It's another trip to the PGA Championship for Seattle's Ryan Benzel.

The Spokane native, and former club professional out of Mill Creek Country Club, shot a 2-under-par 69 on Wednesday at the 42nd PGA Professional National Championship near Albuquerque, N.M.

His third round in the 60s on the Twin Warriors Golf Club left him in a tie for fourth at 5-under 279 with Eric Lippert, Lee Rinker and Craig Thomas, two strokes behind winner Mike Small, the University of Illinois men's golf coach.

Finishing in the top 20, the 30-year-old Benzel earned his third consecutive berth to the PGA Championship on Aug. 13-16 at Hazeltine Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.

"It's fantastic. It's so rewarding that my hard work has paid off," said Benzel, who made the cut at the 2007 PGA Championship in Tulsa, Okla. "I set my year up to come to this event, and do what I did. I achieved what I wanted to achieve."

=> Read more!

Western Washington's Jacob Koppenberg, who wrapped up his career last spring, made a final birdie on the finishing par-5 18th to grab a one-stroke lead after the first round of the 16th Sahalee Players Championship in Sammamish.

Koppenberg's 5-under 67 was bogey-free, and one shot better than Wisconsin's Dan Woltman (68), who captured the Northeast Amateur in record-setting fashion last weekend, and flew out to Sahalee Country Club this week to play.

Two strokes back is a group of four golfers, including University of Washington senior-to-be Nick Taylor, and former Husky standout Derek Berg (69).

Lacey's Cameron Peck is in a group tied for ninth at 71. Tacoma's Andrew Putnam shot a 76, and is tied for 48th.

This week: PGA Tour's AT&T National, Thursday through Sunday, Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Md.

World ranking: 122nd.

2009 earnings: $848,339 (61st on the PGA Tour).

Last tournament: Hear that 'cha-ching, cha-ching' sound coming from Puyallup? That is the money Ryan Moore has earned the past two weeks – a total of $402,600 for top-1o places at the U.S. Open and last week at the Travelers Championship (17-under 263, tied for fourth, season-best $248,000 paycheck). In fact, based on last year's 125th spot on the money list that secured full-time privileges on the PGA Tour – $852, 752 by Martin Laird – all Moore really needs to do this week to exceed that, and essentially clinch his tour card for 2010, is make his third consecutive cut Friday. A win would earn him a spot in the British Open later this month in Turnberry, Scotland.

Tee time Thursday: 4:22 a.m. PDT off the 10th tee with Jeff Klauk and Jeff Maggert.