Lower Gwynedd Township, Pennsylvania (October 27, 2026) — The Philadelphia PGA Section is excited to announce the newest recipients of the Bud Jennings PGA Golf Management Scholarship: PGA of America Associates Nick Nykiel and Marcus Opheim.

Pictured left to Right PGA of America Associates Nick Nykiel and Marcus Opheim.

The scholarship was developed by the Jennings family to honor Bud Jennings, a lifelong golfer and longtime Chester Valley Golf Club member. Given Bud’s love for the game of golf and his willingness to give back and help others, the Jennings family says that this award is the perfect way to remember his legacy.

“Our family is thrilled to announce the recipients of the Bud Jennings PGM Scholarship to Nick Nykiel and Marcus Opheim,” said Chris Jennings. “Both are deserving candidates, and we are very happy to be honoring my father’s memory while also giving back to the golf community in Philadelphia.” 

The $3,000 scholarships are awarded annually to two Philadelphia PGA Associates aspiring to be elected to PGA Membership. Scholarship recipients will possess the skills, drive, and character it takes to become a first-class PGA Member. The recipients must show demonstration of outstanding qualities of leadership; demonstration of strong moral character; ability to maintain a substantial record of service to the Philadelphia PGA Section, PGA of America, and the game of golf; well-regarded as a model PGA Associate.

Nick Nykiel, one of the 2026 Jennings Scholarship recipients, is approaching his fourth season as senior golf professional at Blue Bell Country Club, working under PGA Director of Golf Joey Pohle. Prior to joining Blue Bell, Nykiel worked under Dean Kandle at St. Davids Golf Club, advancing from the bag room to senior assistant golf professional in just three years. Throughout his career as a PGA Associate, Nykiel has benefited from the guidance of several mentors and looks forward to continuing that tradition by becoming a mentor to the next generation of PGA Professionals.

“I can’t thank the Jennings family enough for their generosity in awarding this scholarship which I’m honored to receive,” said Nykiel. “It provides a healthy boost of confidence and recognition of the work I’ve put in to become a PGA Professional thus far, and it will certainly expedite the completion of that journey. It also instills a sense of belonging, as our Section is overflowing with talented PGA Professionals, and seeing my name mentioned alongside some of our best was very special. I’m excited to continue my education, and prove myself worthy of this great award. I’d also like to thank the all of the PGA Professionals I’ve met during my time in the industry. They have all aided in my professional development in some way shape or form, and I feel a great sense of pride belonging to the Philadelphia PGA Section. I will do my best to continue their work.”

Marcus Opheim currently serves as an assistant golf professional at Cobbs Creek Golf Campus. He previously worked as an assistant golf professional at Westchester Hills Golf Club in White Plains, New York, and as head golf professional at Skyway Golf Course in Jersey City, New Jersey. He has been in the golf business his entire life and graduated from Texas State University, where he played on the golf team from 2009 to 2012. Outside of golf, he enjoys skiing, spending time with his family, playing golf, and watching sports. He especially enjoys helping people improve their golf game and seeing the joy they experience when they get the ball into the air for the first time. He has two daughters, Palmer, age 3, and Ava, 5 months.

“I’m honored to receive the Bud Jennings Scholarship,” said Opheim. “Chris Jennings, Bud’s son, told me that his dad used to play Cobbs Creek all the time. I hear stories like his every day at my job, and they motivate me to represent Cobbs Creek and the Philadelphia PGA to the best of my ability. Also, by receiving this money to help finish my PGA education, it will allow me to better help run my facility and help provide an amazing public golf opportunity to the Philadelphia community. It also means the world to me that I can better support my family financially by taking some of the cost that would’ve gone to my education will now go to supporting them. I would like to thank a few of the professionals that have taught me all the skills along the way that allowed me the opportunity to earn this scholarship. I’d like to thank Lonny Alexander, PGA, from the South Texas PGA Section, my Cobbs Creek colleague Eric Pevoto, PGA, and Brian Giordano, PGA, from the Metropolitan PGA Section.”

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 of America Members and Associates who are employed at over 300 golf facilities in our region.

Contact: Matt Frey, PGA, Director of Operations, mfrey@pgahq.com