West Chester, Pa. (August 14, 2022) — PGA Member Jeff Herb of Waynesborough Country Club in Paoli, Pa., led his team of amateurs, Ryan D’ariano and Jules Prevost, to victory in the 46th Pro-Am for Wishes at Penn Oaks Golf Club, topping Lookaway G.C.’s Mark Sheftic, PGA, Rob Madden and Noel Montesano; and the C.C. of York’s Parks Price, PGA, T.Lad Webb and Jack Crawford; by one stroke.

The Pro-Am for Wishes first started in 1976 at Whitford Country Club, and has been held annually at Penn Oaks Golf Club since 2008 (the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic) to benefit Make-A-Wish Philadelphia, Delaware & Susquehanna Valley. Since the event moved to Penn Oaks, it has raised over $675,000 for the Make-A-Wish foundation.

Using a two best balls of three format, Herb made four gross birdies and a gross eagle, while D’ariano and Prevost combined for eight net birdies; the team rounded out their scorecard with five bogies and a double bogey to finish their round at 7-under-par.

Moselem Springs G.C.’s Jeff Fick, and his amateur team, Bruce Longenecker and Shaun Lowy, tied for fourth place with Makefield Putters’ Michael Little, John Marrone and Taryn Marrone; and Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort’s Brian Bergstol, Al Conicella and Lino Demartino; at 5-under-par.

In the 36-hole PGA Professional event, Alex Knoll, Glen Brook G.C., leads the field following his 5-under-par 66. Michael Young, Brookside C.C., is in tied for second place, three strokes behind Knoll, with four other PGA Professionals: Jeff Herb, Waynesborough C.C.; Dave McNabb, Applebrook G.C.; Brian Bergstol, Shawnee Inn & Resort; and Rich Steinmetz, Spring Ford C.C.

After the opening round, Steinmetz, the reigning Philadelphia Senior PGA Professional Champion, is tied with McNabb in the Senior Division at 2-under-par. John Cooper, Green Valley C.C., is one stroke behind the leaders, while Eddie Perrino, C.C. of York, and Pro-Am for Wishes Championship defending champion Brian Kelly, Bucknell G.C., sit at even-par and 1-over-par, respectively.

Seven amateurs will play in Monday’s final round based on their opening round performance: Jake Sokalsky (71), Ryan D’ariano (71), Jimmy O’Connor Jr. (71), Kevin O’Hara (77), and Rick Gorman (80), Joe Paris (80), and Artie Schenck (80).

The PGA Professional field and qualifying amateurs will play their final round tomorrow, Monday, August 15 at Penn Oaks. To view the full leaderboard, click here.

The 2022 Pro-Am for Wishes is supported by the Otto’s BMW, Woodward Properties, Tamora Building Systems, and Crothall Healthcare. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our host, Penn Oaks Golf Club, its members, management, host PGA Professionals, and staff, as well as our partners, as the event would not have been possible without their support.

To view the full 2022 Pro-Am for Wishes leaderboard, click here.

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, mfrey@pgahq.com

Valley Forge, Pa. (August 11, 2022) — The APGA Tour and the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board (VFTCB) bring back three of the Philadelphia Region’s top golfers with a new addition from Drexel University as part of the field for the second annual APGA Tour Valley Forge, the growing pro tour’s return visit to Montgomery County and the Philadelphia region.

The tournament is set for Tuesday and Wednesday, September 20 and 21, with an APGA Foundation community service youth symposium with the First Tee of Philadelphia on Sunday, September 18 at The Club at Shannondell in Audobon.

