Year: 2021

Learn More About Philadelphia PGA’s Women’s Series Networking Golf Events

The Philadelphia PGA Section, in coordination with its Women’s Committee, is proud to introduce its Women’s Series, a new initiative for 2021 designed to encourage networking and camaraderie among women PGA Professionals in the Section.

Each event will feature nine holes of golf and a post-round reception with food & beverage. The events are open to all women PGA Members, Associates, and Students and LPGA members; women amateurs are also invited to participate in select Women’s Series events.

The first four events have been scheduled and the Section is looking to add more events as the season progresses. To register, follow the below links. If you are interested in hosting a Women’s Series event at your facility, please contact Leila Mackie, PGA, at lmackie@pgahq.com.



Monday, August 9
Honeybrook Golf Club
Honey Brook, Pa.
2:30 p.m. Tee Times
REGISTER HERE
*Open to women PGA Members, Associates, Students, LPGA members, and amateurs

Tuesday, August 24
Newark Country Club
Newark, Del.
3:00 p.m. Shotgun Start
REGISTER HERE
*Open to women PGA Members, Associates, Students, LPGA members and amateurs 

The Section and Committee thanks Flourtown C.C., Honeybrook G.C., and Newark C.C., and their PGA Professionals for hosting our inaugural Women’s Series events.

About the Philadelphia PGA Section
The Philadelphia PGA Section, covering eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware, is one of 41 geographical managing entities of the PGA of America. This Section manages nearly 900 PGA Members and Associates who are employed at over 590 golf facilities in our region.

Contact: Matt Frey, PGA, Communications Director, Philadelphia PGA Section, mfrey@pgahq.com

Justin Riegel, PGA, Becomes Namesake of Philadelphia PGA Assistant Golf Professional of the Year Award

Lower Gwynedd Township, Pa. (January 11, 2021) — The Philadelphia PGA Section today announced that it has renamed the award given to superlative PGA Assistant Professionals to the Justin Riegel Assistant Golf Professional of the Year. The award recognizes an individual who has displayed the qualities and attributes for what it takes to become an outstanding PGA Professional. Its new namesake, Justin Riegel, the 2015 recipient of the award, tragically passed away in a related accident in June 2020 while working as PGA Head Professional at Philmont Country Club in Huntingdon Valley, Pa.

“The Philadelphia PGA and its nearly 900 men and women PGA Professionals are still mourning the loss of Justin, who left us much too soon,” said Section Executive Director Geoff Surrette, PGA. “He was a wonderful PGA Professional, but was an even better partner, son, and friend. While we will never be able to fill the void left after Justin’s untimely death, we hope this award will honor his name and legacy for future generations of PGA Professionals.”

Justin’s family, including his mother Evette and girlfriend Kate, gave the Section their blessing to rename the award: “It is with genuine gratitude and bittersweet hearts that we, his family, accept this honor on Justin’s behalf. Thank you for celebrating his memory and commitment to the sport. He always encouraged excellence, while eager to share his knowledge and skills. Thank you for providing a way that his life long passion will carry on through his recognition.”

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help support Justin and Kate’s newborn son Harrison Kelly. You may access it by clicking here.

Justin Riegel PGA Assistant Golf Professional of the Year Recipients

2020: Ron Pine, PGA
2019: Steve Frederick, PGA
2018: Ashley Grier, PGA
2017: Dan Mrozinski, PGA
2016: Bryan Kienke, PGA
2015: Justin Riegel, PGA
2014: Sean Palmer, PGA
2013: Ben Debski, PGA
2012: Mark Kelly, PGA
2011: Jeff Breiner, PGA
2010: Joey Pohle, PGA
2009: Rob Agresti, PGA
2008: Tom Byrne, PGA
2007: Ed Gibson, PGA
2006: Andy Watters, PGA
2005: Jack Sodoma, PGA
2004: Rich Steinmetz, PGA
2003: Andy Watters, PGA
2002: Jonathan Doctor, PGA
2002: Jamie Komancheck, PGA
2001: Brian Lee, PGA
2000: Andy Hinson, PGA
1999: Jamie Komancheck, PGA
1998: Eric Korpics, PGA

About the Philadelphia PGA Section
The Philadelphia PGA Section, covering eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware, is one of 41 geographical managing entities of the PGA of America. This Section manages nearly 900 PGA Members and Associates who are employed at over 590 golf facilities in our region. Founded in 1921, the Section celebrates its centennial in 2021.

