Radnor, Pa. (August 19, 2022) — With the largest first-place prize available from any event across the PGA of America’s 41 nationwide Sections, the 25th Annual Haverford Philadelphia PGA Classic returns to Sunnybrook Golf Club in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., on Sept. 6. One-hundred-twenty PGA Professionals will vie for the $100,000 first-place prize money, last won in 2021 by Parks Price, PGA Member from the Country Club of York in York, Pa.

“We recognize the vital role PGA Professionals play in growing and managing the game and business of golf, and this tournament is our way to say thank you,” said George Connell, founder and director of Haverford Trust and the initiator of the Haverford Classic.

“The Philadelphia PGA Section thanks Mr. Connell and Haverford Trust for the opportunity to bring back an incredibly unique opportunity for our PGA Professionals to compete,” said Geoff Surrette, Philadelphia PGA Section Executive Director. “With a $100,00 first place prize, our participants are getting a tour-level experience and that’s incredible.”

“It is an honor to continue sponsoring such a unique and enjoyable event that both tributes and recognizes the positive impact PGA members have on the game of golf throughout the Greater Philadelphia Region,” said Joe McLaughlin, Chairman & CEO of Haverford Trust.

Twenty-twenty-one’s tournament saw first-time Haverford Philadelphia PGA Classic competitor and PGA Member Parks Price win a three-person playoff in dramatic fashion by draining a long birdie putt on the first sudden death playoff hole, besting Zac Oakley of Bidermann Golf Club and Brett Walker of Sunnybrook Golf Club. Price’s 25-foot birdie putt on No. 18 topped Oakley’s 20-foot birdie that came up short and Walker’s 12-footer that slid left. Price, Oakley and Bidermann all finished regulation at 4-under-par with an overall score of 68 in a pool made up of 132 players (120 PGA Professionals and 12 amateurs).

For more information on the 25^th Annual Haverford Philadelphia PGA Classic, click here.

Haverford Trust Company Chairman & CEO Joe McLaughlin (left); President Binney Wietlisbach (second from left); and Founder & Director George Connell (right) present the 24th Annual Haverford Philadelphia PGA Classic winner’s trophy and $100,000 first-place check to PGA Member Parks Price (second from right) of the Country Club of York in York, Pa.

Tournament Facts
Tournament Name: The Haverford Philadelphia PGA Classic
Sponsor: The Haverford Trust Company
Date: Tuesday, September 6, 2022
Venue: Sunnybrook Golf Club, 398 Stenton Ave., Plymouth Meeting, Pa., 19462
Course Yardage: 6,893
Course Par: 72
Host PGA Professional: Mr. Gregory W. Wingate, PGA
Tee Times: 7:30 – 9:10 a.m., morning wave; 12:00 – 1:40 p.m. afternoon wave
Catered Lunch: 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., open to event staff, players and their families, media, club members, and spectators
Total Purse: $117,600
First Place Prize: $100,000
Defending Champion: Parks Price, PGA, Country Club of York; 4-under-par 68, won in playoff, No. 18, birdie 3
2021 Runners Up: Zac Oakley, PGA, Bidermann Golf Club; Brett Walker, PGA, Sunnybrook Golf Club; 4-under-par 68, lost in playoff, No. 18, par 4
Field: 132 (120 PGA Professionals, 12 amateurs)

Past Champions Eligible to Play
Dave Quinn, PGA – 2001, 2005
Dave Roberts, PGA – 2002
George Forster, PGA – 2008, 2019
Hugh Reilly, PGA – 2011
Scott Reilly, PGA – 2012
Billy Stewart – 2013
Rusty Harbold, PGA – 2014
Dave McNabb, PGA – 2016
Andrew Turner, PGA – 2017                               
Mark Parson, PGA – 2018
Parks Price, PGA – 2021

Social Media Hashtag: #haverfordclassic

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. For more information about the Philadelphia Section PGA, visit www.philadelphia.pga.com.

About The Haverford Trust Company
The Haverford Trust Company was founded in 1979 on Philadelphia’s landmark Rittenhouse Square. Since our founding, one thing has remained unchanged…our commitment to quality. Haverford has prospered for 40 years in a finance industry dominated by giants through our passion and adaptability. With 120+ employees and $11.8 billion* in assets, our size is our advantage. We focus on the essentials: the Quality Investing philosophy that provides our clients with the right mix of stability and growth across the market cycle. For more information, visit haverfordquality.com.

*Including assets under management or consultation for The Haverford Trust Company and Haverford Financial Services as of 6/30/2022.

West Chester, Pa. (August 15, 2022) — PGA Member Brian Bergstol of Shawnee Inn & Resort in Shawnee on Delaware, Pa., parred the first sudden-death playoff hole to win the 46th Pro-Am for Wishes Championship at Penn Oaks Golf Club, topping Gleb Brook G.C.’s Alex Knoll, PGA.

