Dan Urban wins Michigan PGA in playoff

Dan Urban made a bird on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the 94th Michigan PGA Professional Championship Wednesday at Egypt Valley Country Club in Ada.

The second-year assistant professional who plays out of Prestwick Village Golf Club in Highland hit a pitching wedge to three feet at No 18 and made the putt to beat three-time past champion Brian Cairns. Urban shot a closing 4-under 68 to finish with a 5-under 211 total.

Cairns, who played in the PGA National Championship, forced a playoff with a 69 for a three-round total of 211. Urban pounded a drive on the 404-yard uphill par-4 hole and had only 130 yards remaining in the playoff

Cairns hit his approach shot to 18 feet, but missed the birdie putt. Then Urban knocked in his birdie for his first major win in the state. He received $6,400 a first-place check and the Gilbert A. Currie Trophy.

“This means a lot,” Urban said. “Look at the names on the trophy, the past and the recent, that’s nice company to have. This will be great for my confidence in the game. I always knew I was capable of doing it, but actually doing it is another thing.”

Crystal Mountain Resort’s Brad Dean, who either had or shared the lead the first two rounds, suffered putting woes through the day and shot 74 for 213 and tied for third with Lochmoor Club (Grosse Pointe Woods) professional Kyle Martin, who shot 72

Matt Pesta of Lincoln Hills Golf Course in Birmingham shot a 69 for even-par 216 to round out the top five.

Those golfers who advance with Cairns and former national  champion Scott Hebert of Traverse City Golf & Country Club to the PGA Professional National Championship include: Urban, Dean, Martin and Pesta. Also joining them will be: Chris Johnson of Thousand Oaks in Grand Rapids (69-217), Gary Lewandowski of St. Ives Golf Club at Tullymore Resort in Stanwood (72-217), Lee Houtteman of Manitou Passage in Cedar (74-218), Al Kuhn of Fountains Golf and Banquet in Clarkston (75-219) and John Seltzer of Blythefield Country Club in Belmont (73-220).

Seltzer beat Kevin Muir of The Wyndgate in Rochester Hills in a playoff for the final spot.