SANTA ANA PUEBLO, N.M. — This time, there was no doubt.
Russell Grove didn’t really leave much room for that.
His moment was Wednesday.
Grove, 37, playing in the first group off the tee, fired a final round 6-under 66 at the PGA Professional Championship to finish tied for 11th, advancing to the PGA Championship May 18-21 at Oak HIll.
“It’s been a goal for a long time now,” said Grove, in his seventh season as North Idaho College’s golf coach. “It’s going to be an awesome experience to get to play with the best in the world and have that entire experience. It really means a lot to get there.”
Grove, who led Coeur d’Alene High to the state 5A golf title in 2004, had played in the Professional Championship five times previously.
“Honestly, it was just nice to post a number today,” Grove said. “I’ve been in eighth going to the back nine and close in 2018 and 2019. It was nice to not have to worry about the scoreboard. I was done well before the leaders came in, so it was nice to get out early.”
Grove finished with a four-round total of 72-71-76-66—285.
“It felt good after I finished,” Grove said. “I didn’t know I was in 100%, but with how the course was playing, it wasn’t easy out there.”
Braden Shattuck of Glen Mills, Pa., won the tournament with a 70-71-68-70—279, his fifth straight time advancing to the PGA Championships.
“The first couple of days, I played a little conservative and tried to stay away from some mistakes,” Grove said. “I had a few yesterday, but then my putter got hot. That was the big difference for me today.”
As he battled on Tuesday, Grove recalled some advice he’s given to his players in similar spots.
“I just try to tell them to stay in the moment and not get too ahead of themselves,” Grove said. “It’s what I work on myself and get through those pressure situations.”