Lower Gwynedd Twp., Pa. (May 31, 2024) — StretchLab is a new partner this year for the Philadelphia PGA. Their company specializes in stretching out the body to alleviate pain and promote flexibility.

This year, they supported the section at the Spring Pro-Pro Championship at Atlantic City C.C. on April 29 where they were able to demo their services for the PGA of America Golf Professionals.

Geoffrey Surrette, PGA, the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Section said, “We are happy to have StretchLab come on board as a new partner. It is important as a section that we diversify the opportunities provided to members and StretchLab is the perfect way to begin moving towards prioritizing health and wellness. Many thanks to the franchisees, and the rest of the StretchLab team for their support.”

“We are honored to collaborate with the Philadelphia PGA Section and contribute to the health and wellness of its members,” said Doug Willmott representing the StretchLab Tri-State Franchisees. “Our mission is to enhance flexibility and alleviate pain, and we were excited to bring these benefits to the golf professionals at the Spring Pro-Pro Championship. Together, we aim to foster a community where performance and well-being go hand in hand.”

About Stretch Lab
Founded in 2015, StretchLab is the largest assisted stretching brand globally that was created to help people through customized flexibility services. It offers one-on-one assisted stretching sessions to customers across a broad range of age and fitness levels. StretchLab’s advanced “Flexologist” instructors hold a nationally recognized certificate in assisted stretching, accredited by the Institute for Credentialing Excellence, following extensive training both in the classroom and on the job. To learn more about StretchLab, visit www.stretchlab.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 of America Members and Associates who are employed at over 590 golf facilities in our region.

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

BENTON HARBOR, Michigan (May 22, 2024) – The 84th KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship returns for a historic sixth time to Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Michigan, where the Corebridge Financial Team of PGA of America Golf Professionals will compete against the world’s best senior golfers.
The Corebridge Financial Team at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship includes the top finishers in the 2023 Senior PGA Professional Championship held last October at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
“Our incredible PGA of America Golf Professionals who comprise the Corebridge Financial Team have combined for 130 starts in the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship,” said PGA of America President John Lindert, PGA Director of Golf at the Country Club of Lansing (Michigan). “Their resilience on the course is matched by their passion for their tenured careers on the lesson tee, in the golf shop and in their respective communities. They love to compete and they love to help others enjoy the game. We wish them the best of luck at Harbor Shores.”
Corebridge Financial’s partnership with the PGA of America includes the title sponsorship of three PGA of America Member teams, formerly known as the Team of 20 (PGA Championship); Team of 35 (KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship); and Team of 9 (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship). Each group is now recognized as the Corebridge Financial Team.
Bob Sowards, PGA, the Director of Instruction at Kinsale Golf & Fitness Club in Powell, Ohio, will lead the team as champion of the 2023 Senior PGA Professional Championship. One of the Association’s most accomplished competitors, he won the PGA of America Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year award five times, including in 2023, as well as four PGA of America Professional Player of the Year honors. He has been a member of 15 Corebridge Financial Teams competing in both PGA Championships and KitchenAid Senior PGA Championships.
Sowards finished T-5 in the 2021 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club, and even held the lead in the second round. He made the cut at the 2023 Championship at PGA Frisco and also competed in 2022 and 2019.
Among other notables beginning play Thursday:
David Hutsell, PGA, Lead Instructor at Baltimore Country Club, played in the 2010 and ’11 PGA Championships. He finished T-26 in the 2023 Senior PGA Professional Championship to earn a place on the Corebridge Financial Team at Harbor Shores. He’s competed in 10 PGA Tour events and has won three PGA Professional Championships (2010, ‘11, ‘15). In 2020, Hutsell was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and has gone through several rounds of cancer treatments. He is currently in remission.
Tracy Phillips, PGA, Director of Instruction at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, comes into the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship after making his PGA Championship debut last week at age 61. A Member of the PGA of America since 1992, Phillips stopped playing competitive golf for 20 years (1988-2008) following a collegiate golf career at Oklahoma State University. He finished T-8 in the PGA Professional Championship to earn a spot on the Corebridge Financial Team, and made the cut in the 2023 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at PGA Frisco.
Tim Weinhart, PGA, the Director of Instruction at Heritage Golf Links in Tucker, GA, finished T-9 in the 2023 Senior PGA Professional Championship to earn his spot on the Corebridge Financial Team. He previously played in six major championships: five PGA Championships (2002, ’05, ’06, ’08, ’09) and the 2012 U.S. Open. He made the cut at both the 2022 and 2023 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championships, including finishing as low PGA of America Golf Professional in 2023 at PGA Frisco. Weinhart is one of only four players to win the “Georgia PGA Grand Slam”: Georgia Open, Georgia PGA Championship, Atlanta Open and Georgia PGA Match Play Championship.
2024 Corebridge Financial Team:

