PINEHURST, N.C. -- PGA Golf Professional John Simmons chased a dream in the mid-1990s to play competitive golf. When the time came that he decided he was tired of eating and sleeping in a car to make a living, Simmons found he could make an impact in the lives of others as golf professional and yet still find some opportunities to compete.

The 41-year-old PGA director of golf at Newport National Golf Club in Middletown, R.I., achieved the best of both worlds Wednesday, guiding three young amateur partners to the title in the inaugural PGA McGladrey Team Championship at Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort.

Newport National Golf Club, representing the New England PGA Section, captures inaugural PGA McGladrey Team Championship

Representing the New England PGA Section, the foursome overcame a disappointing end to its final round front nine on Pinehurst Course No. 6, then caught fire on the back nine, capped by two sterling final-hole par-saving efforts for a 13-under-par 129 and a three-stroke victory.

One of those highlight-reel pars was Simmons' 180-yard approach from a fairway bunker with a 5-iron to within 20-feet of the cup on his team's final hole.

Newport National Golf Club finished the 54-hole Championship with a 39-under-par 391 total. Windsor (Calif.) Golf Club, representing the Northern California PGA Section, was runner-up at 394, and Massena Golf and Country Club of Massena, N.Y., the Northeastern New York PGA Section Champion, was third at 396. Massena Golf and Country Club, from the smallest PGA Section by membership, ended play in a big way with a championship-best 126 total in the final round.

Simmons pocketed a first-place check of $16,000 from a combined professional and amateur purse of $200,000. Amateur team members earned merchandise certificates.

"We each had a chance to hit something under the gun and that's what I think helped us win," said Simmons, who played on the Hooters Tour and former Ben Hogan Tour until 1996. "This thing started off first-class, and I hope that I'm a part of it for a long, long time. I think everybody back home at our club understood what a big deal this is. Any time you're a national champion it's something special."

The first grassroots nationwide best-ball championship sanctioned by The PGA of America featured 41 PGA Section teams representing 32 states.

The National Championship's recurring theme and RSM McGladrey's slogan, "With a team anything is possible," was never more on display than this week at Pinehurst.

The championship format – featuring the best two scores of the foursome with 50 percent handicap used for the amateur partners – made the competition come to life.

Simmons' foursome is a reflection of the next generation of golfers.

The amateur trio featured Andrew Farrea, 24, an assistant high school hockey coach and University of Mississippi graduate student; brother Jamie Farrea, 20, a junior at Assumption College in Worcester, Mass., and Tod Camara, 17, who was missing classes at Portsmouth (R.I.) High School and who had played golf full-time for the first time this season. Camara also had recovered from a bout with mononucleosis two weeks before arriving at Pinehurst.

"I have a good excuse now for missing class and facing what catching up I have to do," laughed Camara. "This was a great experience in all ways."

For Simmons, his sense that he had found the right mix of players to form a team back at the Local Championship level was vindicated on an overcast, humid day.

"I knew what their ability was, but in a national spotlight it's a different thing," said Simmons. "You never know how anybody is going to respond to the pressure, but I knew the ability was there, the proper shots and the handicaps. I thought we had a shot. To be honest, I thought it fell on my shoulders. I had to play good golf and make some birdies to make the team play well. Luckily enough, I poked my head in there a couple of times and did it."

Newport National Golf Club opened the final round with a one-stroke edge over Windsor (Calif.) Golf Club, having posted identical scores of 131 the first two days at Pinehurst No. 8 and No. 2.

But, the final day opened with a struggle to find the fairway on the first four holes on the 6,537-yard Pinehurst No. 6 layout.

Andrew Farrea saved his team with key par-saving efforts in that stretch. But, a missed two-foot birdie by Andrew on the eighth hole and Simmons missing an eight-foot birdie putt could have spelled disaster.

"Things went south in a hurry and I fell apart on the ninth hole," said Andrew. "John took me aside on the first tee, our 10th hole, and reminded me that if we can pull together the next nine holes, play the nine holes of our lives, we're going to win this thing.

"The next hole Jamie makes a great up and down for par from a bunker to save par, and I made par and we looked at each other and thought ‘we can do this'."

"I think we went 5-under-par the next few holes and John hitting a 5-iron from the bunker on the last hole was an incredible shot," said Jamie. "Those were the kind of things that carried us."

"We all contributed, but it was a great team effort in all ways," said Camara.

Windsor Golf Club PGA Head Professional Jason Schmuhl saw a 4-under-par 67 on his own ball fall short after a disastrous closing stretch of three consecutive bogeys for him and his teammates.

Schmuhl was playing alongside amateurs James Sutherland and brothers Eamon and Erin Sharkey, the later a 33-year-old who lost his left index finger in an accident during his sophomore year in college, and who participated in the 1991 U.S. Junior Amateur with Tiger Woods.

"At the end we really did something stupid on the par-3 seventh, our 16th hole," said Schmuhl. "I chipped up about three feet away, and Eamon and Erin Sharkey were both on the green about 20 feet from the hole. They said, ‘Why don't you putt out?' So, I did, not thinking, and didn't mark it. I missed. Then, they both three-putted and we were 2-over after that one hole.

"It was the jitters; up to that point we were relaxed. After that one hole, I felt like an idiot and it affected their putts. Overall, I think it was a great format where as a net team, you could have two 1-handipcappers and an 18-handicapper, for example, and compete against everyone else."

The PGA McGladrey Team Championship is a result of the new partnership between The PGA of America and RSM McGladrey, the official accounting, tax and business consulting firm of The PGA of America. RSM McGladrey is the fifth largest accounting, tax and business consulting firm in the country when considered with McGladrey & Pullen LLP (a partner-owned CPA firm).

The National Championship featured the host PGA Golf Professional and three amateur partners who use two best net balls of each hole, again with each amateur receiving 50 percent of their USGA index handicap.

About RSM McGladrey
RSM McGladrey is a leading professional services firm providing accounting, tax and business consulting. McGladrey & Pullen LLP (a U.S.-based partner-owned CPA firm) delivers audit and attest services. RSM McGladrey and McGladrey & Pullen operate in an alternative practice structure. Though separate and independent legal entities, they can work together to serve clients' business needs. Together, the companies rank as the fifth largest U.S. provider of accounting, tax and business consulting services (source: Public Accounting Report), with nearly 8,000 professionals and associates in more than 120 offices nationwide. RSM McGladrey Inc. and McGladrey & Pullen LLP are member firms of RSM International, an affiliation of independent accounting and consulting firms. RSM McGladrey is the official accounting, tax and business consulting firm of The PGA of America.

About The PGA of America
The PGA of America is the world's largest working sports organization, comprised of 28,000 men and women golf Professionals who are the recognized experts in growing, teaching and managing the game of golf while serving millions of people throughout its 41 PGA Sections nationwide. Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has enhanced its leadership position in a $62 billion-a-year industry by growing the game of golf through its premier spectator events, world-class education and training programs, significant philanthropic outreach initiatives, and award-winning golf promotions. Today's PGA Golf Professional is the public's link to the game, serving an essential role in the operation of golf facilities throughout the country.