Author: Matt Frey
Forster, Perla Tie Cooper, Cornish in 2023 Philadelphia PGA Henry McQuiston Senior-Junior Professional Championship
Both teams finished the Four-Ball format with 8-under-par 60s to top the team of Rick Gibney, Colonial Golf & Tennis Club, and Jeff Breiner, C.C. of Harrisburg, by two strokes. Forster and Perla combined for six birdies and an eagle, while Cooper and Cornish made nine birdies and one lone bogey.
Previously, Forster partnered with Perla’s father to win the event in 2004, with Forster also winning in 2006 with John Spina, PGA. Cooper and Cornish tied for the win last season.
PGA Life Member Brian Kelly and Brian Bergstol, Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort, finished in fourth place at 5-under-par. Eight teams tied for fifth place at 4-under-par.
To view the full 2023 Philadelphia PGA Henry McQuiston Senior PGA Professional-Junior PGA Professional Championship leaderboard, click here.
The 2023 Philadelphia PGA Henry McQuiston Senior PGA Professional-Junior PGA Professional Championship is supported by Bala Golf Club, KM Golf Sales, and Weatherman. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our partners, Bala Golf Club, its membership, management, and staff, as the event would not have been possible without their support.
About Henry J. McQuiston Jr., PGA
Henry J. McQuiston Jr. was born in Philadelphia in 1932 and grew up next to the Chester Valley Golf Club where his family lived. He and his two brothers played golf at Chester Valley and worked for superintendent Dick Murphy. McQuiston graduated from West Chester State Teachers College in 1954 and then served two years in the United States Army. After being discharged from the Army, he went to work as a schoolteacher. In 1958 he turned professional and worked at Chester Valley while playing some tournaments on the PGA Tour during the summer months and still teaching school the rest of the year. In 1960 he took the job as the assistant at the Bala Golf Club and two years later he became the head professional. In 1968 McQuiston finished in a tie for second in the Section Championship losing in a three-way playoff and in 1971 he was second in the Philadelphia Open losing a playoff. He qualified for the 1962 PGA Championship, the 1963 U.S. Open and the 1984 PGA Senior Championship. McQuiston qualified for the PGA Tour tournament at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club ten times and made the cut three times. McQuiston was a member of eleven Challenge Cup teams that competed against the Middle Atlantic Section. He qualified for the Club Professional Championship four times and the Senior Club Pro Championship once. In 1970 McQuiston and several other Section members built the Avalon Golf Club and operated it until they sold out in 1986. He was elected as the 20th president of the Section in 1973 and 1974 after having served as the second vice president for two years. McQuiston was the head pro at Bala for thirty-seven years after which he continued on as the pro emeritus at the club. In 2004 McQuiston’s name was added to the Section’s Senior Pro-Junior Pro Championship, which had been held at the Bala Golf Club for over 20 years. He was the Section’s “Golf Professional of the Year” in 1997. In 2005 he was inducted into the Philadelphia PGA Hall of Fame.
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.
Atlantic Winter Golf League Releases 2023-24 Schedule
October 27
Avalon Golf Club
November 3
Valleybrook Country Club
November 10
Shore Gate Golf Club
November 17
Running Deer Golf Club
November 20
Seaview Golf Club
(Monday)
December 1
The Links Golf Club
December 8
LBI National & Golf Resort
December 15
Avalon Golf Club
Christmas Scramble
January 5
The Shore Club
January 12
Greate Bay Golf Club
January 19
Rancocas Golf Club
January 26
Twisted Dune Golf Club
February 2
Linwood Country Club
February 9
Shore Gate Golf Club
February 16
Blue Heron Pines Golf Club
February 23
Golden Pheasant Golf Club
March 1
The Links Golf Club
March 8
Running Deer Golf Club
March 15
Avalon Golf Club
Championship
March 18
Avalon Golf Club
Championship rain date
To print the full schedule, click here.
For more information, contact:
Tom Smith, PGA
tspga@comcast.net
(856) 264-8405
Parks Price, PGA, and Devin O’Connor Win 2023 A.B. Thorn Memorial Pro-Am
The annual tournament was first played in 1936 under the moniker “Lancaster Pro-Am,” and has since changed to its current name to memorialize A.B. Thorn, Lancaster’s former PGA Head Professional, who also held the Section’s first vice president position in 1942-1944.
