Philadelphia PGA Newsletter – May 13, 2016

Avondale, Pa. – On a day when the weather was more suited for early spring than mid-May, more than 50 teams featuring more than 100 Philadelphia PGA Professionals competed in the Spring Pro-Pro Championship at Hartefeld National Golf Club, in Avondale, Pa. This marked the first time the Philadelphia PGA visited Hartefeld National GC since the course hosted 2009 Philadelphia PGA Assistants Championship. Despite the weather, the 6500 yards long golf course was in near perfect condition for the better ball of partners’ event.

Playing early in the day the pair of Jamie Komancheck (Rivercrest GC & Preserve) and Pete Kowalinski (Dunning Golf) posted an impressive score of 5-under-par (67). The duo carded a total of eight team birdies with each contributing at least three to the team total. However a pair of untimely bogeys on holes eleven and twelve prevented them from posting an even more impressive number.

Matching Komancheck and Kowalinski at 5-under-par (67) was the team of Steve Swartz (Country Club of Harrisburg) and Joe Kogelman (GolfTEC Moorestown). Komancheck and Swartz, 2015 Fall Pro-Pro champions, combined for eight birdies against only three bogeys to reach the number.

Unfortunately for both teams at 5-under-par, the pair of Bill Sautter (Philadelphia Cricket Club) and John Spina (Philadelphia Cricket Club) was able to best them by one shot. As a team the combo played flawlessly adding six birdies to finish at 6-under-par (65). Sitting at 4-under-par on the 17^th hole, Sautter and Spina managed to birdie their final two holes to grab the lead at 6-under-par.

However playing in the next to last group the team of Mike Meisenzhal (Shore Gate CC) and David Morano (Hidden Creek GC) were able to overcome both the field and the windy conditions to post the low round of the day, an 8-under-par (64). The pair combined for a total of eleven birdies, including six on their back nine to finish two shots clear of the field and capture the 2016 Spring Pro-Pro title.

Special congratulations to Tom Carpus (Kennett Square Golf & CC) on recording a hole-in-one on the par 3 second hole at Hartefeld National GC. Carpus used a 7-iron on the 145 yard long hole to accomplish the feat in the tournament, his second tournament hole-in-one.

The Section would like to thank our Spring Pro-Pro Championship sponsors Ahead, and PTE Golf. The Philadelphia PGA will resume tournament action tomorrow, May 17, at Lehigh Country Club for the annual Spring Pro-Lady Team Championship.

For complete coverage of the Philadelphia PGA be sure to follow us on our Social Media Channels Facebook / Twitter / Instagram.

Under clear blue skies and near perfect temperatures the second installment of the Oakley Skull Cup Pro-Am was played at Galloway National Golf Club. The event pairs together one PGA Professional and one amateur in the better ball of partners event. All amateur are playing to 80% of their handicaps.

With the Oakley Skull Cup Pro-Am played as a shotgun event scores were coming in fast and furious at the end of the day. However, one of the first team to finish their rounds posted an impressive score of 7-under-par (64). Bob Hennefer (Indian Spring Golf Club) and his partner Matt Jugan combined for nine birdies against only two bogeys to claim the early lead. The pair was quickly joined at 7-under-par by the team of Dave Quinn (Links Golf Club) and his amateur partner Ed Quinn. The duo combined for the most team birdies in the field (10) but some unfortunate bogeys kept them from posting an even better number.

However, as scores continued to stream in the team featuring Ron Pine (Whitemarsh Valley Country Club) and his partner Chuck Lynch posted a score of 8-under-par (63) to jump into the lead. Pine and Lynch carded seven birdies and one eagle but an untimely bogey on the par4 12^th hole kept them from having a flawless round and ultimately a share of the win.

Riding a wave of great play from both teammates one team was able to best the field and post a winning score of 9-under-par (62) to claim the tournament’s top spot. Curtis Kirkpatrick (Indian Spring Golf Club) and his amateur partner Harold Morgan combined for nine team birdies and one eagle. Their outstanding play helped them overcome their two bogeys and earn the one-shot win.