The Philadelphia-area competitors are:

• Zach Juhasz of Bethlehem, 25, played in his first APGA Tour event last year at APGA Tour Valley Forge and returns this year as a fulltime member of the circuit.
• Matthew Vital of Bethlehem, 16, played last year as a local exemption and returns this year as a competitor in the new Cisco Junior Series which is a separate competition within the tournament among young players seeking to elevate their games for college and next-level opportunities.
• Louis Kelly of Glassboro, 29, also played last year as a sponsor exemption and is invited back in 2022 as he pursues fulltime membership in the APGA Tour. Kelly is the lead coach at First Tee Philadelphia, the PGA TOUR’s community service program and will be part of the APGA Foundation youth event this year on Sunday, September 18, at The Club at Shannondell in Audobon.
• Jeff Cunningham, 22, of Philadelphia, newly-graduated from Drexel University, earned his spot on the APGA Tour this spring when he finished second in the APGA Collegiate Rankings of African American players across the country.

The tournament will be the 15^th of the year for the APGA Tour, which has become a force in driving diversity in the sport of golf. The circuit launched with three events in 2010 and has expanded dramatically in the past three years on strength of partnerships with the PGA Tour, sponsors and organizations like VFTCB, which arranged for the tour stop in Montgomery County last year. The APGA Tour grew to seven events with $200,000 in prize money in 2020 and will conduct 18 events with $800,000 in prize and bonus money in 2022.

“The APGA Tour’s return to Montgomery County and the Philadelphia region was a focus when Valley Forge Tourism invited us to our first-ever tournament in the Northeastern United States last year,” state Cole Smith, APGA Tour Executive Director.  “We are hopeful of a long-term relationship and an important part of that is the involvement of the area’s best young players. We have that with Zach, Matthew, Louis and Jeff invited to compete.”

Biographical information on all four players is below.

ZACH JUHASZ, (pronounced YOU-HAAS) formerly one of the region’s top amateur players, now competes on the APGA Tour fulltime after being introduced to the circuit as a regional exemption at APGA Tour Valley Forge last year.  In 2021, he advanced through local competition to make the U.S. Open Regional Qualifying Tournament. In qualifying competition for the U.S. Amateur, the 25 year-old finished as second alternate, shooting seven-under over 36 holes. He competes in Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) events and is a former scholastic standout at Bethlehem Freedom High School. He shot a 3-under 68 to win medalist honors in qualifying for the 83rd Lehigh Valley Amateur in 2019, later winning the title.  Also won the GAP Tournament of Champions in 2019. This year, he tied for 20^th in the Pennsylvania State Amateur at Merion and lost in a playoff in the Lehigh Valley Open.  While pursuing his golf career, Zach works for his father, owner of Juhasz Home Improvement of Bethlehem.

MATTHEW VITAL, 16-year-old rising senior at Bethlehem Liberty High School, fired an 8 under-par 62 in a Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour event, to best Sam Snead’s longtime course record at Reading Country Club. Matthew is no stranger to the spotlight, having won the 12–13-year-old division of the 2019 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club the Sunday before The Masters.  He has won on multiple junior golf tours, including the Hurricane Junior Tour, US Kids Golf and PGA of Philadelphia Junior Tour. He set a record of nine wins in one season with the Lehigh Valley Junior Golf Tour.  He finished 1st place this year in the Penn State Philadelphia Junior tour with a tournament record of 7 under par.  He continues to compete on the prestigious AJGA Tour with a full exemption and State Amateur tournaments where he finished 1st place for the State Amateur qualifier.  As a junior and captain, he led his high school team to multiple league and district championships.   In 2022, he also earned honors as the individual district champion and the team conference MVP.  Matthew is sought after by multiple Division 1 schools to pursue his dream of playing competitive golf at the collegiate level while earning a degree in finance.

LOUIS KELLY, 29. A Willingboro native now residing in Philadelphia, Kelly is the lead coach for the First Tee pf Greater Philadelphia and assistant golf pro at Burlington Country Club in Burlington, NJ. In July, he won the New Jersey Open in a playoff, defeating Jason Gore, the former PGA TOUR star, at The Ridge at Back Brook.  Kelly excelled intercollegiately at Adelphi University and Louisiana-Lafayette. At Adelphi, he qualified as an individual for the NCAA Division II National Championship tournament after finishing second in the NCAA Regionals in 2013. He was the 2011 Northeast-10 Player and Rookie of the Year as well as a three-time first team All-Northeast 10 Conference selection before finishing his collegiate career at Division I Louisiana-Lafayette in 2015. He was named to the PING All-Region East team three times at Adelphi and ended up with six collegiate championships.