Price and O’Connor, the champions, made four birdies on the front nine and two on the back side in the four-ball better ball of partners format. Price made five birdies with his own golf ball, with O’Connor making two of his own.
Five teams tied for fourth place at 4-under-par, including: John Cooper, PGA, Green Valley C.C., and Tyler Joseph; Matt Finger, DuPont C.C., and Alan Lazzarino; Stephen Sieracki, PGA, Legacy Club at Woodcrest, and Sal Galati; Trevor Bensel, Sandy Run C.C., and Pat Welsh; and Kyle Miller, PGA, Bellewood C.C., and Dave Reinhart.
To view the full 2023 A.B. Thorn Memorial Pro-Am leaderboard, click here.
The 2023 A.B. Thorn Memorial Pro-Am Pro-Am is supported by Extracurricular. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our partners, Lancaster Country Club, its membership, management, and staff, as the event would not have been possible without their support.
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.
Philadelphia PGA Section and Aronimink Golf Club Host Drive, Chip & Putt Regional Qualifier
Newtown Square, Pa.. (September 18, 2023) — On Saturday, September 16, Philadelphia PGA Section and Aronimink Golf Club teamed to host a Drive, Chip & Putt Regional Qualifier where eight youth golfers earned their spots in the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals, to be played at Augusta National Golf Club on April 7, 2024.
A joint initiative founded in 2013 by the Masters Tournament, United States Golf Association and The PGA of America, Drive, Chip & Putt is a free nationwide youth golf development competition aimed at growing the game by focusing on the three fundamental skills employed in golf. The event’s 96 participants started their journey at the local level, advancing from one of 30 Local Qualifiers. From there, they advanced through a Sub-Regional Qualifier, ultimately earning them a place to compete at Aronimink.
To read local journalist Joe Juliano’s full breakdown on Saturday’s Regional Qualifier at Aronimink, click here. To view photos from the event, click here. To watch a “sizzle reel,” click here.
2023 Drive, Chip & Putt Regional Qualifiers – Aronimink Golf Club
Ethan Jung
Boys 7-9
Trebor Melendez*
Boys 10-11
Luke Gladfelter
Boys 12-13
Colby Komancheck*
Boys 14-15
Trisha Lobo*
Girls 7-9
Keziah Swan
Girls 10-11
Maeve Anne Parker Roychoudhury
Girls 12-13
Kayley Roberts*
Girls 14-15
To view the Regional Qualifier’s full results, click here.
*Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour member
Four of the eight youth golfers headed to Augusta National are Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour members: Trebor Melendez, Colby Komancheck, Trisha Lobo, and Kayley Roberts. Komancheck is also the son of PGA Member Jamie Komancheck of RiverCrest Golf Club and Preserve in Phoenixville, Pa.
Having four members compete in the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals is a new record for the tour, the Delaware Valley’s leading youth golf tour. The tour hosts around 90 golf tournaments annually and hosts juniors of all skill levels, including beginners for its FUNdamental Tour Powered by Op36, and competitive golfers who go on to compete at the national level.
The Philadelphia PGA Section, PGA REACH Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour thanks all of the PGA Professionals and Aronimink Golf Club members who volunteered their time to help run the qualifier on Saturday; the event would not have been possible without their help. Thanks are also in order for Aronimink Golf Club for hosting this year’s Regional Qualifier, and for volunteering to host the same event in 2024. The Section also thanks Augusta National Golf Club, the PGA of America, and the United States Golf Association for their support in running this event.
About Drive, Chip & Putt
A joint initiative founded in 2013 by the Masters Tournament, United States Golf Association and The PGA of America, Drive, Chip and Putt is a free nationwide junior golf development competition aimed at growing the game by focusing on the three fundamental skills employed in golf. By tapping the creative and competitive spirit of girls and boys ages 7-15, Drive, Chip and Putt provides aspiring junior golfers an opportunity to play with their peers in qualifiers around the country. Participants who advance through local, sub-regional and regional qualifying in each age/gender category earn a place in the National Finals, which is conducted at Augusta National Golf Club the Sunday before the Masters Tournament and is broadcast live by Golf Channel. Local qualifying is typically available in all 50 states. For more information, please visit the Rules and Regulations.