The Philadelphia PGA would like to thank our title sponsor Oakley and Ralph Viola as well as Pinelands Brewing Co. and Nick Brown and John Kugler for their support of this event. The Philadelphia PGA also thanks the membership of Galloway National Golf Club and PGA Director of Golf Jason Lamp for their hospitality. The next event of the Philadelphia PGA tournament calendar is the Haverford Philadelphia PGA Classic on Tuesday, May 31 at Sunnybrook GC.

 1   Curtis Kirkpatrick Indian Springs GC | Harold Morgan        31-31--62 -9  
 2   Ron Pine Whitemarsh Valley CC | Chuck Lynch                 32-31--63 -8  
 T3  Bob Hennefer Indian Springs GC | Matt Jugan                 31-33--64 -7  
 T3  Dave Quinn Links GC | Ed Quinn                              34-30--64 -7  
 T5  Nick Gorman GolfTEC Moorestown | Chris Schukay              31-34--65 -6  
 T5  Mark Matricardi Philadelphia Cricket Club | John Matson     34-31--65 -6  
 T7  Jeff Bonicky Sea Oaks GC | Richie Sinopoli                  33-33--66 -5  
 T7  Kevin Kraft Bumble Bee Hollow | Joe Harding                 34-32--66 -5  
 T7  Jason Lamp Galloway National GC | Walt Wolfe                34-32--66 -5  
 T10 Michael Ferguson Philadelphia Cricket Club | Dan Agoglia    33-35--68 -3  
 T10 Sean Ketchum Walnut Lane GC | Brian Barry                   32-36--68 -3  
 T10 Dale Loeslein Odessa National GC | Mike Avery               33-35--68 -3  
 T10 Mike Meisenzahl Shore Gate CC | Marc Capriotti              33-35--68 -3  
 T10 Rob Rohrbach Foxchase GC | Brian Chandler                   33-35--68 -3  
 T10 Stephen Sieracki Indian Springs GC | Dan Sieracki           34-34--68 -3  
 T10 Geoff Surrette Philly PGA | Troy Watson                     33-35--68 -3  
 T10 Bill Walker Riverton CC | Brian Bianco                      33-35--68 -3  
 T10 Andy Watters Talamore Country Club | Glenn Kaiser           36-32--68 -3  
 T19 Eric Burnley Kimberton GC | Ryan Burnley                    35-34--69 -2  
 T19 Matthew Deckert Pennsauken Country Club | Anthony Bianco    36-33--69 -2  
 T19 Eric Figueroa McCall Golf & CC | Jon Stein                  32-37--69 -2  
 T19 George Frake Little Mill | Glen Van Istendal                34-35--69 -2  
 T19 Rick McCall Wild Quail G & CC | Gary Cecchett               36-33--69 -2  
 T19 David Morano Hidden Creek GC | Alex Clark                   33-36--69 -2  
 T19 Mark Parson Twisted Dune | Rob Callaghan                    33-36--69 -2  
 T19 Mike Paukovits St. Davids GC | David MacNamara              38-31--69 -2  
 T27 Mark Anderson Philadelphia Cricket Club | Skye Michiels     35-35--70 -1  
 T27 Jamie Komancheck RiverCrest GC & Preserve | Mike  Dominick  34-36--70 -1  
 T27 Andrew Madsen Hidden Creek GC | Jeff Reilly                 31-39--70 -1  
 T27 Mike Moses Concord CC | Rob Moses                           33-37--70 -1  
 T31 Mike Hersch Berkleigh GC | Michael Hersch                   34-37--71 E   
 T31 Quentin Griffith Pennsauken Country Club | Mark Pinkos      37-34--71 E   
 T31 Mark McCartney Little Mill | Dave Waxman                    35-36--71 E   
 T31 Frank Palumbo Rolling Green GC | Bob Wallace                34-37--71 E   
 T31 Steve Swartz CC of Harrisburg | Damon Heller                35-36--71 E   
 T36 Cavan Birmingham Fox Meadow GC | Michael McClane            33-39--72 +1  
 T36 Jim Haus Bent Creek CC | John Dever                         37-35--72 +1  
 T38 Terry Hatch Hidden Valley GC | Scott Luscavage              37-36--73 +2  
 T38 Bob Doria Makefield Highlands GC | Michael Cosack           35-38--73 +2  
 T38 Joe Kogelman GolfTEC Moorestown | Ben Teeter                38-35--73 +2  
 T38 Anthony Napoletano GolfTEC-KoP | Robert Napoletano          31-42--73 +2  
 T38 Jonathan Trauner GolfTEC Moorestown | Bob Davis             35-38--73 +2  
 T43 Dan Hoban Middletown CC | Dave Gardener                     35-39--74 +3  
 T43 Pete Kowalinski Dunning | Donald Palmer                     40-34--74 +3  
 T43 John Kulhamer Green Pond CC | Charles Leon                  37-37--74 +3  
 T43 Robert Milburn Sand Barrens GC | John Milburn               37-37--74 +3  
 T43 Tom Moore Applecross CC | Keith Critchley                   37-37--74 +3  
 T43 Matthew Romond Overbrook GC | Bob Loftus                    39-35--74 +3  
 T49 Jeff Fick Chapel Hill | Scott Koerbler                      37-38--75 +4  
 T49 Dean Halterman Galloway National GC | Chris Stanchina       35-40--75 +4  
 T49 Ken Peart Squires GC | Scott Kalan                          37-38--75 +4  
 T49 Jim Shukdinas Links GC | Andrew Dietz                       38-37--75 +4  
 T53 Chris Barletta Bala GC | Chris Barletta Jr.                 39-37--76 +5  
 T53 Chris Cerven Philadelphia Cricket Club | Tae Kim            38-38--76 +5  
 56  Ryan Carfara Golf Galaxy - Devon | Steve Patten             38-39--77 +6  
 57  Jeff Herb Waynesborough CC | Mike Park                      41-38--79 +8