JEFF CUNNINGHAM has lived in Philadelphia for the past several years while playing intercollegiate golf for Drexel University. He graduated from Drexel in 2021 and earned his masters in Sports Business earlier this year. He finished his senior year golf season on a strong note by finishing fifth at the CAA Championship and finished fifth overall with a three-under-par 213 and was named to the All-Tournament team. He had a four-under-par 68 in the final round at Dataw and tied for fourth overall at the Don Bebow Invitational, where the Dragons picked up a team victory. He shot a one-under-par 70 in the final day at the tournament, one of his three sub-par rounds during the shortened season and had a 74.8 scoring average. He was also a CAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll recipient.

Contacts:

Steve Griffith, Vizion Group PR
484 433 7757 (East Coast)
sgriffith@viziongroup.net

Rachel Riley, Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board
610 834 7990
riley@valleyforge.org

Please join us in congratulating PGA Member Joanna Coe for qualifying for the 2022 United States Women’s PGA Cup Team. The premier international competition for women PGA Club Professionals will be held at Twin Warriors Golf Club at Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, October 24-29.

Coe and Ashley Grier (formerly of the Philadelphia PGA Section, now works in the Middle Atlantic PGA Section) are the two veterans returning from that inaugural championship team. Coe is the Director of Instruction at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania: She is among the first women to hold the position of head professional or director of instruction at one of the nation’s top 10 private golf facilities.

Currently there are representatives from five PGA Associations that will be part of the field: Australia, Canada, Great Britain & Ireland, Sweden and the United States. The Women’s PGA Cup is conducted as a 54-hole, stroke-play event, with each team’s lowest three scores counted after each round. The winning country will be the team with the lowest 54-hole aggregate total. The U.S. team won the inaugural Women’s PGA Cup by four shots in October 2019 at the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa/Foothills Course in Austin, Texas.

To read the full announcement from the PGA of America, click here.

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

Pine Hill, N.J. (August 8, 2022) — PGA Associate J.T. Wambold of Yardley (Pa.) Country Club and led his amateur partner, Chris Ault, to a one-stroke victory in the 2022 Philadelphia PGA Pro-Scratch Championship Presented by Parx Casino® on yet another hot day at Trump National Golf Club Philadelphia.

The winning team got off to a hot start, carding an eagle three on the opening hole, a 520-yard par-5. From there, the team made five birdies and one bogey in the gross Four Ball format, finishing with a 6-under-par 65, to overtake the second place team from Elmhurst C.C.: PGA Associate John Roche and amateur Billy Pabst.

George Frake, PGA, of Moorestown Field Club, and amateur Kevin Kramarski finished in third place, two strokes behind the victors. Tavistock C.C.’s Jim Shukdinas and Darran Cassar tied for fourth with their counterparts from Tavistock: Pat Butkus and Dougie Ergood, at 2-under-par.

The 2022 Philadelphia PGA Pro-Scratch Championship is presented by Parx Casino®, and is supported by L2 Brands, Kevin McClellan Golf Sales, Workhorse Brewing Company / Workhorse Tour, Destination Kohler, and Ohana Farm LLC. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our host, Trump National Golf Club Philadelphia, its members, management, host PGA Professionals, and staff, as well as our partners, as the event would not have been possible without their support.

To view the full 2022 Philadelphia PGA Pro-Scratch Championship Presented by Parx Casino® leaderboard, click here.

Photo: The Bausch Collection / MyPhillyGolf.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, mfrey@pgahq.com

Plymouth Meeting, Pa. (August 4, 2022) — As the heat index approached 105 degrees, PGA Member Bob Lennon of Wilmington (Del.) Country Club led his team of amateurs, David Lunger, Scott Simonton, and Danielle Lunger, to victory in the inaugural DeAngelis Pro-Am at the 1912 Club. The event was created by the DeAngelis family and the Philadelphia PGA Section to pay tribute to Don DeAngelis, an accomplished PGA Member and player, who passed in January 2022.

