SEASIDE, Calif. -- Ryan Vermeer won the PGA Professional Championship on Wednesday, overcoming front-nine problems to top the 20 qualifiers for the PGA Championship.
The 40-year-old Vermeer, the director of instruction at Happy Hollow Club in Omaha, Nebraska, closed with a 1-over 73 on the Bayonet Course for a two-stroke victory over Sean McCarty and Bob Sowards.
The PGA Championship is in August at Bellerive in St. Louis.
Vermeer played the front in 4 over with a double-bogey on the par-4 second and bogeys on the par-4 seventh and par-4 eighth. He rebounded with birdies on the par-5 10th and par-4 11th and also birdied the par-5 18th.
Vermeer finished at 5-under 283.
The former University of Kansas player won the 2017 Mizuno Pro/Assistant Championship and finished ninth last year in the PGA Professional to qualify for the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina.
McCarty had a 68 on Wednesday, and Sowards shot 69.
David Muttitt (70) and Jason Schmuhl (72) tied for fourth at 1 under.