Concordville, Pa. – On Monday May 9, the Philadelphia PGA returned to Concord Country Club for the 2016 edition of the Delaware Valley Open (DVO). The DVO featured nearly 120 Philadelphia PGA Professionals and served as a dual event with the Philadelphia PGA’s Assistant’s Organization (PAO).

Despite the forecast of sunny skies and 70 degree temperatures, players competing in today’s tournament were faced with cool blustery conditions as the morning turned to afternoon. However, one player managed to get his round complete before the winds picked up and posted a score that lasted from start to finish. Mike Little (Lookaway Golf Club) who played in the tournament’s first group, carded an impressive 4-under-par (67).  Little played a near perfect round of golf posting five birdies against only one bogey to finish two shots clear of his closest competitor Mike Meisenzhal (Shore Gate Golf Club) who finished at 2-under-par (69). Meisenzhal managed to overcome the windy conditions that plagued the field throughout the afternoon. Rounding out the top three were George Forster (Radnor Valley Country Club) and Stu Ingraham (M Golf Range) who each carded a 1-under-par (70).

“I think playing early was definitely an advantage as I was able to get ahead of the windy conditions that came through in the afternoon”, said DVO champion Mike Little. “I putted great and was able to take advantage of the opportunities that I had throughout the day. I want to thank the staff and members of Concord CC for hosting us today as well as Dennis McGugan and his team at Jack Jolly and Son for supporting this tournament. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank my family, especially my wife Star and everyone at Lookaway Golf Club for the support they have given me.”

Like 2015 champion Colin Corrigan, as the tournament’s overall champion, Little also claimed the top spot in DVO PAO tournament giving him two victories on the day.

Although they finished just short to overall champion Little, Forster and Ingraham were able to share the top spot in tournament’s Senior Division. The pair finished two-shots ahead of third place finisher Greg Farrow (Deerfield Country Club) who finished the day at 1-over-par (72).