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.
About PGA REACH Philadelphia
PGA REACH Philadelphia is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2018 as the charitable arm of the Philadelphia PGA Section, one of the 41 Sections within the PGA of America. PGA REACH
About the Philadelphia PGA
The Philadelphia PGA Junior
Contact: Matt Frey, PGA, Communications Director, mfrey@pgahq.com
Zac Oakley, PGA, Captures 102nd Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship
Clarks Summit, Pa.. (September 13, 2023) — Zac Oakley of Bidermann Golf Club in Wilmington, Del., winner of the 102nd Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship, presented by Club Car, Corebridge Financial, and Rolex, at the Country Club of Scranton and Elmhurst Country Club, will lead 11 Section PGA Professionals to compete in the 2024 PGA Professional Championship, April 28 – May 1, at Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco in Texas.
Oakley, the 36-hole leader, was declared the champion after the final round was cancelled due to significant rainfall at the C.C. of Scranton. He finished his week at 10-under-par, with rounds 67-67–134, to better Braden Shattuck of Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Pa., by one stroke.
“I am super excited and happy to have won this championship,” Oakley said of his victory. “I played great. This is our Section’s most important championship of the year; it’s our major.”
Oakley said that he loves to play in multi-day events, as there is more strategy involved in the competition. He also remarked how special it is to have won the Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship and the National Car Rental Philadelphia Assistant PGA Professional Championship in the same season.
“I put in a lot of work at the end of the summer, as I struggled at the beginning of the year. This validates putting in the practice and the time.
“I wasn’t putting well, and my speed was off. I switched to a more face-balanced putter, and I made everything inside six feet this week at the Country Club of Scranton and Elmhurst Country Club.”
He went on to thank God, as this was an emotional win considering his close calls with victories in 2020 and 2021, everyone at Bidermann Golf Club, his wife, friends, family, the Section staff, and our host clubs and their staffs. He said that the PGA Professionals, superintendents, and grounds crews at both clubs did an excellent job prepping the facilities for the event. To watch him deliver his full comments, click here.
In addition to having his name engraved on the William B. Packer Trophy, Oakley earned $9,000 for his win, coming from the $72,000 purse.
Oakley (1), Shattuck (2), will be joined at the 2024 PGA Professional Championship in Texas by 2023 Philadelphia Senior PGA Professional Champion Rich Steinmetz of Spring Ford Country Club in Royersford, Pa.; Michael Meisenzahl of Little Mill Country Club in Marlton, N.J.; Billy Stewart of Union League Liberty Hill in Lafayette Hill, Pa.; Alex Knoll of Glen Brook Golf Club in Stroudsburg, Pa.; Robert Fenton of Sunnybrook Golf Club in Plymouth Meeting, Pa.; Trevor Bensel of Sandy Run Country Club in Oreland, Pa.; Dave Pagett of Whitemarsh Valley Country Club in Lafayette Hill, Pa.; Chris Krueger of Kings Creek Country Club in Rehoboth Beach, Del.; Michael Little of Clubhouse 54 in North Wales, Pa.; and Caleb Wittig of Elmhurst Country Club in Moscow, Pa.
As reigning PGA Professional Champion, Shattuck had already clinched his exemption into the 2024 championship. Brian Kelly of Bucknell Golf Club in Lewisburg, Pa., finished in ninth place, but is not eligible to advance due to his PGA Life Member classification.
Brian Bergstol of Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort in Shawnee on Delaware, Pa., is the first alternate, followed by Mark Sheftic of Sunnybrook Golf Club in Plymouth Meeting, Pa.; Terry Hertzog of Bent Creek Country Club in Lititz, Pa.; Rusty Harbold of Philadelphia Cricket Club in Flourtown, Pa.; and Joanna Coe of Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa.
If eligibility is met and maintained, the low 20 scorers in 2024 will earn berths into the 106th PGA Championship, May 13-19, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., as part of the Corebridge Financial PGA Team. Established in 1968, the PGA Professional Championship roster of Champions includes the following premier tour professionals: Sam Snead, Bob Rosburg, Don Massengale, Ed Dougherty, Larry Gilbert, and Bruce Fleisher.
