Champion Kirk Hanefeld posed with the Leo F. Fraser trophy after his victory Sunday at Toscana Country Club. (Photo: The PGA of America)

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- Kirk Hanefeld, a PGA Life member from Acton, Mass., separated himself from the field Sunday by making four consecutive birdies between the 14th and 17th holes to capture the 20th Senior PGA Professional National Championship presented by Callaway Golf at Toscana Country Club.

Hanefeld finished with a 4-under-par 68 and 10-under-par 278 total for a four-stroke triumph over John Aubrey, PGA head professional at Aubrey's Dubbs Dred Golf Course in Butler, Pa., and Jon Fiedler, a PGA teaching professional at Las Posas Country Club in Camarillo, Calif.

Tom Herzan of Findlay, Ohio, two-time Champion Mike San Filippo of Hobe Sound, Fla., Chris Tucker of Fort Mill, S.C., and 2004 Champion Jim White of Lincoln, Neb., shared fourth at 283.

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"I played well all week, but it showed near the end and I finished well," said Hanefeld, competing in his first Senior PGA Professional National Championship and earning $20,000 from a $285,000 total purse. "I made a bunch of birdies coming in today. Prior to those I missed some really short putts and instead of getting a lead earlier, I was right around the lead, behind or even after missing them. But the putts coming in really made the difference."

Hanefeld, 52, offset a bogey at the par-5 eighth, par-4 11th and par-4 13th by collecting a total of seven birdies, six of them coming on the back nine.

"I am in a position now where I am playing a lot and my game is pretty good if I can putt well and I did," said Hanefeld, a former Director of Golf at The International Golf Club in Bolton, Mass. "You don't ever expect to win, but you hope to every time you tee it up. I was feeling good when the week started and it could not have ended any better."

Fiedler, who had a 69, and Aubrey a 73, could not keep up with Hanefeld's torrid pace on the back nine.

Hanefeld's birdie run included his making a 12-footer at 14, pitching to one foot at 15 for a tap-in; knocking an 8-iron to 15 feet at 15 and lacing a 4-iron to 17, where he ran in an 18-footer in the center of the hole.

Aubrey and Fiedler attempted to stay with Hanefeld, but lost their momentum at the par-4 14th hole, where the tees were moved up 67 yards to 271. Fiedler, a long-time playing partner with Hanefeld, backed up a 52-degree wedge from 102 yards into a bunker and Aubrey, unsure of his club selection, hit his approach over the green and could not get up and down from there.

"Kirk and I had played in events on the Champions Tour for two years and I know what kind of player he is," said Fiedler, a PGA teaching professional at Las Posas Country Club in Camarillo, Calif. "Kirk is very consistent has lots of guts and a lot of experience. He's just too tough."

Aubrey, the third-round leader, said that he had trouble sleeping with the lead Saturday night.

"It's been awhile," said Aubrey. "It was a nice championship and I had a good chance to win. Kirk made more putts than we did."

Toscana Country Club played to a final-round 73.34 scoring average and yielded a 74.72 average over the four rounds of play.

In addition, the low 35 finishers earned a berth into the 70th Senior PGA Championship, to be contested next May at Canterbury Golf Club in Cleveland, Ohio.

The top eight finishers, including ties, received exemptions into the 2009 Senior PGA Professional National Championship presented by Callaway Golf. In addition, the top five finishers are exempt into the Champions Tour National Finals at TPC Eagle Trace in Coral Springs, Fla.

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