeff at Tour Qualifying School (1987), and we were really struggling with 10 holes left and it didn't look like we were going to make it," said Logan. "But, we got it together and he went 8-under for the next nine holes to earn his card. He's getting better, and there's still a level of tension that, if he can get rid of it, he'll get better. But, he's a lot better player than these scores indicate. He started bogey-bogey today and then he settles down. He's a great golfer and I have to remind him of that."

The defending Callaway Golf Senior PGA Professional national champion, Coston is building momentum for when he competes among his younger peers, June 21-24, in the 40th PGA Professional National Championship at Sunriver (Ore.) Resort. "I have a lot of great memories about Sunriver, and one of them was the 1995 Oregon Open," Coston said. "I won on the Meadows Course. It's a beautiful site and we are looking forward to going back."

Here's a recap of the finishes of the club professionals in the PGA Senior Championship.

Finish in Field/ Professional/Home/Final Result/Earnings>/B>

T-19 Jeff Coston, Blaine, Wash. 72-75-75-70-292 $20,600
T-27 Mike San Filippo, Hobe Sound, Fla. 78-69-74-73-294 $12,750
T-33 Kirk Hanefeld, Acton, Mass. 75-72-75-73-295 $9,542.86
T-33 Ron Stelten, Palm Desert, Calif. 78-71-73-73-295 $9,542.86
T-52 Gary Robison, Canton, Ohio 78-74-73-74-299 $4,200
T-68 Bill Britton, Rumson, N.J. 75-77-73-78-303 $3,750
T-74 Bill Schumaker, Columbia City, Ind. 80-72-75-79-306 $3,612.50
76 Lindy Miller, Fort Worth, Texas 75-77-77-79-308 $3,575
78 Bobby Heins, Purchase, N.Y. 75-77-81-79-312 $3,525

Did Not Make the 36-Hole Cut

Tom Herzan, Findlay, Ohio 78-75-153
Jon Fiedler, Camarillo, Calif. 76-78-154
Chris Starkjohann, Cardiff by the Sea, Calif. 79-75-154
Mike Lawrence, Easley, S.C. 74-80-154
George Forster, Blue Bell, Pa. 81-74-155
John Godwin, Pine Mountain, Ga. 82-73-155
Mike Burke Jr., Towaco, N.J. 78-78-156
Jerry Tucker, Stuart, Fla. 81-75-156
Roy Vucinich, Moon Township, Pa. 77-79-156
Wheeler Stewart, Royal Palm Beach, Fla. 84-72-156
Reed Hughes, Senatobia, Miss. 77-79-156
Perry Arthur, Plano, Texas 78-78-156
John Mazza, Beaver Falls, Pa. 83-74-157
Rick Neal, Springfield, Mo. 82-75-157
Bob Ackerman, West Bloomfield, Mich. 81-76-157
Darrell Kestner, Glen Cove, N.Y. 78-79-157
Steve Groves, Worthington, Ohio 79-79-158
John Calabria, Naples, Fla. 84-75-159
Billy Ziobro, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 80-79-159
Mick Soli, San Carlos, Calif. 82-78-160
Larry Mackin, Mesa, Ariz. 83-79-162
Kim Thompson, Salt Lake City, Utah 82-80-162
Steven Snyder, San Rafael, Calif. 80-82-162
Jerry Impellittiere, Port St. Lucie, Fla. 86-77-163
Stan Stopa, Metairie, La. 83-82-165
Bob Ralston, Little Rock, Ark. 83-82-165
Eddie Mudd, Louisville, Ky. 85-81-166
Tom Anderson, Laurel, Mont. 83-84-167


(Note: 35 Players earned berth from the 2006 Callaway Golf Senior PGA Professional National Championship; with 3 Special Invitees - Mike Burke Jr., Kirk Hanefeld and Mike San Filippo.)

PGA Professionals Making the Cut in the Senior PGA Championship (since 1996)

1996 - 11
1997 - 9
1998 - 15
1999 - 9
2000 - 8
2001 - 10
2002 - 13
2003 - 7
2004 - 10
2005 - 8
2006 - 7
2007 - 9