Special congratulations to John Spina (Philadelphia Cricket Club) on his first career tournament hole-in-one. Spina used a 3-hybrid on the difficult par3 4^th (235yds) to accomplish the feat.

The Section would like to thank our tournament sponsors Jack Jolly & Son, Golf Pride Grips, and the PGA Tour. The Philadelphia PGA will return to tournament action on Monday, May 16 at Hartefeld National Golf Club for the Spring Pro-Pro Championship.

For complete coverage of the Philadelphia PGA be sure to follow us on our Social Media Channels Facebook / Twitter / Instagram.

 1    Michael Little     Lookaway GC                33-34--67 -4  
 2    Mike Meisenzahl    Shore Gate CC              34-35--69 -2  
 T3   John Spina         Phil. Cricket-Wissahickon  33-37--70 -1  
 T3   George Forster     Radnor Valley CC           31-39--70 -1  
 T3   Stu Ingraham       M Golf Range               33-37--70 -1  
 T6   Bertus Wessels     Green Valley CC            34-37--71 E   
 T6   Kevin Kraft        Bumble Bee Hollow          37-34--71 E   
 T6   Chris Krueger      Kings Creek CC             35-36--71 E   
 T9   Dave Pagett        Whitemarsh Valley CC       36-36--72 +1  
 T9   Mark Sheftic       Merion - West Course       37-35--72 +1  
 T9   Greg Farrow        Deerwood CC                34-38--72 +1  
 T9   Bob Hennefer       Indian Springs GC          33-39--72 +1  
 T9   Curtis Kirkpatrick Indian Springs GC          36-36--72 +1  
 T14  John Allen         Huntingdon Valley CC-F/T   36-37--73 +2  
 T14  Rich Steinmetz     Spring Ford CC             34-39--73 +2  
 T14  Dave McNabb        Applebrook GC              36-37--73 +2  
 T14  Jordan Gibbs       Gulph Mills GC             36-37--73 +2  
 T14  John Bierkan       Aronimink GC               37-36--73 +2  
 T14  Bob Heintz         U of Penn                  36-37--73 +2  
 T20  Dave Quinn         Links GC                   37-37--74 +3  
 T20  Sam Ambrose        Aronimink GC               34-40--74 +3  
 T20  Sean Ketchum       Walnut Lane GC             34-40--74 +3 
 T20  Mike Ladden        Whitford CC                36-38--74 +3  
 T24  Brian Hollins      Trenton CC                 37-38--75 +4  
 T24  Robby Bruns        Merion - West Course       39-36--75 +4  
 T24  Rob Coyne          Applecross CC              37-38--75 +4  
 T24  Jaime Gylan        Royal Manchester GL        36-39--75 +4  
 T24  Mark Anderson      Phil. Cricket-Wissahickon  39-36--75 +4  
 T24  Tom Moore          Applecross CC              35-40--75 +4  
 T24  Corey McAlarney    Sunnybrook GC              36-39--75 +4 
 T24  Dave Fields        Brookside CC               38-37--75 +4 
 T24  Mike Furey         Mahoning Valley CC         38-37--75 +4  
 T33  Steve Frederick    Lehigh CC                  35-41--76 +5  
 T33  John Cooper        Green Valley CC            36-40--76 +5  
 T33  Eric Kennedy       Overbrook GC               38-38--76 +5  
 T33  Mike Paukovits     St. Davids GC              38-38--76 +5  
 T33  Eric McNamee       Golf Galaxy - Montgomery   39-37--76 +5  
 T33  Jeff Kiddie        Aronimink GC               35-41--76 +5  
 T33  David Morano       Hidden Creek GC            39-37--76 +5  
 T33  Gregg Gipp         The Springhaven Club       38-38--76 +5  
 T41  Jim Smith          Phil. Cricket-Wissahickon  38-39--77 +6  
 T41  Rick McCall        Wild Quail G & CC          36-41--77 +6  
 T41  Matt Goudie        Lancaster CC - Old         36-41--77 +6  
 T41  Mike Mack          Burlington CC              41-36--77 +6  
 T41  Rusty Harbold      BlueGolf                   36-41--77 +6  
 T41  Bob Lennon         Wilmington CC - South      37-40--77 +6  
 T41  Mike Moses         Concord CC                 37-40--77 +6  
 T41  Anthony Napoletano GolfTEC-KoP                38-39--77 +6  
 T41  John Pillar         CC at Woodloch Springs    37-40--77 +6  
 T41  Greg Matthias      Tavistock CC               37-40--77 +6  
 T41  Jason Lamp         Galloway National GC       36-41--77 +6  
 T41  Matthew Deckert    Pennsauken Country Club    38-39--77 +6  