To view the full 102nd Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship leaderboard, click here.
The 102nd Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship is presented by Club Car, Corebridge Financial, and Rolex, and is supported by Golf Channel, Gallagher, the PGA Tour, Titleist, FootJoy, Callaway, Nike, TaylorMade Golf, and SCNS Sports Foods. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our hosts, the Country Club of Scranton and Elmhurst Country 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.
The next Philadelphia PGA Rolex / The Haverford Trust Company Player of the Year tournament on the schedule is the Philadelphia Players Championship on Monday, September 18, at Lookaway Golf Club.
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
PGA Member Zac Oakley Leads 102nd Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship Entering Final Round
Clarks Summit, Pa.. (September 12, 2023) — Zac Oakley of Bidermann Golf Club in Wilmington, Del., is 10-under-par and leads the 102nd Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship by one stroke over Braden Shattuck of Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Pa., entering the final round.
Oakley turned in his second-consecutive 5-under-par 67, today at the Country Club of Scranton, after playing his first round at Elmhurst Country Club yesterday. He had a bogey-free second round, and has made only one bogey all week.
“I was pretty solid off the tee,” Oakley said of his second round. “I wanted to make sure that I hit fairways, because the rough {at C.C. of Scranton} is deep.”
I putted {well} from six feet and in; I made all of those. These Scranton greens have a lot more slope, and were more difficult to judge than yesterday.”
Oakley said his game plan will remain the same for tomorrow’s final round: find fairways, keep the same rhythm and tempo, and play smart approach shots into the greens. To view Oakley’s full remarks, click here.
Oakley, who earned his first Section win of the season at the 2023 National Car Rental Philadelphia Assistant PGA Professional Championship, will battle reigning PGA Professional Champion Braden Shattuck, and 2023 Philadelphia Senior PGA Professional Champion Rich Steinmetz, Spring Ford C.C., in the final pairing tomorrow.
Steinmetz is tied for third place with Michael Meisenzahl, Little Mill C.C., three strokes behind Oakley. Union League Liberty Hill’s Billy Stewart, PGA, is at 5-under-par in fifth place, and delivered one of the highlights of the championship today, holing his second shot on the par-5 18th hole (his ninth of the round) for a double eagle. Stewart hit a 3-wood from 240 yards.
“I crushed it,” said Stewart.
He was only aware that it went in when a C.C. of Scranton member watching the action from behind the green started to celebrate.
One-hundred-thirty of the Philadelphia PGA Section’s best players are competing for the William B. Packer Trophy and a berth into the 2024 PGA Professional Championship, April 28 – May 1, at Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco in Texas. From there, PGA Members from the 41 PGA Sections will compete to join the Corebridge Financial PGA Team and earn a berth into the 2024 PGA Championship on May 13-19, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.
The low 60 players and ties will advance to the final round, scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, September 13 at 8:00 a.m., at the C.C. of Scranton. Follow the action via our live scoring by visiting golfgenius.com/pages/4010280. For more information on the championship, including the week’s schedule, pairings, and more, visit the championship’s official e-publication. Members of the media are welcome onsite to cover the championship.
To view the full 102nd Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship leaderboard, click here.
The 102nd Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship is presented by Club Car, Corebridge Financial, and Rolex, and is supported by Golf Channel, Gallagher, the PGA Tour, Titleist, FootJoy, Callaway, Nike, TaylorMade Golf, and SCNS Sports Foods. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our hosts, the Country Club of Scranton and Elmhurst Country 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.
The next Philadelphia PGA Rolex / The Haverford Trust Company Player of the Year tournament on the schedule is the Philadelphia Players Championship on Monday, September 18, at Lookaway Golf Club.
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
Bob Lennon, Zac Oakley Lead 102nd Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship Following Opening Round
Clarks Summit, Pa.. (September 11, 2023) — As the Country Club of Scranton and Elmhurst Country Club both host their first-ever Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship, PGA Members Bob Lennon of Wilmington (Del.) Country Club and Zac Oakley of Bidermann Golf Club in Wilmington, Del., lead the championship entering the second round.
