Medford, N.J. (June 9, 2025) — PGA of America Golf Professional Michael Strain of Concord Country Club in West Chester, Pa., outmatched Mike Meisenzahl of Tavistock (N.J.) Country Club, in a sudden-death playoff that went four holes to win the 2025 Philadelphia PGA Connelly Cup Head Golf Professional Championship at Medford Village Country Club. It is Strain’s first Philadelphia PGA Section victory.

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.

Strain battled the cool and damp conditions to finish his round with a 2-under-par 70, good enough to tie Meisenzahl and force a playoff. He kept his round in regulation steady, making three birdies and a lone bogey.

“I hit it really well today,” Strain said after being presented the trophy. “Having [my wife and PGA Member] Tori [Newbury] on the bag today helped a lot.”

Strain said his best shot of the day came on the first playoff hole, having hit a low hook among the left trees and ending about six feet from the hole. Meisenzahl drained his 30-plus-foot birdie to continue the playoff.

Ultimatley, Strain walked away victorious after going 3-4-4-4 in the playoff.

Strain went on to thank his wife Tori, his family, all of the members at Concord Country Club, Medford Village Country Club for hosting, and the Section staff.

There was a four-way tie for third place, two strokes behind the leaders: Andy Hewitt, Cripple Creek Golf & Country Club; Michael Little, Clubhouse 54; Bob Hennefer, Laurel Creek Country Club; and Anthony Hoffman, John F. Byrne Golf Course.

Green Valley Country Club’s John Cooper, PGA, took the top prize in the Senior Division with his 2-over-par 74. He bettered George Frake, Moorestown Field Club; and Dave McNabb, Applebrook Golf Club; by two strokes. George Forster, Radnor Valley Country Club, finished in fourth place at 5-over-par. Darryl Lock, Skippack Golf Club, and John Allen, Squires Golf Club tied for fifth place at 7-over.

View the full 2025 Philadelphia PGA Connelly Cup Head Golf Professional Championship leaderboard by clicking here.

The 2025 Philadelphia PGA Connelly Cup Head Golf Professional Championship is supported by Bushnell Golf, Wilson, Earth Networks, and the PGA Tour. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA of America Golf Professionals thank our partners, Medford Village 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 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

Westampton, N.J. (June 2, 2025) — PGA of America Golf Professional Anthony Sebastianelli of Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Pa., won the 39th Burlington Classic Presented by WSFS Bank at Burlington Country Club, following a sudden-death playoff with Radnor Golf Foundation’s Hugo Mazzalupi, PGA.

Sebastianelli turned in rounds of 67-68–135 to finish his tournament at 5-under-par. He made par to Mazzalupi’s bogey on the first playoff hole to win. Terry Hatch, Royal Oaks Golf Course, shot a 5-under-par 65, good enough to finish in third place. Jeff Herb, Waynesborough Country Club, Mark Sheftic, Sunnybrook Golf Club, and Austin Barbin, Chesapeake Bay Golf Club, tied for fourth place, four strokes behind the champion.

“This is an event I have wanted to win since 2023, when I lost in a playoff,” said Sebastianelli following play. “I actually got a little emotional on 18, because I really wanted to win it that bad.”

He said his game plan for the final round was to play “boring golf,” fairways and greens, which he said he did well.

“Golf is hard,” continued Sebastianelli. “After I made double bogey on 17, I told myself that golf is hard, which helps me reset.”

He birdied his final hole to secure his place in the playoff.

Sebastianelli went on to thank Burlington Country Club, PGA Member Mike Mack, Tournament Chair John Hanuscin, WSFS Bank, Rolling Green Golf Club, and his wife Emily.

Hugo Mazzalupi took the top prize in the Senior Division, finishing ahead of Hatch by one stroke, and two stokes clear of Mark Sheftic, Sunnybrook Golf Club. John Pillar, Country Club at Woodloch Springs, and Rich Steinmetz, Spring Ford Country Club, tied for fourth place at even-par.

Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Bill Sautter, PGA, finished atop the Super Senior Division with rounds of 76-71–147, bettering Wayne Phillips, Lehigh Country Club, and Greg Farrow, Deerwood Country Club, by three strokes.

Corey Katzen recorded rounds of 74-68–142 to finish as low amateur and win the Marotto Medal by six strokes over Kyle Raudenbush and Pete D’Angelo.

Following the final round, Burlington Country Club presented Philadelphia PGA Section Executive Director a $1,000 donation to PGA REACH Philadelphia, the Section’s 510(c)(3) charitable foundation.

View the full 39th Burlington Classic Pro-Am leaderboard by clicking here.

The 39th Burlington Classic Pro-Am is presented and hosted by Burlington Country Club and is supported by WSFS Bank. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA of America Golf Professionals thank its membership, management, staff, host PGA of America Golf Professional Mike Mack, Tournament Chair John M. Hanuscin, and the entire 2025 Burlington Classic Pro-Am Committee, 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 is the Conestoga Classic on Monday, June 16, at Conestoga Country Club in Lancaster, Pa.

About the Burlington Classic
The Burlington Classic Pro-Am was founded in 1986 by Mike Mack, PGA, Joe Fattorini, Leroy Peacock, Rex McWilliams, Chip Miller, George Hilt, and Donald “Butch” Eckman. The event quickly became one of the most popular events on the Philadelphia PGA Section’s tournament calendar, and is now a Philadelphia PGA Rolex / The Haverford Trust Company Player of the Year Points Event.

