New York’s Chris Gabriele Wins Event No. 2 in PGA Tournament Series

Chris Gabriele of West Harrison, N.Y., won’t forget the 6-under 66 he shot Dec. 6 and the plaque he took home.

You don’t forget your first professional victory, especially when it comes with a short birdie on the final hole and against one of your buddies, Dylan Newman of New Rochelle, N.Y. Gabriele won PGA Tournament Series Event No. 2 by a shot at 7-under 137.

“This is my first professional win, so I put it right at the top,” said a smiling Gabriele, who is a PGA Assistant Professional at Quaker Ridge Golf Club. “It’s been hard to cross the finish line, but I got over it today.”

The 28-year-old Gabriele was tied with Newman for the lead at the 18th hole of the Dye Course when he took care of business. After splitting the fairway, Gabriele fired a 48-degree sand wedge from 117 yards to 2 ½ feet. The birdie was almost a gimme for the $5,000 first prize.

“I hit my drive way farther than I thought, probably because of adrenaline,” Gabriele said. “I took a little off the 48 because I was worried about adrenaline again, and it just happened to be the right number.”

Newman birdied the 14th and 15th holes to take the lead at 7-under as he was trying to win his second consecutive PGA Tournament Series event and fourth in his last five starts. But he bogeyed the par-3 16th hole, didn’t birdie the par-5 17th and couldn’t match Gabriele’s birdie at 18.

“I was 3-over on the par-3s, and that’s not going to get ‘er done,” Newman said after his 70. “I didn’t play bad, but I was a little more cautious and uncomfortable with the numbers (yardages). Chris played good.”

Gabriele and Newman are members of the Metropolitan PGA Section. They got paired together several times this summer.

“He’s someone we chase,” Gabriele said of Newman. “It was fun to be able to beat him.”

First-round leader Jeff Sorenson of Blaine, Min., shot 74 Friday to finish third at 4-under 140. He improved a spot over Tuesday’s fourth-place finish. His problem Friday was a pair of bogeys on par-5s.

“I just didn’t hit my irons that good, and at the Dye Course you pay the price, Sorenson said. “If you miss them pin high, you never have a straight-forward chip. It’s either a bump or a flop. I just put myself in those spots too many times.”

Adam Rainaud of New Canaan, Conn., shot 68 and tied for fourth with Tim Pearce (72) of Birmingham, Mich. Pearce tied for second in Event No. 1.