Both Lennon and Oakley finished with 5-under-par 65s at Elmhurst C.C., and lead two-time (2019, 2020) Philadelphia PGA Professional Champion Alex Knoll, Glen Brook G.C., and Rob Shuey, Colonial Golf & Tennis Club, by one stroke. The trio of Steve Sanderson, Saucon Valley C.C.; 2018 Champion Billy Stewart, Union League Liberty Hill; and Michael Meisenzahl, Little Mill C.C.; round out the top five at 3-under-par. Defending champion Brian Bergstol, Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort, is tied for 18th at even par.
“I made a bunch of birdies during the day,” Lennon said discussing his first round. “I putted real
today, and I kept the ball out of the heavy rough.”Oakley said that while he hit a lot of greens, the putting surfaces were tricky, claiming to have focused a lot on speed.
“I know there’s no flat putts [at C.C. of Scranton], so I hope to hit a lot of greens, and will practice five and six-foot putts headed into the second round,” said Oakley.
To view Lennon’s full remarks, click here; for Oakley’s remarks, click here.
Scranton played significantly more difficult than Elmhurst in the opening round, with their scoring averages finishing at 77.93 and 75.30, respectively. Scranton’s course is longer than Elmhurst, and seemingly played even longer due to damp conditions from recent storms. Furthermore, Scranton’s fabled and undulating Walter Travis-designed greens proved to be a great test for the field during the first round.
Lennon earned his first-ever Philadelphia PGA Section victory earlier this summer at the Conestoga Classic, while Oakley, who is no stranger to the Section’s winner’s circle, won his first title of the season at the 2023 Philadelphia Assistant PGA Professional Championship.
One-hundred-thirty of the Philadelphia PGA Section’s best players are competing for the William B. Packer Trophy and a berth into the 2024 PGA Professional Championship, April 25-27, at Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco in Texas. From there, PGA Members from the 41 PGA Sections will compete to join the Corebridge Financial PGA Team and earn a berth into the 2024 PGA Championship on May 13-19, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.
The second round continues tomorrow, Tuesday, September 12 at 8:00 a.m. at both the C.C. of Scranton and Elmhurst C.C. The low 60 players and ties will advance to the final round on Wednesday, September 13 at the C.C. of Scranton. Follow the action via our live scoring by visiting golfgenius.com/pages/4010280. For more information on the championship, including the week’s schedule, pairings, and more, visit the championship’s official e-publication. Members of the media are welcome onsite to cover the championship.
To view the full 102nd Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship leaderboard, click here.
The 102nd Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship is presented by Club Car, Corebridge Financial, and Rolex, and is supported by Golf Channel, Gallagher, the PGA Tour, Titleist, FootJoy, Callaway, Nike, TaylorMade Golf, and SCNS Sports Foods. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our hosts, the Country Club of Scranton and Elmhurst Country 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.
The next Philadelphia PGA Rolex / The Haverford Trust Company Player of the Year tournament on the schedule is the Philadelphia Players Championship on Monday, September 18, at Lookaway Golf Club.
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
Philadelphia PGA Section Introduces Coaches Corner Virtual Discussion Series
The Philadelphia PGA Section, in coordination with our Teaching & Coaching Committee, is happy to introduce a monthly Coaches Corner virtual discussion series. The series, slated to begin on Wednesday, September 27 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time, is designed to stimulate conversations and the sharing of golf instruction best practices amongst our PGA coaches. The hour-long Coaches Corner sessions will be held monthly:
- In-season: April – October on the fourth Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. ET
- Off-season: November – March on the fourth Monday at 8:30 a.m. ET
While the sessions are geared toward full-time PGA directors of instruction and coaches, they are open to PGA Professionals of any classification. Each session will have a discussion leader from the Teaching & Coaching Committee to help moderate the conversations, while some sessions may include guest speakers.
To register for the first session, and subsequent dates, click here.
To join the webinars, follow the below link:
Join Google Meet
meet.google.com/zrq-urwp-bsx
Can’t join via computer or tablet? Dial-in via telephone:
+1 401-830-0271
PIN: 182 670 840#
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
