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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."
In fact, no club professional in the country has had the track record at the PGA Professional National Championship the past three years. Only Scott Hebert, of Traverse City, Minn., has made it to the PGA Championship three times, and Benzel is the only golfer to finish in the top 10 since 2007, and make the U.S. PGA Cup squad each time.
"I don't really know exactly why I've had success here," said Benzel, who was tied for second in 2007 at Crosswater Golf Club in Sunriver, Ore., and tied for fourth last year in Greensboro, Ga. "The initial success I had at Sunriver, it has springboarded me into knowing I can compete. And my game is very consistent. I don't make many mistakes.
Starting the day five strokes behind the leader, Benzel made his move with birdies on Nos. 8 and 9 – the hardest hole on the course where he canned a 40-foot putt up a severe slope – and another one at the par-5 12th to move within a shot of the lead.
That is how he stood playing the final hole, but Benzel, a former University of Idaho standout, hit a drive in the right rough, had to chip out and eventually missed his 20-foot par bid.
"Outside of winning, I'm right there," Benzel said.