Contact: Matt Frey, PGA, Communications Director, Philadelphia PGA Section, mfrey@pgahq.com

 

Philadelphia PGA Section Releases 2021 Tournament Schedule

The 2021 Philadelphia PGA Section tournament schedule has been released and will open for registration at 9 a.m. ET on Monday, February 15 by clicking here.  The calendar is highlighted by the 100th Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship at Aronimink Golf Club and Applebrook Golf Club on Monday, August 30 – Wednesday, September 1, 2021.  Most tournaments will be open for registration this Monday (2/15) and a couple more events will be added to the calendar as event dates are finalized.

The Tournament Committee has been hard at work this off season as they are always looking to find ways to improve our tournament program year after year.  To view updates on the information listed below, please click here.

  • COVID-19 event protocols (more info to follow)
  • New events, new formats and a new withdrawal policy
  • New Philadelphia Players Championship eligibility
  • New Senior and Super Senior Scoring Average
  • New PAO combined event

Online Registration is also open for Philadelphia PGA Section Membership Programs listed below by clicking here:

  • Tournament Players Division (TPD) membership (fees increase $25 on 4/1/21)
  • Hole-in-One Club
  • Philadelphia Assistants’ Organization (PAO) membership
  • Central Counties Chapter (CCC) membership
  • CCC Hole-in-One Club

About the Philadelphia PGA Section
The Philadelphia PGA Section, covering eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware, is one of 41 geographical managing entities of the PGA of America. This Section manages nearly 900 PGA Members and Associates who are employed at over 590 golf facilities in our region.

Contact: Brian Schulte, PGA, Tournament Director, Philadelphia PGA Section, BSchulte@PGAHQ.com, (215) 778-4411

Philadelphia PGA Section Names Conlin’s Print ‘Preferred Printer’

Lower Gwynedd Township, Pa. (February 10, 2021) — The Philadelphia PGA Section today announced a new partnership with Conlin’s Print, a digital print, mail, and marketing solutions company that has served the Philadelphia region since 1980.

As part of the agreement, Conlin’s Print becomes the Preferred Printer of the Philadelphia PGA Section, PGA REACH Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour. Conlin’s Print will also extend an initial 10 percent discount to Philadelphia PGA Members and Associates to use for their print, mail, and/or marketing needs.

“The Philadelphia PGA is excited to partner with Conlin’s Print, a revered firm that produces quality products on time and on budget,” said Section Executive Director Geoff Surrette, PGA. “The benefit that Conlin’s will be providing to our members will certainly help make their jobs easier and boost their professional standing at their facilities and with their members, customers, and students.”

Conlin’s Print President and Owner Bill Conlin said: “We are honored to partner with the Philadelphia PGA Section as the Preferred Printer. We look forward to providing quality products and excellent service to the many Philadelphia PGA Members and Associates. Those that know me can attest that I am a better printer than golfer!”

In addition to their commitment to Philadelphia PGA Professionals, Conlin’s Print ‘preferred’ status will provide the Section a reliable partner for its own printing needs.

PGA Professionals looking to learn more about the Section’s partnership with Conlin’s Print, please contact Section Communications Director Matt Frey, PGA, at mfrey@pgahq.com.

About Conlin’s Print
Since 1980, Conlin’s has served the Philadelphia region with exceptional digital printing, signs, banners, displays, bindery, and direct mail fulfillment services. Businesses of all sizes trust Conlin’s to deliver quality printing and fast turnarounds. When other printers can’t meet your deadline, Conlin’s can! As part of our exemplary customer service, all jobs are guaranteed. For more information, visit conlinsprint.com.