Don Berry, PGA (Rogers, Minn.) – Edinburgh USA Golf Club, Minnesota Section

Greg Bisconti, PGA (South Salem, N.Y.) – The Saint Andrew’s Golf Club, Metropolitan Section

Eric Bogar, PGA (Houston, Texas) – Golfcrest Country Club, Southern Texas Section

Craig Bowden, PGA (Bloomington, Ind.) – Indiana PGA Life Member, Indiana Section

Jeff Brehaut, PGA (Park City, Utah) – Utah PGA Life Member, Utah Section

Jason Caron, PGA (Greenlawn, N.Y.) – Mill River Club Inc., Metropolitan Section

Jim Carter, PGA (Scottsdale, Ariz.) – Southwest PGA Life Member, Southwest Section
Paul Claxton, PGA (Claxton, Ga.) – Richmond Hill Golf Club, Georgia Section

Frank Esposito, PGA (Florham Park, N.J.) – Mountain Ridge Country Club, New Jersey Section

Ray Franz, PGA (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) – Daniel Island Club, Carolinas Section

Greg Gregory, PGA (Joshua, Texas) – Southern Oaks Golf Club, Northern Texas Section

Jeff Hart, PGA (Solana Beach, Calif.) – Southern California PGA Life Member, Southern California Section

Scott Hebert, PGA (Traverse City, Mich.) – Traverse City Golf & Country Club, Michigan Section

Gregory Hiller, PGA (San Antonio, Texas) – TPC San Antonio, Southern Texas Section

Jason Hrynkiw, PGA (Ormond Beach, Fla.) – Oceanside Country Club, North Florida Section

David Hutsell, PGA (Lutherville, Md.) – Baltimore Country Club, Middle Atlantic Section

Ed Kirby, PGA (North Kingstown, Ri.) – The Aquidneck Club, New England Section

Chad Kurmel, PGA (Okemos, Mich.) – Michigan State University, Michigan Section

David Ladd, PGA (West Palm Beach, Fla.) – Champions Club at Summerfield, South Florida Section

Brad Lanning, PGA (Hortonville, Wi.) – Rise Up Golf Consulting, Wisconsin Section

Brad Lardon, PGA (Santa Fe, N.M.) – The Club at Las Campanas, Sun Country Section

Ryan Malby, PGA (Kalispell, Mont.) – Pacific Northwest PGA Life Member, Pacific Northwest Section
Sean McCarty, PGA (Solon, Iowa) – Brown Deer Golf Club, Iowa Section

Todd McCorkle, PGA (Fort Worth, Texas) – Old Overton Club, Northern Texas Section

Dave McNabb, PGA (Newark, Del.) – Applebrook Golf Club, Philadelphia Section

Alan Morin, PGA (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) – The Club at Ibis, South Florida Section

Rick Morton, PGA (Jacksonville, N.C.) – Rock Creek Golf & Country Club, Carolinas Section

Birk Nelson, PGA (Eugene, Ore.) – Orange Whip Golf & Fitness, Pacific Northwest Section

Rod Perry, PGA, (Port Orange, Fla.) – Crane Lakes Golf & Country Club, North Florida Section

Tracy Phillips, PGA (Tulsa, Okla.) – Cedar Ridge Country Club, South Central Section

Chad Proehl, PGA (Urbandale, Iowa) – Sugar Creek Golf Course, Iowa Section)

Jake Reeves, PGA (Knoxville, Tenn.) – Fox Den Country Club, Tennessee Section

Micah Rudosky, PGA (Cortez, Colo.) – Conquistador Golf Course, Colorado Section

Robert Russell, PGA (Stilwell, Ks.) – Nicklaus Golf Club At LionsGate, Midwest Section

Jeffrey Schmid, PGA (Iowa City, Iowa) – Brown Deer Golf Club, Iowa Section

Steve Schneiter, PGA (Sandy, Utah) – Schneiter’s Pebblebrook, Utah Section

Rob Sedorcek, PGA (Ballwin, Mo.) – Family Golf & Learning Center, Gateway Section

