IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bob Denney s1

IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bob Denney January 28, 2010 561/624-8582 [email protected]

NEW JERSEY’S FRANK ESPOSITO EASES TO VICTORY IN THE TAYLORMADE- ADIDAS GOLF PGA STROKE PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – Frank Esposito was surprised, and so likely were many others, that a final- round 1-under-par 71 would be enough Jan. 27, to win the 57th annual PGA Stroke Play Championship at PGA Golf Club.

“No, never,” replied Esposito, 46, the PGA head professional at Brooklake Country Club in Florham Park, N.J., when he was asked after the final round on the Wanamaker Course. But, the final-round performance was good for a three-stroke triumph at 12 under par 276.

“But the course was more difficult today,” Esposito said. “The wind blew harder, it was colder (in the 50s at the start of play), the pins were tucked and it was the final round. That always makes it tougher.”

Tied for second at 279 were Jeff Sorenson of Blaine, Minn., and Danny Balin of Rockville, Md., each with 71, and Jaysen Hansen of Toledo, Ohio, who closed with 75. Esposito earned $5,000 from the $65,865 purse. Sorenson, Balin and Hansen each received $2,833.

Esposito shot 67 and a pair of 69s to start the final round one stroke off Hansen’s lead. He pulled even with a two-putt birdie at the first hole, then fell one behind when Hansen birdied the par-5 seventh hole from six feet. But the latter then bogeyed the next five holes.

After his opening birdie, Esposito parred the next 10 holes and was three-up on Hansen. The new champion bogeyed the 12th hole from behind the green but regained his comfort level with birdies at the 15th and 16th.

“I didn’t want to know where I stood until we got to the 18th tee,” Esposito said. “When I learned I had a three-stroke lead, it made that last tee shot a lot easier, no matter where it went.” It went into a fairway trap, he wedged back into play, reached the green in three and two-putted for a safe and sure bogey.

“I’m proud of the way I played, especially the last two days when I hit my irons well,” Esposito added. “My putting was a little shaky but I’m really happy with the victory. It’s one of the best I’ve ever had.” He hit 12 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation.

Esposito captured a third New Jersey PGA Section Championship last year.

Sorenson, a PGA teaching professional at the Columbia Golf Learning Center in Minneapolis, parred his first 12 holes, birdied the 13th and 14th and bogeyed No. 18. Balin, an assistant at Burning Tree Country Club in Greenwich, Conn., and the first and second round leader, eagled the par-4 12th hole, made five birdies, three bogeys and took a triple bogey at the par-4 ninth.

Hansen, an assistant at the Inverness Club, finished with three birdies and six bogeys.

There were only two sub-70 scores among the 74 final-round starters.

The 47th PGA Match Play Championship, the last of six tournaments which comprise the TaylorMade- adidas Golf PGA Winter Championships, is scheduled Feb. 1-7, on the adjacent Dye Course.

TaylorMade-adidas Golf PGA Stroke Play Championship PGA Golf Club - Port St. Lucie, Fla. Wanamaker Course (Par-72, 7,020 yards)

Frank Esposito, Florham Park, N.J., $5,000 67-69-69-71—276 Jeff Sorenson, Blaine, Minn., $2,833.34 69-74-65-71—279 Danny Balin, Rockville, Md., $2,833.33 66-68-74-71—279 Jaysen Hansen, Toledo, Ohio, $2,833.33 68-67-69-75—279 Sonny Skinner, Sylvester, Ga., $1,900 68-73-71-68—280 John Guyton, Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., $1,650 68-71-70-72—281 Bobby Heins, Purchase, N.Y., $1,350 68-70-73-71—282 Roy Vucinich, Moon Township, Pa., $1,350 71-68-71-72—282 Greg Bisconti, South Salem, N.Y., $1,350 70-70-67-75—282 Rodney Perry, Port Orange, Fla., $1,250 67-72-72-72—283 Vince Jewell, Dallas, Texas, $1,200 73-70-75-66—284 Ed Kirby, Wakefield, N.J., $1,200 72-70-71-71—284 Tom Sipula, Port St. Lucie, Fla., $1,200 74-68-70-72—284 Rick Schuller, Chester, Va., $1,106 72-70-74-70—286 Michael Zaremba, Pueblo West, Colo., $1,106 68-74-72-72—286 Gary Rusnak, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., $1,106 72-69-73-72—286 Frank Bensel, Jupiter, Fla., $1,106 70-69-73-74—286 Mike San Filippo, Hobe Sound, Fla., $1,106 70-73-64-79—286 Sean Gorgone, Casselberry, Fla., $1,035 72-72-72-71—287 Shaun Powers, Greenwich, Conn., $1,035 71-67-73-76—287 Curt Sanders, Wilmington, N.C., $985 73-69-72-74—288 Mike Townsend Wilmington, N.C., $985 71-72-73-72—288 Ryan Bensel, Seattle, Wash., $985 72-72-69-75—288

The PGA of America, 100 Avenue of the Champions, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418