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

Westampton, N.J. (June 1, 2025) — PGA of America Golf Professionals Jeff Fick of Moselem Springs Golf Club in Fleetwood, Pa., and Rob Rohrbach led their team of amateurs, Ryan Parris, Conner Devaney, and Jake Schillinger, to victory in the 39th Burlington Classic Pro-Am Presented by WSFS Bank at Burlington Country Club on a unseasonably cool day.

The winning team finished with a team score of 25-under-par in the Two Best of Five format, one stroke ahead of host PGA Member Mike Mack, Burlington Country Club, Retired PGA Member Mike Thompson, Tim Irons Sr., Dave Reilley, and Gary Smith; and Medford Village Country Club’s Nicholas Lemieux, LuLu Country Club’s Mike Dynda, Pat Little, Pat Haas, and Tom Gee. Two teams tied for third place at 23-under-par: John Spina, Philadelphia Cricket Club, and Rich Steinmetz, Spring Ford Country Club, Anthony Maffia, Anthony Bianco, and Glen Ikeda; and Dave McNabb, Applebrook Golf Club, and Michael Ferguson, Riverton Country Club, P.J. Elstone, Paul Elstone, and Richard Curl.

The individual PGA Professional event will conclude on Monday, June 2, Mark Sheftic, Sunnybrook Golf Club, leads the field following his 5-under-par round of 65. Radnor Golf Foundation’s Hugo Mazzalupi, Chesapeake Bay Golf Club’s Austin Barbin, and Bidermann Golf Club’s Zac Oakley find themselves in a tie for second place at 4-under-par. Two PGA Professionals are tied for fifth place, two strokes behind Sheftic: Anthony Sebastianelli, Rolling Green Golf Club, and Ross Brown, Fox Hill Country Club.

Sheftic is also leading the Senior Division, one clear of Mazzalupi, three over McNabb, and four clear of Dom DiJulia, DiJulia School of Golf, and Jason Wilson, Bidermann Golf Club.

There is a tie for the lead at 2-over-par in the Super Senior Division following the first round: Greg Farrow, Deerwood Country Club; and Rob Shuey, P.O.Y. Golf. Wayne Phillips, Lehigh Country Club, is in third place, three strokes behind the leaders, followed by Bill Sautter, Philadelphia Cricket Club, at 6-over-par.

Five amateurs from the first round advanced to the final round to compete for low amateur honors and the Marotto Medal on Monday, alongside the PGA Professional field: Tom Byrne, 1-under-par; Pete D’Angelo, 2-over-par; Corey Katzen, 4-over-par; Kyle Raudenbush, 4-over-par; and Carl Sornson, 4-over-par.

View the full 39th Burlington Classic Pro-Am leaderboard by clicking here.

The 39th Burlington Classic Pro-Am is presented and hosted by Burlington Country Club and is supported by WSFS Bank. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA of America Golf Professionals thank its membership, management, staff, host PGA of America Golf Professional Mike Mack, Tournament Chair John M. Hanuscin, and the entire 2025 Burlington Classic Pro-Am Committee, as the event would not have been possible without their support.

About the Burlington Classic Pro-Am
The Burlington Classic Pro-Am was founded in 1986 by Mike Mack, PGA, Joe Fattorini, Leroy Peacock, Rex McWilliams, Chip Miller, George Hilt, and Donald “Butch” Eckman. The event quickly became one of the most popular events on the Philadelphia PGA Section’s tournament calendar, and is now a Philadelphia PGA Rolex / The Haverford Trust Company Player of the Year Points Event.

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

Plymouth Meeting, Pa. (May 27, 2025) — PGA of America Golf Professional Trevor Bensel of LuLu Country Club in Glenside, Pa., won the 27th Haverford Philadelphia PGA Classic at Sunnybrook Golf Club with a 5-under-par 67 in front of hundreds of fans. Bensel’s $100,000 winner’s check is the largest first-place prize available from any event across the PGA of America’s 41 nationwide Sections.

Bensel bettered Rolling Green Golf Club’s Braden Shattuck, PGA, by one stroke. He made seven birdies and two bogeys, and made a terrific up-and-down for par on No. 18 to secure his victory.

“Definitely without a doubt,” Bensel said after being asked if his par on 18 was the best of his career. “I hit a perfect shot, it ended up three feet below the hole, and made the putt.”

Bensel went on to thank The Haverford Trust Company and Haverford Founder and Director Mr. George Connell for giving him the opportunity to win a life-changing amount of money, and Sunnybrook Golf Club for hosting.

During the trophy ceremony, Bensel joked that he has been living with a friend, and that he will be able to afford his own place now.

Bensel is no stranger to the Section’s winner’s circle, having several individual titles to his name, including the 2022 Philadelphia Assistant PGA Professional Championship.

Four PGA Professionals tied for third place at 3-under-par: Zach Barbin, Chesapeake Bay Golf Club; Parks Price, Hanover Country Club; Alex Knoll, Glen Brook Golf Club; and Billy Stewart, Union League Liberty Hill.

To view the full 27th Annual Haverford Philadelphia PGA Classic 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