Mick Smith, PGA (Summit, Wis.) – Mick Smith Golf, Wisconsin Section

Bob Sowards, PGA (Dublin, Ohio) – Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club, Southern Ohio Section

Tim Weinhart, PGA (Canton, Ga.) – Heritage Golf Links, Georgia Section
The KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, golf’s most historic and prestigious senior Major Championship, will be contested May 23-26 and broadcast on Golf Channel and NBC. The action can also be taken in through srpgachampionship.com and by following @seniorpgachamp on Facebook, Instagram and X.
About PGA of America

The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals who love the game, are expert coaches, operators and business leaders, and work daily to drive interest, inclusion and participation in the sport. The PGA of America owns and operates numerous championships and events, including major championships for men, women, seniors and the Ryder Cup, one of the world’s foremost sporting events. For more information, visit PGA.com and follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Media Contacts

Jesse Dodson, PGA of America, jdodson@pgahq.com

Louisville, Ky. (May 17, 2024) – PGA of America Golf Professional Braden Shattuck of Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Pa., has made the cut at the PGA Championship which is being played at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. He had a steady round on day one, finishing with an even par, 71. For his second round, he finished at 1-under-par and is currently sitting tied for 68th going into the weekend. He will tee off Saturday at 1;34 pm off of hole 10. To follow along with him, click here. Good luck and great rounds Braden!

Glenside, Pa. (May 7, 2024) — PGA of America Golf Professional Dave Pagett of Whitemarsh Valley Country Club in Lafayette Hill, Pa., defeated Danny Lewis of Philadelphia Cricket Club at Saint Martins, in a sudden death playoff at North Hills Country Club to win the 2024 Philadelphia PGA Connelly Cup Head Golf Professional Championship. Both shot a three-under-par round of 68 to earn their spots in the playoff.

The Connelly Cup is named in honor of Jack Connelly, a past president of both the PGA of America (2001-02) and Philadelphia PGA Section (1983-84). Connelly was also inducted into the Section’s Hall of Fame in 2000, and PGA of America Hall of Fame in 2005.

The playoff began on No. 18, a 350-yard par-4 that features a treacherously steep green; both players made par, and headed back to the tee. Padgett made an eight-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to claim victory.”

“I played really solid today, especially with an eagle on No. 15, and several other birdies along the way,” said Pagett. “My goal was to remain patient and positive throughout the day and it paid off.”

Jeff Kiddie, Aronimink G.C., finished in third place at 1-over par. Greg Wingate, Sunnybrook G.C., shot a 2-over-par 73 for fourth place. Four PGA Professionals tied for fifth place.

Kiddie also secured first place in the Senior Division, bettering Eric Kennedy, Overbrook G.C., by two strokes. In a tie for third with a 4-over score of 75 were John Pillar, C.C. of Woodloch Springs and John Cooper, Green Valley C.C. Brian Kelly earned solo fifth in the Senior Division with his score of 76.

To view the full 2024 Philadelphia PGA Connelly Cup Head Golf Professional Championship 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 of America Members and Associates who are employed at over 590 golf facilities in our region.

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

Lower Gwynedd Township, Pa. (April 11, 2024) — The Philadelphia PGA Section is happy to announce that it has signed Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board (VFTCB) as a Premier Section Partner. The VFTCB is a non-profit membership sales and marketing organization which actively promotes the Valley Forge area and Montgomery County, Pa.

Valley Forge and Montgomery County will resume their role as a Presenting Partner of the Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour, and support all women’s initiatives including a new all female PGA HOPE Chapter at Huntingdon Valley C.C., the Women’s Section Championship and the Spring and Summer Pro-Lady Team Championships. Their continued support of PGA REACH Philadelphia will be shown this year through the sponsorship of the foundation’s pro-am on September 30, at Laurel Creek C.C. and the PGA REACH Philadelphia Diversity Scholars. New to their partnership this year is their patronage for Off the Green, which is a new golf docuseries.

“We would like to thank Mike Bowman and the entire team at Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board.” said Section Executive Director Geoff Surrette, PGA. “The past few years working with them have allowed us to partner and grow our great initiatives to provide more opportunities to showcase women and diversity in golf.”

