Sean McCarty, Gary Robison Win PGA Senior Stroke Play Championship

It came down, as it usually does, to a putting contest.

Sean McCarty of Solon, Iowa, had a 15-foot downhill putt on the 18th green of the Wanamaker Course. Justin Hicks of Wellington, Fla., faced an uphill 6-footer. Both were tied at 9-under.

First in, won.

McCarty drained his putt, Hicks missed his and McCarty walked away with the victory in the 50-to-59 Division of the PGA Senior Stroke Play Championship at PGA Golf Club.

“It was really quick,” McCarty, the PGA Head Professional at Brown Deer Golf Club in Coralville, Iowa, said of the winning putt. “It’s always great to win with a nice putt, especially for me because putting isn’t the strongest part of my game.”

McCarty’s birdie capped off a 2-under 70 that left him at 10-under 205. He birdied four of his last six holes to rally from a three-shot deficit.

Hicks, who had back-to-back top-three finishes on the PGA Tour in 2014, wasn’t upset after the runner-up finish. He didn’t become eligible for this tournament until he turned 50 in October, and he spends most of his time teaching instead of playing during the busy South Florida winter season.

Hicks, the reigning South Florida PGA Rolex Player of the Year, closed with a 72 that left him at 9-under 206. He started the day with a one-shot lead and birdied the first two holes, but was caught by McCarty’s hot putter.

“I’m working six days a week and playing maybe twice a month,” said Hicks, a PGA Teaching Professional at Stonebridge Country Club in Boca Raton. “To come out and play par or better each day in tough conditions I thought was amazing.

“Obviously, I would have loved to have gotten the ‘W,’ but these are their home courses. I haven’t seen the Ryder Course (which he played in the second round) since 2003. I had high goals this week, but Sean made a lot of putts on the back nine. Hats off to him.”

Both McCarty and Hicks received a bonus prize: Their 1-2 finish got them into the Senior PGA Professional Championship.

There was little drama in the 60-and-older Division. Gary Robison of Port St. Lucie made sure of that. The 70-year-old bettered his age by a combined 16 shots – he opened with a 60 – to finish at 20-under 194 and beat Darrell Kestner (64) of Glen Cove, N.Y., by three shots.

This wasn’t new ground for Robison. Two years ago, he dominated the older division, winning by 11 shots at 21-under 193. He also won the 50-59 Division once.

“That’s close to being as good as I can play,” said Robison, who teaches in the summers at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind. “I had it going really good in the first two rounds. If I hadn’t hit it into the water at 15 and 18 (Monday), I wouldn’t have made a bogey in the first two rounds.”

Kestner, who lost in a playoff at last week’s Quarter Century Championship, fired a 64 Tuesday, and the closest he could come to Robison was two shots after 13 holes. Robison responded with three birdies in his next four holes.

“You’d think that would be enough,” Kestner said of his 54-hole score of 17-under 197. “That’s the best I can play. I putted really, really well, but Gary just outplayed us all.

“He’s just so consistent. He has every shot. Every time you think he’s in trouble, he gets it up and down. He’s a great chipper and putter.”

Frank Esposito (65-204) of Florham Park, N.Y., finished third, a shot ahead of Sonny Skinner (70-205) of Sylvester, Ga.

In the 50-59 division, Joe Summerhays (70-207) of Syracuse, Utah, was third. Omar Uresti (67-208) of Austin, Texas, tied for fourth with Rod Perry (72-208) of Port Orange, Fla.

The PGA Winter Championships are Presented by Golf Pass, On Location. After a break next week for the PGA Show, the PGA Winter Championships will resume with the Senior-Junior Team Championship Jan. 27-30 on the Dye, Ryder and Wanamaker Courses.