 T41  Bill Smith         Mahoning Valley CC         37-40--77 +6  
 T41  Dustin McCormick   Glen Brook GC              35-42--77 +6  
 T55  Jim Larkin         Fieldstone GC              40-38--78 +7  
 T55  Ron Pine           Whitemarsh Valley CC       39-39--78 +7  
 T55  Rick Flesher       Applebrook GC              38-40--78 +7  
 T55  Jeff Herb          Waynesborough CC           39-39--78 +7  
 T55  Don DeAngelis      Squires GC                 39-39--78 +7  
 T55  Nick Gorman        GolfTEC Moorestown         39-39--78 +7  
 T55  Jim Bromley        Play-a-Round Golf          39-39--78 +7  
 T55  Anthony Malizia    Bidermann GC               38-40--78 +7  
 T55  Michael Caldwell   Merion - West Course       37-41--78 +7  
 T55  Dave Roberts       Cedarbrook CC              39-39--78 +7  
 T55  Cavan Birmingham   Fox Meadow GC              40-38--78 +7  
 T55  Terry Hertzog      CC of York                 40-38--78 +7  
 T55  Trevor Bensel      Huntingdon Valley CC-F/T   40-38--78 +7  
 T68  Ryan Shaughnessy   Wedgewood GC - P/M         38-41--79 +8  
 T68  Dean Halterman     Galloway National GC       38-41--79 +8  
 T68  Frank Bianco       Crossgates                 38-41--79 +8  
 T68  Eric Schultz       Sunnybrook GC              39-40--79 +8  
 T68  Reed Lansinger     Phil. Cricket-Wissahickon  39-40--79 +8  
 T68  Jason Calhoun      Philly PGA                 36-43--79 +8  
 T68  Paul Galczyk       Westover CC                41-38--79 +8  
 T68  Mike Heidler       GolfTEC Mainline           40-39--79 +8  
 T68  John Appleget      Wildwood Golf & CC         38-41--79 +8  
 T68  Dan Marz           Huntingdon Valley CC-F/T   38-41--79 +8  
 T68  Vincent Kabaso     Berkshire CC               42-37--79 +8  
 T68  Carson Solien      Aronimink GC               41-38--79 +8  
 T80  Gary Hardin        Northampton CC             37-43--80 +9  
 T80  Stephen Sieracki   Indian Springs GC          41-39--80 +9  
 T80  Tony Perla         Phil. Cricket-Wissahickon  42-38--80 +9  
 T80  Adam Brigham       Waynesborough CC           38-42--80 +9  
 T80  Hugo Mazzalupi     Patriots Glen National GC  37-43--80 +9  
 T85  Joe Kogelman       GolfTEC Moorestown         38-43--81 +10 
 T85  Eric Figueroa      McCall Golf & CC           42-39--81 +10 
 T85  Matt Episcopo      Pine Valley GC             41-40--81 +10 
 T85  Ken Dixon          Chester Valley GC          38-43--81 +10 
 T85  David Sandberg     Pine Valley GC             42-39--81 +10 
 T90  Eddie Perrino      Eagle Rock Resort          40-42--82 +11 
 T90  Andy Watters       Talamore Country Club      42-40--82 +11 
 T90  Don Allan          Burlington CC              39-43--82 +11 
 T90  Bryan Kienke       Aronimink GC               41-41--82 +11 
 T90  Rick LeBeau        Gulph Mills GC             39-43--82 +11 
 T90  Matthew Romond     Overbrook GC               41-41--82 +11 
 T90  Brad Nelson        Saucon Valley CC- Grace    39-43--82 +11 
 T90  Bill Sautter       Phil. Cricket-Wissahickon  40-42--82 +11 
 T90  Barry Dear         Twisted Dune               40-42--82 +11 
 T99  Daniel McCracken   Phil. Cricket-Wissahickon  38-45--83 +12 
 T99  Matthew Hillier    Pine Valley GC             41-42--83 +12 
 T99  John Tyrell        Running Deer GC            41-42--83 +12 
 T99  Geoff Surrette     Philly PGA                 43-40--83 +12 
 T99  Wes Hollis         Patriots Glen National GC  42-41--83 +12 
 T104 Bill Walker        Riverton CC                40-44--84 +13 
 T104 Jared Cottell      Elkview CC                 40-44--84 +13 
 T104 George Frake       Little Mill CC- LM/SM      41-43--84 +13 
 T104 Ben Debski         The Springhaven Club       43-41--84 +13 
 T104 Michael Rushin     Bear Trap Dunes GC - G/K   38-46--84 +13 
 T104 Frank Palumbo      Rolling Green GC           38-46--84 +13 
 T110 Brian Dionisio     Aronimink GC               45-42--87 +16 
 T110 Kevin Rossi        Lookaway GC                42-45--87 +16 
 112  Tony Shields       ACE Club                   41-49--90 +19 

