The annual Seminole Pro-Member regularly takes place hours after the Cognizant Classic has ended. However, this year, the two events existed concurrently after poor weather forced the PGA Tour competition into an extra day.
As a result, some of the field at PGA National needed to either alter or completely cancel their tee times as the $9 million tournament took precedence on Monday.
One PGA Tour player who did not have to make any last-minute plans was Erik van Rooyen, with the South African having finished his fourth round on Sunday before play was suspended.
He enjoyed one of the best Mondays he will likely ever experience, as only Cognizant Classic winner, Austin Eckroat (-17) finished ahead of his 14-under total. Min Woo Lee nestled up alongside in the end to share second, but van Rooyen was the delighted recipient of a significant check and a strong bundle of FedEx Cup and OWGR points.
To improve his day further, the 2023 WWT Championship winner also topped the prestigious Seminole Pro-Member's 'net' competition alongside his partner, John Pinkham.
Ready to hop into a car and travel back to PGA National should he have been needed, the closest van Rooyen came to doing so was on the eighth hole at Seminole.
But Eckroat powered his way towards a debut PGA Tour victory, and van Rooyen remained on site to help his team score net 62 and win via a scorecard playoff over Ryan Fox and Jimmy Dunne III in the highly-exclusive one-day competition.
Seminole Pro-Member results... Hughes & Edwards get paint on the wall. pic.twitter.com/tMFoF7vIv4March 4, 2024
In the 'gross' division of the two-person best-ball event, Canada's Mackenzie Hughes - partnered by investment banker, Frank Edwards - claimed victory by one shot from six other pairs having combined for a total of 64. The duo also ended the 'net' competition as one of the T2 teams.
In a star-studded group on T20 in the gross division, Rory McIlroy and his dad Gerry finished alongside the likes of Collin Morikawa/David Novak, Luke Donald/Eric Gleacher, and Trevor Immelman/Tim Neher on 68.
Justin Thomas and Mike Walrath, Nelly Korda and John Waldron, plus Tom Brady and Matt Cahill all ended one shot further back in T30.
On the adjusted side of the board, Tiger Woods and playing partner Seth Waugh - CEO of the PGA of America - finished five shots behind winners van Rooyen and Pinkham in T33 on 67. Woods and Waugh were T44 in the 'gross' division thanks to a 70.
Monday was Woods' first appearance since pulling out of February's Genesis Invitational with reported influenza. The 15-time Major winner is also expected to tee it up at next week’s Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass - although that will be confirmed one way or the other on Friday when the full field is announced.
The PGA Tour continues this week with the famed Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club and Lodge.