The Pro-Am for Wishes first started in 1976 at Whitford Country Club, and has been held annually at Penn Oaks Golf Club since 2008 (the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic) to benefit Make-A-Wish Philadelphia, Delaware & Susquehanna Valley. Since the event moved to Penn Oaks, it has raised over $675,000 for the Make-A-Wish foundation.

Bergstol, who finished runner-up in the 2021 Pro-Am for Wishes Championship following a playoff, went low in the final round, carding a 5-under-par 66 to finish at 7-under-par for the tournament, tying Knoll. Bergstol’s final round was consistent, as he made five birdies and zero bogeys en route to his win, which counts towards the Philadelphia PGA Rolex / The Haverford Trust Company Player of the Year race.

Rolling Green G.C.’s Braden Shattuck, PGA, finished in solo third place with scores of 70-68–138, 4-under-par, while a trio of PGA Professionals rounded out the top five at 2-under: Zac Oakley, Bidermann G.C.; Parks Price, C.C. of York; and Dave McNabb, Applebrook G.C.

McNabb also took top honors in the Senior Division by following his opening round 69 with an even-par final round 71 to finish at 2-under-par, one stroke behind Rich Steinmetz, Spring Ford C.C. John Cooper of Green Valley C.C. finished in third place in the division at 3-over-par, followed by Rob Rohrbach, Foxchase G.C., at 4-over-par, and Terry Hertzog at 6-over-par.

Seven amateurs qualified to compete in the final round at Penn Oaks, with Jimmy O’Connor earning low amateur honors. O’Connor fired rounds of 71-76–147 to finish at 5-over-par, one stroke better than Ryan D’ariano. Jake Sokalsky finished in third at 9-over-par.

The 2022 Pro-Am for Wishes is supported by the Otto’s BMW, Woodward Properties, Tamora Building Systems, and Crothall Healthcare. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our host, Penn Oaks Golf 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.

To view the full 2022 Pro-Am for Wishes 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 Members and Associates who are employed at over 590 golf facilities in our region.

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

West Chester, Pa. (August 14, 2022) — PGA Member Jeff Herb of Waynesborough Country Club in Paoli, Pa., led his team of amateurs, Ryan D’ariano and Jules Prevost, to victory in the 46th Pro-Am for Wishes at Penn Oaks Golf Club, topping Lookaway G.C.’s Mark Sheftic, PGA, Rob Madden and Noel Montesano; and the C.C. of York’s Parks Price, PGA, T.Lad Webb and Jack Crawford; by one stroke.

The Pro-Am for Wishes first started in 1976 at Whitford Country Club, and has been held annually at Penn Oaks Golf Club since 2008 (the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic) to benefit Make-A-Wish Philadelphia, Delaware & Susquehanna Valley. Since the event moved to Penn Oaks, it has raised over $675,000 for the Make-A-Wish foundation.

Using a two best balls of three format, Herb made four gross birdies and a gross eagle, while D’ariano and Prevost combined for eight net birdies; the team rounded out their scorecard with five bogies and a double bogey to finish their round at 7-under-par.

Moselem Springs G.C.’s Jeff Fick, and his amateur team, Bruce Longenecker and Shaun Lowy, tied for fourth place with Makefield Putters’ Michael Little, John Marrone and Taryn Marrone; and Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort’s Brian Bergstol, Al Conicella and Lino Demartino; at 5-under-par.

In the 36-hole PGA Professional event, Alex Knoll, Glen Brook G.C., leads the field following his 5-under-par 66. Michael Young, Brookside C.C., is in tied for second place, three strokes behind Knoll, with four other PGA Professionals: Jeff Herb, Waynesborough C.C.; Dave McNabb, Applebrook G.C.; Brian Bergstol, Shawnee Inn & Resort; and Rich Steinmetz, Spring Ford C.C.

After the opening round, Steinmetz, the reigning Philadelphia Senior PGA Professional Champion, is tied with McNabb in the Senior Division at 2-under-par. John Cooper, Green Valley C.C., is one stroke behind the leaders, while Eddie Perrino, C.C. of York, and Pro-Am for Wishes Championship defending champion Brian Kelly, Bucknell G.C., sit at even-par and 1-over-par, respectively.

Seven amateurs will play in Monday’s final round based on their opening round performance: Jake Sokalsky (71), Ryan D’ariano (71), Jimmy O’Connor Jr. (71), Kevin O’Hara (77), and Rick Gorman (80), Joe Paris (80), and Artie Schenck (80).

The PGA Professional field and qualifying amateurs will play their final round tomorrow, Monday, August 15 at Penn Oaks. To view the full leaderboard, click here.

The 2022 Pro-Am for Wishes is supported by the Otto’s BMW, Woodward Properties, Tamora Building Systems, and Crothall Healthcare. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our host, Penn Oaks Golf 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.