Greenville, Del. – The Philadelphia PGA held their annual Connelly Cup – Head Professional Championship at Fieldstone Golf Club on Monday, May 2. This annual tournament is named in honor of Jack Connelly a past President of both the Philadelphia PGA and the PGA of America. This year’s event brought together more than 50 of the Section’s Head Professionals and despite a chilly and overcast start, the tournament finished under blue skies.

Today’s tournament was played as a shotgun allowing all players to start their rounds at the same time. As the tournament concluded and players started to turn in their cards, two players were able to separate themselves from the field. Stu Ingraham (M Golf Range) and Dave McNabb (Applebrook Golf Club) each posted a tournament best 4-under-par (67) meaning the 2016 edition of the Connelly Cup would be decided with a playoff.

Ingraham reach 4-under-par by playing a bogey-free round while adding three birdies on the front nine and adding a fourth on the par-3 16^th. McNabb was able to get to 4-under-par by carding five birdies against only one bogey. McNabb got off to torrid start with birdies on his first three holes.

Needing to break the tie both Ingraham and McNabb headed back out to the 18^th tee box for the start of the sudden death playoff. Both Ingraham and McNabb posted a par on the first playoff hole forcing the tournament into a second sudden death hole. After hitting his approach shot only a few feet from the pin McNabb was able to make his birdie putt securing his first tournament win of the 2016 season.

“This is a place where I feel very comfortable and I definitely have some good memories here after last year’s Championship,” commented 2016 Connelly Cup champion McNabb. “I started off with three straight birdies and that definitely got me into a groove. I made some great putts and couldn’t have asked for a better pairing for today’s round.”

All was not lost for Ingraham as he was able to capture the tournament’s Senior division title.

Finishing just one shot off the lead in solo third place was George Forster (Radnor Valley Country Club). Starting on the sixth hole, Forster carded two quick birdies on holes seven and eight. Forster also added birdies on the second and seventeenth holes. Unfortunately for Forster a bogey on the par-4 fourteenth kept him out of the playoff.

Special congratulations to Hugh Matthis (Tavistock Country Club) on recording his first career hole-in-one. Matthis accomplished the feat on the difficult par-3 13^th hole by hitting a 6-iron on the 190 yards long hole.

