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SEASIDE, Calif. -- UT Arlington Director of Golf Stuart Deane is among 312 golfers set to compete at the 51st PGA Professional Championship Sunday through Wednesday at Bayonet Black Horse Resort.

The 20 low scorers earn qualification into the 100th PGA Championship, scheduled for August 9-12 at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Mo. Presented by Club Car and OMEGA, the tournament features a $550,000 purse and the champion will have his name inscribed on the base of the Walter Hagen Cup.

In addition to a spot in the PGA Championship, the champion will also earn exemption into the 2019 PGA Cup as well as six PGA Tour events over a 12-month period.

At last year's event, with his wife, Elizabeth on the bag, the Brisbane, Australia native finished in a tie for 19th place then birdied the second playoff hole to earn one of the 20 available spots into the PGA Championships in Charlotte, N.C. Overall, Deane has played in 12 PGA Tour events during his professional career and competed in the 2014 and 2017 PGA Championships.

In addition to Deane, former UTA golfer Greg Gregory of Joshua, Texas is also among the field at the PGA Professional Championship. Last year, Gregory finished in a tie for ninth place and, like Deane, also advanced to the PGA Championship.

The PGA Professional Championship field is limited to PGA members who are eligibly employed as PGA Professionals and in certain pre-established membership classifications as of May 9, 2017.

Bayonet and Black Horse courses will be used during the Championship's first two rounds. Bayonet will host the final two rounds and will play to 7,084 yards for men and par of 36-36-72. Black Horse will play to 6,904 yards and to a par of 36-36-72.

The PGA Professional Championship began in 1968, to provide additional playing opportunities for PGA Professionals. In more than three decades, it has become a showcase event for PGA Professionals, featuring some of the finest players in the Association. Formerly a 360-player field, the format of the PGA Professional Championship was converted from 1997-2005 to a larger nationwide event featuring the finest 156 players at the peak of their games.

Previously, the Championship was contested after the golf season had ended across much of the United States. In 1997, local Sectional PGA Professional Championships were created, along with four new Regional PGA Professional Championships. The Championship then moved its dates to one month prior to the PGA Championship. Following the 2004 fall season, the Regional PGA Professional Championships were discontinued, focusing more on the Section Championships and PGA Professional Championship.

The Championship has been conducted in 16 states in the previous 50 years: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wisconsin.

The list of Champions over the past 50 years includes Sam Snead, Bob Rosburg, Ed Dougherty, Bruce Fleisher; Larry Gilbert; Rex Baxter Jr., Don Massengale, Laurie Hammer, Larry Webb, Bob Boyd, Brett Upper, Bruce Zabriski, Mike Small and Matt Dobyns.

ABOUT BAYONET
Named after the Army's 7th Infantry Division - the first major unit to occupy Fort Ord, as well as the last. The famed Light Fighters (nicknamed the "Bayonet Division") marched for the last time during inactivation ceremonies in 1993 as part of the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC). With 7,104 yards of oak and cypress-lined fairways, Bayonet Golf Course was designed in 1954 by General Robert McClure, the Commanding Officer of the post at that time. Gen. McClure, a left-handed golfer with a severe slice, designed the course to fit his game. This is evidenced by holes #11-15, a series of sharp doglegs, widely known as "Combat Corner." Notoriously known for its magnificently manicured, long, and narrow fairways, Bayonet is one tough, but rewarding 18-hole adventure. With four sets of tees, the course is a par 72, with a slope of 139 and a rating of 74.8.

ABOUT BLACK HORSE
Named in honor of the 11th Cavalry Regiment (nicknamed "Black Horse") which was stationed at the Presidio of Monterey from 1919-1940. Black Horse was designed in 1964 by General Edwin Carnes, the Commanding General of Fort Ord from April 1963 until June of 1965. With the most breathtaking views of the Monterey Bay imaginable, the most recent renovations transformed Black Horse into a longer, more challenging "championship golf course." With long rolling fairways, "championship golf tees," and alluring panoramic views of the Monterey Bay, Black Horse will not only take your game through its paces, it will also captivate your soul. Black Horse is now 7,024 yards long, with four sets of tees; a par 72, with a slope of 141 and a rating of 73.7.

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