ACE Club's Billy Stewart wins Pennsylvania Open

After trying his hand on the golf mini-tours, Billy Stewart decided to return to his home area, establish himself as a teaching pro and play in local tournaments. It's a move that has turned out nicely.

Stewart, 31, of Devon, saw a very good 2015 season become a great one Wednesday. His clutch shot out of trees at the 17th hole led to a birdie and an eventual 1-stroke victory in the Pennsylvania Open at Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Delaware County.

Stewart, representing the ACE Club in Lafayette Hill, finished with a 3-under-par 68 and a 54-hole score of 8-under 205 to claim the $8,000 first prize. Yardley's Kyle Sterbinsky, who will enter Wake Forest next month, shot a 64 - the best round of the day - and tied 36-hole leader Stu Ingraham for second at 206.

Stewart, who said he was "very proud" of his victory, also won the Philadelphia PGA Assistants Championship this month and stands second on the Philadelphia Section PGA points list.

"I'm the happiest I've ever been as a golfer - working at the ACE Club, giving lessons, playing in Philadelphia section events," he said. "I finally kind of came at peace with the game now because it's finally turning into a living for me."

Stewart started Wednesday trailing Ingraham, 55, a teaching pro at M-Golf in Newtown Square, by 2 shots but grabbed the lead with three straight birdies on holes 6, 7, and 8. Meanwhile, Ingraham, playing in the same group, was assessed a 1-shot penalty at No. 8 after a rules official detected that his ball moved when he removed a twig.

Stewart bogeyed the 13th to fall to 7 under and into a tie with Sterbinsky, who was playing ahead of him. They remained deadlocked when Stewart came to the 521-yard, par-5 17th, where he hooked his tee shot into a cluster of trees.

He had an opening to the left for his second shot, sliced a hybrid around the trees to 18 feet, and two-putted for birdie and the lead. He parred No. 18, another par-5, for the win after Ingraham left a 20-foot eagle putt just inches short for the tie.

"I couldn't have scripted it any better," Stewart said of the shot at 17. "It came out exactly how I wanted it to, landed where I wanted to, and then it was easy to make a nice two-putt for a birdie."

Ingraham said he was slightly cautious on the eagle putt at 18 because he didn't want to three-putt and drop in the standings. But all in all, he was pleased.

"At the end of the day, if someone shoots 7 under for three rounds of the state Open at age 55, that's great," he said. "I'm tickled pink with that."

The results

Billy Stewart, Devon . . . 67-70-68-205

a-Kyle Sterbinsky, Yardley . . . 75-67-64-206

Stu Ingraham, Broomall . . . 67-68-71-206

Robert Rohanna, Waynesburg . . . 71-71-65-207

Kevin Kraft, Newport . . . 66-73-68-207

Andrew Mason, Hunt. Valley . . . 69-73-66-208

Robert McClellan, Butler . . . 71-71-66-208

Daniel Obremski, Irwin . . . 69-69-71-209

a-Michael Brown, Maple Shade . . . 69-68-72-209

Josh Rackley, King of Prussia. . . 73-69-68-210

a-Aaron Fricke, Denver. . . 71-70-69-210

Braden Shattuck, Aston. . . 71-70-69-210

a-Kyle Martin, Lansdale. . . 72-66-72-210

Spencer Mellon, Oakmont. . . 76-66-70-212

Dave McNabb, Newark, Del.. . . 71-71-70-212

John Aber, Pittsburgh. . . 72-71-70-213

a-Michael Davis, Newtown Sq. . . 73-69-71-213

a-amateur