The Section would like to thank all of our tournament sponsors, Bushnell, Pukka and section Representative Jim Ravina, Country Club Editions and Kurt Shenk as well as new Philadelphia PGA sponsor Weatherbug. The next tournament on the Philadelphia PGA calendar is the Delaware Valley Open (DVO) on Monday, May 9 at Concord Country Club. BlueGolf News

PPGA Newsletter | April 29, 2016

The birth of the PGA of America and those who guided it with a steady hand …

By Bob Denney

As America awakened on April 10, 1916, the nation was less than a year from entering World War I.  General John Pershing’s troops were chasing the wily Pancho Villa in Mexico.

It was 10 days before Weeghman Park (Wrigley Field) celebrated its grand opening with a Chicago Cubs victory and the New York Times’  “Comment on Current Events in Sports” proclaimed that the country’s golfers should adhere to the Rules and “count straight from the beginning.”

That April morning in New York City also brought the Organizing Committee for the Professional Golfers’ Association of America to the second-floor boardroom of the Hotel Martinique on 32nd and Broadway. After a series of preliminary meetings,  sparked by a luncheon on Jan. 17, at the Wanamaker Store some eight blocks south of the Martinique, organizers had arrived at a name for the nascent national body.

It was time to ratify a Constitution and bylaws.

Ninety-two applied for PGA membership, and 78 members elected, including 35 charter members – 27 of whom had been born overseas. The PGA of America began with seven Sections: Metropolitan, Middle States, New England, Southeastern, Central, Northwestern and Pacific. It would be another five years before those Sections would significantly change their boundaries and PGA Magazine would begin reporting the newly-titled entities.

An Executive Committee of 24 members, a forerunner to a Board of Directors, was assembled from the seven Sections to operate the PGA.  Among the notables of that group were future PGA Presidents Jack Mackie (Metropolitan) and George Sargent (Northwestern); and an enterprising assistant professional, James Maiden, employed at Nassau Country Club in Glen Cove, New York. It was at that club that Maiden sold a putter, nicknamed “Calamity Jane,” to a young prodigy, Bobby Jones. James and his brother, Stewart, were credited with helping teach Jones the golf swing.

The Executive Committee appointed Robert White, a former schoolteacher from St. Andrews, Scotland, as the first PGA President. A former schoolteacher turned head professional at Wykagyl Country Club in New Rochelle, New York, White was a multi-talented man and his experience enabled him to bring people together. He also was a skilled clubmaker and co-founder of the Professional Golf Company in suburban Chicago. When White emigrated to the U.S. in 1894, he pursued agronomy and began laying out golf courses.

White became the first turf expert among the professional greenkeepers of his time. By 1947, he was one of 13 founders of the American Society of Golf Course Architects. His reputation as a course builder put him in position to recommend professionals for employment.

Author Herb Graffis speculated in 1975 that it was “quite possible that either by blood, marriage, or occupational sponsorship White was related to about a third” of the PGA’s founding members.

What White represented was the necessity for a PGA Professional to be a symbol of versatility, resourcefulness and guidance. Such professional influence enabled a club or public facility to survive as the country moved through two World Wars and a Great Depression.

From that humble 1916 gathering in a New York City boardroom, the PGA of America began a remarkable journey to build leaders for an expanding golfing public. The PGA’s founding fathers, had they survived to celebrate today’s Centennial, might be uplifted by their mission.

By their passion, vision and organization,  they had elevated the standards of the profession, promoted interest in golf nationally and laid the seeds for what would become one of the world’s largest sports organizations.

###

In addition, Wanamaker would donate both a cup and $2,580 in prize money. That “cup” became the Rodman Wanamaker Trophy, and the tournament the PGA Championship.

Former British PGA Secretary James Hepburn suggested that the 32 lowest finishers in the U.S. Open would be paired for match play, following Robert White’s contention that the U.S. was too large for sectional qualifiers. Hepburn’s suggestion was met with objections, since many could not earn a U.S. Open berth.