About the Philadelphia PGA Section
The Philadelphia PGA Section, covering eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware, is one of 41 geographical managing entities of the PGA of America. This Section manages nearly 900 PGA Members and Associates who are employed at over 590 golf facilities in our region.

Contact: Matt Frey, PGA, Communications Director, Philadelphia PGA Section, mfrey@pgahq.com

Sunnybrook G.C.’s Brett Walker, PGA, Wins PGA Stroke Play Championship In Playoff Over Omar Uresti

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL- February 9: Brett Walker holds the plaque after winning the 2021 Men’s Stroke Play Championship at PGA Golf Club on February 9, 2021 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Rachel Harris/PGA of America)

PORT ST. LUCIE (Feb. 9, 2021) – Brett Walker of Ukiah, Calif., picked a nice time to win his first professional event, and he did so with style.

Walker fired an 8-under 63 Tuesday to get into a playoff, then birdied the first extra hole to defeat Omar Uresti and win the PGA Stroke Play Championship at PGA Golf Club.

Walker started the final round four shots out of the lead, but played his first 10 holes on the Ryder Course in seven-under to charge into contention against a quality leaderboard that included PGA stalwarts Uresti, Rod Perry, Bob Sowards and Ben Kern.

“You hear those names and it’s easy to get intimidated because they’re all great players,” Walker said. “But I focused on my game. I knew I could win. I just didn’t know it would be today.”

The 29-year-old Walker, who spends his winters in Jupiter and works as a PGA Assistant Professional at John’s Island Club in Vero Beach, earned $5,400 for the victory. Walker and Uresti finished at 13-under 201 before heading to the par-5 17th as the first playoff hole.

Walker’s second shot from 250 yards went over the green. He chipped to 4 feet and watched as Uresti faced a sidehill 8-foot birdie putt.

“I was expecting Omar to make it,” Walker said. “When he missed it, I was like ‘Wow!’ I was nervous. It wasn’t like an out-of-body experience, but my hands were shaking a little. It means so much to see my hard work pay off.”

Uresti, the reigning Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year, birdied his first four holes to move into a share of the lead Tuesday. He parred the next eight holes before making birdies at the No. 13 and No. 17 to force the playoff. It was the second consecutive year he lost the Stroke Play Championship in a playoff.

Perry of Port Orange, Fla., was tied for the lead, but bogeyed the final hole to miss the playoff by a shot. The bogey was the only blemish during a 5-under 66 that vaulted Perry into a third-place tie at 12-under 202 with Trevor Bensel (68) of Villanova, Pa., who started Tuesday with a two-shot lead.

Sowards (67) of Dublin, Ohio finished fifth at 11-under 203, a shot ahead of Kern (68-204) of Georgetown, Texas and Joe Summerhays (68-204) of Syracuse, Utah.

Defending champion Jason Caron (67-206) of Oyster Bay, N.Y., tied for ninth. Caron, a former Jupiter resident, was recently named PGA Professional Player of the Year.

The Stroke Play Championship is part of the PGA Winter Championships, which are presented by GolfPass and PrimeSport.

The PGA Winter Championships are presented by GolfPass and PrimeSport.

View final results

About the PGA of America

The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of nearly 29,000 PGA Professionals who daily work to grow interest and inclusion in the game of golf. For more information about the PGA of America, visit PGA.com and follow us on TwitterInstagram and Facebook.

Media Contact:
John Dever, PGA of America, jdever@pgahq.com

PGA Jr. League Leads a Healthy and Responsible Return to Youth Sports in 2021

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (Feb. 1, 2021) – PGA Jr. League player registration for the 2021 season opens today for youth ages 17 and under, following the program’s successful and responsible amended season in 2020.

