49-year old Manhattan Beach, CA native, Greg Bruckner - a true journeyman of professional golf who has played the PGA, Nationwide, and Asian Tours since turning professional in 1986, won his second-career Gateway Tour event this week at Vista Verde after shooting rounds of 69/69/66-204 (12-under par) to take a one-stroke victory over Luke List (67/69/69-205), worth $24,000.

Starting his final round trailing 36-hole leader - Ryan Hogue (67/68/71-206, 3rd) by three strokes in the third from last pairing, Bruckner shot the low final round of the day that included birdies on hole Nos. 12, 14, 16, & 17 to close his 6-under par, 66.

With all of the leaders ahead of him failing to shoot anything better than a 3-under, 69, his victory manifested in a true come-from-behind fashion that illustrates the high level of competition during any given week on The Gateway Tour.

“I really just picked my battles this week and played good, solid golf with not too many mistakes,” said Bruckner of his game. “I only had three bogeys for the whole week which was the key for me, and I’d say it was basically because I didn’t play all that aggressively and I took what the course gave me. When I had a hard shot, I just played conservatively, took my two putts, and moved on.”

“I just managed my game very well the whole week, and out here that's a big thing,” he said.

Since losing his Nationwide Tour status in 2005, Bruckner has played The Gateway Tour off and on for the past three years. Heading into this week, the former Arizona State Sun Devil had made each cut of the four Winter Series events he had competed in, and perhaps considering it as foreshadowing to this week’s win, he closed his last completed event – Desert Winter No. 4 at Palm Valley, with an 8-under, 64 to crack the top 10 for the first time this season.

He now stands in 4th on the Desert Series money list with $31,325.23 in earnings.

“This is great. I had been playing pretty well lately, but I think this week I just made some more putts, which you definitely need to do anytime you win.”

With Bruckner turning the big 5-0 in September, he has designs of keeping his golf game sharp with the hopes of a successful Champions Tour career looming in the not-so-distant future.

“I am going to try for my Champions Tour card this fall,” said Bruckner. “Since I turn fifty in September, I’ll have the opportunity to Monday Qualify for a couple of events before the end of the season."

"I don’t want to get too excited, but I'll also say I feel pretty good about (the Champions Tour Qualifying Tournament) because I’ll play the first stage at a course I’m very familiar with in California where I happened to win First Stage of PGA TOUR Qualifying one year, and the Finals is here at the TPC (of Scottsdale) Desert Course, which I'm also comfortable on," he added. "So, I’m trying not to think too much ahead about it, but I’m very excited to give that a go at the end of this year."

Speaking from the viewpoint of a well-seasoned golf professional who knows his place in an age where young bombers seem to dominate The Gateway Tour, Bruckner summed up what this week's victory means to him.

“I’m just extremely proud to be a winner out here with all of these young boys,” he said. “With how far some of these guys can hit it, it’s just a very gratifying feeling to be able to come out on top.”

This week’s event at Vista Verde completes the 6th of 7 Series events preceding the 2009 Winter Series Championship at Encanterra. The Desert Winter Series will resume again next week, February 24-26, at The Wigwam Gold/Red in Litchfield Park, AZ, while also running its first-ever SDS AZ Pro-Am at the Wigwam on Monday, February 23rd, to benefit the Sharing Down Syndrome AZ organization.

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