PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Gary Rusnak of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., won a PGA Tournament Series event (Dec. 11) when Mike San Filippo of Hobe Sound, Fla., hit two balls out of play on the second playoff hole.

After they tied at 7-under-par 137 at PGA Country Club in Port St. Lucie and halved the first playoff hole with par-5s, Rusnak and San Filippo returned to the 18th tee.

San Filippo drove into a fairway bunker down the right side and hit his second shot out of bounds to the left. Following a penalty drop, San Filippo hit his fourth shot down the fairway but his fifth went into a lake short and right of the green. After another drop, he wedged onto the green and two-putted for triple bogey eight.

Meanwhile, Rusnak played fairway golf, reached the green in regulation and two-putted from 25 feet for par and the victory. He earned $3,610 from the $20,500 purse compared to $1,951.89 in his first three PGA Tournament Series starts this month.

Neither player made a bogey in regulation during the final round. Rusnak made five birdies for 67 and San Filippo made six for 66.

Rod Perry of Port Orange, the first round leader, added 72 for 140, and finished tied for fourth.

"Mike's a heck of a player and I feel fortunate," said Rusnak, PGA teaching professional at Seascape Golf Club in Destin. "It's my first victory since the Dixie PGA Section Match Play Championship in September," one of several titles he earned on the way to becoming the Section Player of the Year.

It was Rusnak's first PGA Tournament Series victory. San Filippo has won 16, two short of the career record of 18 held by Bruce Zabriski. San Filippo has two chances remaining this season to catch Zabriski, both at nearby PGA Golf Club, Dec. 14-15 on the Wanamaker Course and Dec. 17-18 on the Dye Course.

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PGA Tournament Series - Event No. 4
PGA Country Club - Port St. Lucie, Fla.
(par-72, 6,820 yards)

Gary Rusnak, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., $3,610 70-67—137*
Mike San Filippo, Hobe Sound, Fla., $2,455 71-66—137
Mike Small, Champaign, Ill., $1,595 71-68—139
Chris Borgen, Eagan, Minn., $1,005 69-71—140
Greg Bisconti, South Salem, N.Y., $1,005 69-71—140
Rod Perry, Port Orange, Fla., $1,005 68-72—140
Brian Nosler, Vancouver, Wash., $755 71-71—142
Ken Martin, Wellington, Fla., $755 70-72—142
Boomer Erick, Hingham, Mass., $755 69-73—142
John Rattan, Montgomery Village, Md., $637.50 71-72—143
Sonny Skinner, Sylvester, Ga., $637.50 70-73—143
Mike Diffley, Pelham Manor, N.Y., $515 73-71—144
Vince Jewell, Euless, Texas, $515 73-71—144
Simon McGreal, Greensboro, N.C., $515 72-72—144
Rick Schuller, Chester, Va., $515 70-74—144
Peter Kampmann, Croton On Hudson, N.Y., $515 70-74—144
Frank Bensel, Stamford, Conn., $515 70-74—144
Dave Laudien, Wall, N.J., $415 77-68—145
Jeff Sorenson, Blaine, Minn., $415 74-71—145
Andrew Bostrom, Bay Shore, N.Y., $415 73-72—145
Shannon Sykota, Davie, Fla., $415 73-72—145
Chris Case, Albuquerque, N.M., $415 71-74—145
Kirk Oguri, Huntington, N.Y., $415 71-74—145
Frank Dully, Salem, Mass., $415 70-75—145
Jake Northrup, Hempstead, N.Y., $95 74-72—146
Anthony Aruta, Staten Island, N.Y., $95 72-74—146
Shawn Warren, Windham, Maine, $95 71-75—146
Mike Parrish, Madison, Ala., $95 71-75—146

* won playoff with par on second extra hole