Author: Joe
Annual Spring Meeting Kicks-Off PPGA Tournament Season
Annual Spring Meeting Kicks-off
Philadelphia PGA Tournament Season
Leadership highlights theme of season opening event.
(Lafayette Hill, Pa.) – Despite the roller coaster ride which has led to unseasonably cold weather in the Delaware Valley, the Philadelphia PGA held their annual Spring Meeting on Monday, April 4 at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club. This year’s annual meeting brought together more than 300 Philadelphia PGA Professionals all wanting to shake off the cobwebs of the winter months and look forward to the season ahead. Before the members could get to the tournament season’s opening event the Section had business to conduct including presentations from the Section’s Executive Committee, recognition of our special award winners, addressing the state of the game through member breakout sessions, and hearing from distinguished guest speaker Rear Admiral Brad Williamson.
As the doors closed to start the 2016 Spring Meeting, Clark Luis, PGA (Valley CC) once again gave a stirring rendition of the National Anthem to get things underway. After Luis, John Caprinteta, PGA (Bensalem Township CC) gave the meeting’s invocation before yielding the podium to Section Executive Director Geoffrey Surrette, PGA to discuss the business at hand. After Surrette shared information of the state of the Philadelphia PGA each member of the Executive Committee followed suit giving updates on each area of the Section. Ultimately the meeting concluded with a presentation from Section President Ian Dalzell, PGA (Huntingdon Valley CC). Dalzell spoke about what everyone as PGA Professionals must continue to do to ensure growth of the game as well as personal growth as a PGA Professional.
A couple of new wrinkles for the 2016 Spring Meeting were featured key-note speaker Rear Admiral Brad Williamson, Commandant Joint Forces Staff College and the member breakout session. As a non-PGA presenter, Admiral Williamson was able to speak to the spring meeting attendees on the importance of leadership in an organization. Throughout his career, Admiral Williamson has witnessed firsthand the trickle-down effect a leader has on his/her employees and how this can positively affect the organization as a whole.
Following the key-note address, the members in attendance were broken up into smaller groups in order to come together to address the state of the game from their perspective. Although they may all be PGA Professionals, these smaller groups enabled the members to interact with new faces while sharing their best practices and personal concerns for the game moving forward.
Although the special award winners were formally announced in late January, the Spring Meeting was the first opportunity for them to be recognized in front of their peers. Each of this year’s award winners were announced by Director of Section Affairs Patrick Shine, PGA (Commonwealth National GC) before posing for a photo with Section President Ian Dalzell, PGA. However, the Spring Meeting was just the start of this year’s special award winner’s public recognition. All award winners will be honored at a special ceremony to be held at Huntingdon Valley Country Club on Sunday, November 6. The ceremony will be open to all members and will feature a formal awards presentation. For the complete Special Awards release.
On a special note, Bob Hennefer (Indian Spring CC) was surprised to learn he had been selected as the 2016 Conrad Rehling Award recipient. The award, named in honor of Conrad Rehling, recognizes a PGA Professional who continually gives back to individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities.
After the meeting attentions turned to golf as participants teed it up in the Section’s first event, the Spring Meeting Pro-Pro Scramble. Because of the size of the field participating, separate events were held at both host facility Whitemarsh Valley CC as well as The ACE Club. However, no one team was able to pull away from the field at either venue. With a low score of 9-under-par (63) seven teams shared the top spot at Whitemarsh Valley while at The ACE Club a four-way tie at 12-under-par (60) led the way. Tournament Leaderboards
The Section will continue tournament play on Monday, April 18 when Commonwealth National Golf Club hosts the season’s first points event, The Callaway Golf TPD Championship.
Kennedy Captures Callaway Golf TPD Championship
On a sun-splashed spring day the Philadelphia PGA held their season-opening event, The Callaway Golf TPD Championship. The tournament serves as the first event in the chase for the Omega Player of the Year presented by The Haverford Trust Company.
More than 120 Philadelphia PGA Professionals, all members of the Section’s Tournament Players Division (TPD), traveled to Commonwealth National Golf Club for today’s event. The TPD Championship was played as a modified stableford tournament with players earning 1 point for any par, 3 points for birdies, 6 points for eagles, 9 points for double eagles, and -1 point for any bogey or worse.