“Here at the VFTCB, we’re beyond proud to once again partner with the Philadelphia PGA,” said Mike Bowman, President & CEO of the VFTCB. “This group truly represents class in golf, and since Montco is home to 50 of the most historic and top-ranked courses in the country, it’s such a natural fit to connect with these folks. Plus, we both believe in the commitment to supporting women, diversity, and youth in the sport.”

For those looking to learn more about the Section’s partnership with Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board, please contact Section Communications Director Matt Frey, PGA, at mfrey@pgahq.com.

About Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board
The Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board is a private, non-profit membership sales and marketing organization which actively promotes the Valley Forge area and Montgomery County as a convention site and leisure visitor destination by promoting patronage of its member hotels, restaurants, attractions and services. The Board represents more than 500 member businesses throughout Southeast Pennsylvania, and is funded from a combination of Pennsylvania grants, membership dues, and a tax imposed on visitors occupying the county’s more than 9,400 hotel rooms. For more information, visit valleyforge.org.

Lower Gwynedd Township, Pa. (March 13, 2024) — The Philadelphia PGA Section is pleased to announce that it has signed Visit Delco as a Premier Section Partner. Visit Delco is the official tourism promotion agency for Delaware County, with the mission of helping drive the economic vitality of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, as a dynamic tourism destination.

As part of their partnership, Visit Delco will be supporting the 103rd Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship at Rolling Green G.C. on August 26-28. Visit Delco will also be a title partner for a PGA HOPE chapter in Delaware County. In addition, Visit Delco will sponsor the PGA REACH Philadelphia Pro-Am.

“Executive Director Steve Byrne and the entire team at Visit Delco have made a wonderful investment in our programming this year.” said Section Executive Director Geoff Surrette, PGA. “They have elevated their support to become a premiere partner and that has allowed us to impact our PGA HOPE outreach along with our Section Championship which is being held in Delco at Rolling Green GC.”

“As a longtime sponsor of the Philadelphia Section, it was an easy decision for Visit Delco to increase our support of the PGA HOPE chapter in our home county, which provides the introduction of golf to Veterans and Active Duty Military, enhancing their overall well-being.” Stated Steve Byrne, Executive Director of Visit Delco. “As an organization, we are dedicated to supporting and honoring the more-than 25,000 proud Veterans who call Delaware County home, and our enhanced partnership with the PGA section will help us build momentum in advance of the PGA Championship coming to Aronimink in 2026”.
About Visit Delco
Visit Delco is the official tourism arm of Delaware County. Their mission is to drive the economic vitality of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, as a dynamic tourism destination by promoting the abundance of diverse experiences, and present the region, as a welcoming place to visit, meet, stay, and play.

Contacts:

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

Mount Laurel Township, N.J. (April 22, 2024) — PGA of America Golf Professional Sam Ambrose from Chester Valley Golf Club in Malvern Pa., finished with a 4-under-par 67 and 30 Stableford points to win the 2024 Philadelphia PGA Tournament Players Division (TPD) Championship at Laurel Creek Country Club by 3 points over Zach Barbin, Chesapeake Bay Golf Club. The tournament is the Section’s first Rolex / Haverford Trust Company Philadelphia PGA Player of the Year event of the year.

The Modified Stableford format awarded points as follows: Double Bogey or higher, – 1 point; Bogey, 0 points; Par, 1 point; Birdie, 3 points; Eagle, 6 points; and Double Eagle, 9 points.

Ambrose finished with three birdies in a row, totaling eight for his round. This is his first points event victory and when asked about his round he said, “Winning a points event has been a goal of mine since coming into the Section and it means a lot that I was able to achieve that in a competitive field. I would like to thank the members at Chester Valley, the Section staff and my beautiful family for all of their support.”

Third place was a tie between Braden Shattuck, Rolling Green G.C., and Greyson Rossi, the Peninsula G. and C.C. at 26 points. One point behind in fifth place from GOLFTEC-Moorestown was Joe Kogelman.

In the Senior Division, Rich Steinmetz from Spring Ford C.C. claimed first place scoring 22 Stableford points, defeating Chris Krueger from Kings Creek C.C. by one point. In a tie for third place with 20 points was Brian Kelly from Bucknell G.C. and John Pillar from the C.C. of Woodloch Springs. Rounding out the top five in the Senior Division was our new event sponsor, Hugo Mazzalupi with 19 points.

To view the full 2024 TPD Championship 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 of America Members and Associates who are employed at over 590 golf facilities in our region.

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