Nearly 1,700 PGA Professional Captains rose to the challenges of the pandemic by creating responsible team golf experiences for nearly 37,000 kids in 2020. PGA Jr. League developed program-specific guidelines within the framework of the industry-wide Back2Golf Guidelines that were approved by medical advisors in alignment with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and shared these with Captains, Coaches and families, with the intent of resuming PGA Jr. League in the most responsible way.

“During an extremely challenging year, PGA Professionals stepped up to the plate to ensure kids could stay socially connected while physically distanced,” said PGA President Jim Richerson, PGA. “They leveraged PGA Jr. League to create a healthy outlet for kids seeking a team sport experience, and I’m confident their coaching made a positive impact on the livelihood of their players.”

PGA Jr. League was poised for a record-breaking year before issuing a three-month nationwide moratorium beginning last March on all of its practices, games and related activities. Summer and Fall Seasons were combined into one to maximize playing opportunities through the end of the year, while the competitive postseason was cancelled to prioritize the health of participants.

While activities were suspended, PGA Jr. League created a Community Page with the help of Captains and Coaches, as well as players and families, to stay engaged. Captains and Coaches provided backyard drills and activities, while players and families shared their photos and videos of golf practice at home. When the season resumed, PGA Jr. League shifted to its Guidelines in Real Time Page to showcase how PGA Jr. League functioned with healthy practices in place, including “non-handshake handshakes” submitted by players and physically-distanced practice videos from Captains and Coaches.

Despite a condensed season, year-end feedback from parents netted an 82% Net Promoter Score (NPS) for PGA Jr. League, which is industry-leading among youth sports programs. NPS is a standard consumer satisfaction metric that measures the degree to which people would recommend a company to others. Scores range from -100 to +100, with those above zero considered “good;” above 50 considered “excellent;” and above 70 considered “world-class.”

PGA Jr. League is the flagship youth pillar program of the PGA of America’s 501(c)(3) foundation, PGA REACH. With the goal of making the program accessible to all youth regardless of background, circumstance or ability, PGA REACH secured nearly 2,500 scholarships in 2020 for players from active military families or those with extenuating financial circumstances. New in 2021, families will have the option to contribute to the PGA Jr. League Scholarship Fund during the online registration process, which is vitally important to ensuring all youth can be welcomed to a PGA Jr. League team.

Three-time NBA Champion Stephen Curry and FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion Alex Morgan join PGA and LPGA Tour superstars Rory McIlroy, Lexi Thompson, Rickie Fowler and Michelle Wie as PGA Jr. League Ambassadors, lending their support and large platform to support the program.

In addition, PGA REACH has partnered with Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, with the goal of helping youth in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond with the support and opportunities needed to play the game of golf and lead healthy, active lives. This year, Curry lent his voice to a new PGA Jr. League PSA featuring PGA Jr. League player and junior reporter Warren Fisher, 13, in which they discuss playing golf and returning to PGA Jr. League responsibly.

To learn more and register for the 2021 season, families are encouraged to visit PGAJrLeague.com and search for programs nearby.

About PGA REACH
PGA Foundation, Inc. d/b/a/ PGA REACH is the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America. The mission of PGA REACH is to positively impact the lives of youth, military and diverse populations by enabling access to PGA Professionals, PGA Sections and the game of golf. For more information on PGA REACH, visit PGAREACH.org, follow @PGAREACH on Twitter, and find us on Facebook.

About PGA Jr. League
PGA Jr. League is the flagship youth pillar program of the PGA of America’s 501(c)3 foundation, PGA Foundation, Inc. d/b/a PGA REACH, with a goal of making the program accessible to all interested kids in the United States and around the world. Visit PGAJrLeague.com for more information, and follow @PGAJrLeague on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

About PGA of America
The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of nearly 28,000 PGA Professionals who daily work to grow interest and inclusion in the game of golf. For more information about the PGA of America, visit PGA.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Contacts
Michael Abramowitz, PGA of America, mabramowitz@pgahq.com, 561-624-8458
Hayley Wilson, Alday PR, hayley@aldaypr.com, 865-256-4295