Playing in the tournament’s morning wave, one competitor proved too much for the competition. Eric Kennedy (Overbrook Golf Club) made his way around the 6700 yards long golf course without a blemish adding three birdies along the way to finish in solo first place with a total of 24-points. Kennedy finished two shots clear of second place finisher Bill Sautter (Philadelphia Cricket Club) and four shots ahead of third place finisher and Section newcomer Rick LeBeau (Gulph Mills Golf Club) who totaled 20 points. With this being the season’s first points event Kennedy will begin the year in first place on the Omega Player of the Year presented by Haverford Trust Co standings with his win.
“It is an honor to win this tournament for the second time (2012). In fact this is the only Philadelphia PGA event I’ve won,” said tournament champion Kennedy. “I want to thank Patrick Shine and the members of Commonwealth National for hosting us at such an outstanding facility. I also want to thank Laura Manchester and Kevin Martin from Callaway Golf for supporting this great event.’
Despite falling two points short to Eric Kennedy, Bill Sautter did manage to claim the low senior honors with his 22 points. Sautter carded four birdies (3 points each) against two bogeys (-1 point) while carding pars on the remaining holes to finish 4-shots clear of second place finisher Bob Fritz (Manufacturers G&CC). Like Kennedy, Sautter will take the early lead on the Robert “Skee” Riegel Senior Player of the Year points list.
The Philadelphia Section would like to thank our Title sponsor Callaway Golf and our Section representative Laura Manchester and Kevin Martin as well as our presenting sponsor the PGA Tour. The next event on the tournament schedule is the Connelly Cup – Head Pro Championship being held on May 2nd at Fieldstone Golf Club.
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1 Eric Kennedy 35-33--68 24 2 Bill Sautter 33-36--69 22 3 Rick LeBeau 34-36--70 20 T4 Eric McNamee 38-34--72 18 T4 Michael Little 36-35--71 18 T4 Bob Fritz 37-34--71 18 7 Dave McNabb 37-35--72 17 T8 Eddie Perrino 36-36--72 16 T8 George Forster 36-36--72 16 T8 Carson Solien 38-34--72 16 T8 Rich Steinmetz 34-38--72 16 T8 Dave Pagett 38-34--72 16 T8 Steve Swartz 37-35--72 16 T8 Kevin Kraft 35-37--72 16 T8 Curtis Kirkpatrick 35-37--72 16 T8 Bertus Wessels 35-37--72 16
Spring Meeting to Feature Keynote Speaker Rear Admiral Brad Williamson
REAR ADMIRAL BRAD WILLIAMSON
COMMANDANT, JOINT FORCES STAFF COLLEGE
Rear Adm. Brad Williamson is a native of Levittown, Pennsylvania. He is a 1985 graduate of the United States Naval Academy. He received a Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College in 2001.
His career as a surface warfare officer includes assignments on USS Estocin (FFG 15), USS Vandegrift (FFG 48), and as executive officer on USS Vicksburg (CG 69). He commanded USS Thunderbolt (PC 12), USS Porter (DDG 78), and Destroyer Squadron 2. He also served as chief of staff, Carrier Strike Group 2/Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group; and as chief of staff, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO. His most recent deployment was as the Commander, Standing NATO Maritime Group 2.
Ashore, he served as graduate education and service college placement officer; as future schedules officer on the staff of Commander, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic; as lead staff analyst in the Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation (PA&E) for the Cost of War (COW) Supplemental on the staff of the Secretary of Defense; as an executive assistant in OPNAV N81 (Naval Assessments) and OPNAV N86 (Surface Warfare), and as executive assistant to the Deputy Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command.
Williamson participated in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and has conducted numerous operational exercises and missions in Europe, Africa, and South America.
His decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (5 awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (2 awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (4 awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and various campaign, unit, and service awards.
Williamson has served as the Commandant, Joint Forces Staff College since July 2015. Continue reading
Philadelphia PGA Spring Meeting
The Philadelphia PGA will kick-off their 2016 campaign with the annual Spring Meeting and Pro-Pro Scramble. The meeting will be held at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club. In addition to conducting the business at hand, special keynote speaker Rear Admiral, Brad Williamson will present on the topic of Leadership and Selfless Service.
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