VERONA, N.Y. – Oct, 12, 2004 – It took only one hole for Craig Thomas of Lawrence, N.Y., to win a sudden-death playoff against Ron Philo Jr. of Stowe, Vt., and claim victory in the 2004 Eastern PGA Club Professional Championship held recently at Atunyote Golf Club at Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, N.Y.

During regulation play, Thomas missed an eagle putt on hole No. 18 for the win but made the birdie putt to force a playoff with Philo, who also birdied hole No. 18 to move to 9-under-par for the Championship.

"On hole No. 18, I saw the leaderboard and knew Ron (Philo) had birdied 18, so I knew what I had to do," said Thomas, who is the head professional at Lawrence (N.Y.) Country Club. "I hit a real good drive on hole No. 18 to No. 9 fairway, which was the way I played hole No. 18 the day before, but this time I hit the ball a little more left which left me 210 yards to the hole. I hit a 5-iron to about 20 feet then missed the eagle putt."

Thomas finished his final round at 2-under-par 70 for a Championship total of 9-under-par 279 tying Philo who finished his final round at 6-under-par 66. The sudden-death playoff only went one hole when Thomas birdied hole No. 18 and Philo made a par.

"On the playoff, I was expecting to go to hole No. 1, because I thought Ron (Philo) was definitely making birdie, and I had to get up and down 30 yards short of the green," said Thomas, who also won the 2004 New York State PGA Championship at Shenendoah Golf Club in Verona, N.Y. "I was not expecting him to miss that putt. It happens. We all have missed a few putts."

Philo started the final round four shots behind the leader, Thomas, but quickly gained some ground after birdies on holes Nos. 5, 6, 10, 12, 13 and 18.

"I set goals whenever I play multi-day tournaments and 9-under was my goal starting the day. I felt there are enough holes out there to do that," said Philo, who is the head professional at The Country Club of Vermont in Waterbury Center, Vt. "I stood on the tee on hole No. 18 knowing what I had to do and made a birdie to get to 9-under."

Michael Deuel of Apalachin, N.Y., shot a final round 5-under-par 67 to finished alone in third place with a Championship total of 5-under-par 283. Finishing in fourth place was Mark Mielke of East Norwich, N.Y., who scored a final round 1-over-par 73 for a Championship total of 4-under-par 284.

Exactly thirty-two finishers, not including exempt players, earned a berth in the 2005 PGA Club Professional Championship at Kiawah Island Resort's Ocean Course on Kiawah Island, S.C., June 23-26. Tom Tobey of Fairhaven, Mass., won a playoff for first alternate spot with Suzy Whaley of Farmington, Conn., winning the second alternate spot. Whaley earned her second trip to the PGA Club Professional Championship, having been the first woman professional to compete in the national championship in 2002 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.

The Eastern PGA Club Professional Championship, featuring a total purse of $150,000, is presented by Titleist/FootJoy Worldwide and Cobra Golf, Buick, Club Car Inc., and Amstel Light and Buckler. The Greg Norman Collection is the Official Apparel Sponsor of The CPC, while The Golf Channel is an exclusive media partner and the PGA Tour a contributing partner.

The low 32 scorers from each of the four regionals, The Northern CPC, The Southern CPC, The Eastern CPC and The Western CPC, earn a berth in the national PGA Club Professional Championship.