DeAngelis was elected to PGA Membership in 1978, and played the game with immense talent, winning the 1985 Pennsylvania Open and playing in the 1978 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver, Colo., and winning a Section tournament in six straight decades. His most recent win was in September 2021, when he won the 2021 Philadelphia Senior PGA Professional Championship’s Super Senior Division, and also shot his age, a 69. See below to view DeAngelis’ playing career highlights.

Finishing with a score of 16-under-par, Wilmington C.C.’s team made 10 net birdies and three net eagles in the two best of four format to win by one stroke over Spring Ford C.C.’s Rich Steinmetz, PGA, Mark Gentilotti, Brad Schubert, and Gerry Gentilotti; and John Allen, PGA, Helene Caniglia, Amy Allen, and Jim Allen. PGA Member Steve Frederick, Radnor Valley C.C., Lou Rusnock, William Atkinson, and Pat Dill, finished in fourth place at 14-under-par. Two teams tied for fifth: Talamore C.C.’s Andy Watters, PGA, Harold Jacobson, Dan Busichio, and Mike Sherenian; and Blue Bell C.C.’s Joey Pohle, PGA, Roger Cohn, Dick Beck, and Steve Doherty.

In the Gross Division, PGA Member Joey Pohle, Blue Bell C.C., and his team of amateurs, Roger Cohn, Dick Beck, and Steve Doherty, tied three other teams for first place: Spring Ford C.C.’s Rich Steinmetz, PGA, Mark Gentilotti, Brad Schubert, and Gerry Gentilotti; Ed Oliver G.C.’s Tommy Ellison, Brian Stillman, Dylan Sisler, and Zach Dilworth; and 1912 Club’s host PGA Member Michael Loeper, Charles Caparo, Matt Mingione, and Gerard Rosato. John Kulhamer, Green Pond G.C., and Charles Leon, Scott Kalamar, and John Mace finished in fifth place.

The 2022 DeAngelis Pro-Am is supported by the DeAngelis family, Subaru, KM Golf Sales, and Jim Ravina Golf Sales. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our host, the 1912 Club, its members, management, host PGA Professionals, and staff, as well as our partners, as the event would not have been possible without their support.

To view the full 2022 DeAngelis Pro-Am leaderboard, click here.

Playing Accomplishments of Don DeAngelis, PGA

Professional Golf

• Philadelphia PGA First Vice President – 1988
• Philadelphia PGA Tournament Chair – 1989
• 1976 Philadelphia Assistant PGA Professional Champion
• 1978 U.S. Open qualifier
• 1985 Pennsylvania Open Champion (3rd in 1983)
• Philadelphia Open: 2nd in 1986
• Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship: 2nd in 1988, 3rd in 1979, 4th in 1982
• Pennsylvania PGA Championship: 2nd in 1983
• 1985 Nike Hershey Open qualifier
• Six-time PGA Professional Championship qualifier
• Seven-time Senior PGA Professional Championship qualifier
• 17-time Challenge Cup team member

Professional Employment

• Plymouth C.C. (1912 Club)
• Blue Bell C.C.
• Philadelphia Golf Academy
• Island Green G.C.
• Woods Golf Center
• LuLu C.C.
• Center Square G.C.

Amateur Golf

• 1969 Phila. Golf Assoc. Jr. Champion
• Univ. of Penn. golf team member and 1973 captain
• All Ivy League in 1971
• Three-time GAP Compher Cup team member
• 1972 U.S. Amateur qualifier

Lower Gwynedd Township, Pa. (August 2, 2022) — The Philadelphia PGA Section and Silvercrest Asset Management Group have finalized the PGA Professional field for the inaugural Silvercrest Cup, scheduled for Monday, September 26 at the historic Donald Ross-designed Gulph Mills Golf Club in King of Prussia, Pa.

Fifty-four PGA Professionals earned their place in the $30,000 Silvercrest Cup final via a points system drawn from their performance in four qualifying events; the top eight amateurs on the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s (GAP) William Hyndman III Player of the Year list will also be invited to compete. The Silvercrest Cup champion is set to receive $15,000, one of the most lucrative winner’s checks on the Section’s tournament calendar. In addition to the final purse, each qualifying event included a bonus pool of $5,000, to be shared between each qualifier’s champion and runner-up.

Braden Shattuck, PGA, of Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Pa., finished atop the 2022 Silvercrest Cup points standings with 775.5 points, thanks in part to his win at the final Silvercrest Cup qualifying event, the 2022 Doylestown Open on July 29. Sandy Run G.C.’s Trevor Bensel, PGA, finished 125.22 points behind Shattuck, while 2022 William Hyndman III Memorial Classic and third qualifying event champion Parks Price, C.C. of York, finished in third.

Joanna Coe, PGA, of Merion G.C., winner of the second qualifier at the Conestoga Classic, placed in fourth. Alex Knoll, Glen Brook G.C., rounded out the top five, 168.72 points behind the leader. Terry Hertzog, PGA, the winner of the season’s first qualifier, the Delaware Valley Open, finished in ninth place with 542.14 points. Rounding out the PGA Professional field, in 54th, is Tavistock C.C.’s Pat Butkus, PGA.

2022 Silvercrest Cup – Top 10 Points Earners

To view the full 2022 Silvercrest Cup standings, click here and select “Silvercrest Cup” under “Category.”

While the Silvercrest Cup rewards playing excellence of Philadelphia PGA Professionals and top amateurs, the series will also provide significant donations to local foundations, including the Philadelphia PGA Section’s 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, PGA REACH Philadelphia, and the GAP’s J.Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust.

About Silvercrest Asset Management Group
Silvercrest Asset Management Group was founded in April 2002 by a group of highly experienced investment professionals with the goal to create a firm dedicated to serving individuals, families and select institutions with significant financial assets. Since inception, Silvercrest has nurtured an entrepreneurial, collegial, and action-oriented business culture with a client first ethos that has led to a 98% client retention rate. Our dedication to serving our clients’ needs first and to providing institutional quality asset management capabilities to the marketplace, has allowed Silvercrest to prosper and grow.  Over the past twenty years, we’ve grown to a diverse organization with 149 employees from various backgrounds in offices around the country and today, we manage over $20 billion dollars in assets on behalf of our clients.

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.

Contacts: 

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

Kate Morin, Vice President, Silvercrest Asset Management Group, kmorin@silvercrestgroup.com

It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of John Rogers, the 42nd Philadelphia PGA Section President; he was 62. John is survived by wife Christine, and children Kyle, Taylor, and Molly.

A longtime member of the PGA of America, Rogers pursued a career at various golf courses and clubs throughout Pennsylvania. Following a stint as a head golf professional in Cross Junction, Va., Rogers became the head professional at The Majestic Ridge Golf Club in Chambersburg in 1993 where he spent nearly 20 years devoted to teaching others the art of the game. Among several accolades and recognitions throughout his career, Rogers received a national award in 2011 from the PGA of America which honors a member for outstanding contributions to professional education. He also served as President of the Philadelphia PGA Section. To read more about John’s service to the game, see below.

In addition to his wife and children, Rogers is survived by his sisters Barbara (Gregory) Torrence and Kim Jagaczewski. He’s known as Uncle John to several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 6 in Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 320 Philadelphia Ave., Chambersburg, Pa. The family will receive visitors one hour prior to the service Saturday afternoon in the new church narthex. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his honor may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org.

To read John’s full obituary, click here.

John’s dedication to the PGA of America, Philadelphia PGA Section, and the game of golf was impressive:

• PGA of America Professional Development Award: 2011
• 42nd Philadelphia PGA Section President: 2017-2019
• Central Counties Chapter President: 2005-2007
• Section Professional Development Award: 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010
• Central Counties Chapter PGA Golf Professional of the Year
• Section Education Committee Chair
• Elected to PGA Membership: September 1, 1992

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.