To view the full 2022 Pro-Am for Wishes 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 Members and Associates who are employed at over 590 golf facilities in our region.

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

Valley Forge, Pa. (August 11, 2022) — The APGA Tour and the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board (VFTCB) bring back three of the Philadelphia Region’s top golfers with a new addition from Drexel University as part of the field for the second annual APGA Tour Valley Forge, the growing pro tour’s return visit to Montgomery County and the Philadelphia region.

The tournament is set for Tuesday and Wednesday, September 20 and 21, with an APGA Foundation community service youth symposium with the First Tee of Philadelphia on Sunday, September 18 at The Club at Shannondell in Audobon.

The Philadelphia-area competitors are:

• Zach Juhasz of Bethlehem, 25, played in his first APGA Tour event last year at APGA Tour Valley Forge and returns this year as a fulltime member of the circuit.
• Matthew Vital of Bethlehem, 16, played last year as a local exemption and returns this year as a competitor in the new Cisco Junior Series which is a separate competition within the tournament among young players seeking to elevate their games for college and next-level opportunities.
• Louis Kelly of Glassboro, 29, also played last year as a sponsor exemption and is invited back in 2022 as he pursues fulltime membership in the APGA Tour. Kelly is the lead coach at First Tee Philadelphia, the PGA TOUR’s community service program and will be part of the APGA Foundation youth event this year on Sunday, September 18, at The Club at Shannondell in Audobon.
• Jeff Cunningham, 22, of Philadelphia, newly-graduated from Drexel University, earned his spot on the APGA Tour this spring when he finished second in the APGA Collegiate Rankings of African American players across the country.

The tournament will be the 15^th of the year for the APGA Tour, which has become a force in driving diversity in the sport of golf. The circuit launched with three events in 2010 and has expanded dramatically in the past three years on strength of partnerships with the PGA Tour, sponsors and organizations like VFTCB, which arranged for the tour stop in Montgomery County last year. The APGA Tour grew to seven events with $200,000 in prize money in 2020 and will conduct 18 events with $800,000 in prize and bonus money in 2022.

“The APGA Tour’s return to Montgomery County and the Philadelphia region was a focus when Valley Forge Tourism invited us to our first-ever tournament in the Northeastern United States last year,” state Cole Smith, APGA Tour Executive Director.  “We are hopeful of a long-term relationship and an important part of that is the involvement of the area’s best young players. We have that with Zach, Matthew, Louis and Jeff invited to compete.”

Biographical information on all four players is below.

ZACH JUHASZ, (pronounced YOU-HAAS) formerly one of the region’s top amateur players, now competes on the APGA Tour fulltime after being introduced to the circuit as a regional exemption at APGA Tour Valley Forge last year.  In 2021, he advanced through local competition to make the U.S. Open Regional Qualifying Tournament. In qualifying competition for the U.S. Amateur, the 25 year-old finished as second alternate, shooting seven-under over 36 holes. He competes in Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) events and is a former scholastic standout at Bethlehem Freedom High School. He shot a 3-under 68 to win medalist honors in qualifying for the 83rd Lehigh Valley Amateur in 2019, later winning the title.  Also won the GAP Tournament of Champions in 2019. This year, he tied for 20^th in the Pennsylvania State Amateur at Merion and lost in a playoff in the Lehigh Valley Open.  While pursuing his golf career, Zach works for his father, owner of Juhasz Home Improvement of Bethlehem.

MATTHEW VITAL, 16-year-old rising senior at Bethlehem Liberty High School, fired an 8 under-par 62 in a Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour event, to best Sam Snead’s longtime course record at Reading Country Club. Matthew is no stranger to the spotlight, having won the 12–13-year-old division of the 2019 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club the Sunday before The Masters.  He has won on multiple junior golf tours, including the Hurricane Junior Tour, US Kids Golf and PGA of Philadelphia Junior Tour. He set a record of nine wins in one season with the Lehigh Valley Junior Golf Tour.  He finished 1st place this year in the Penn State Philadelphia Junior tour with a tournament record of 7 under par.  He continues to compete on the prestigious AJGA Tour with a full exemption and State Amateur tournaments where he finished 1st place for the State Amateur qualifier.  As a junior and captain, he led his high school team to multiple league and district championships.   In 2022, he also earned honors as the individual district champion and the team conference MVP.  Matthew is sought after by multiple Division 1 schools to pursue his dream of playing competitive golf at the collegiate level while earning a degree in finance.

LOUIS KELLY, 29. A Willingboro native now residing in Philadelphia, Kelly is the lead coach for the First Tee pf Greater Philadelphia and assistant golf pro at Burlington Country Club in Burlington, NJ. In July, he won the New Jersey Open in a playoff, defeating Jason Gore, the former PGA TOUR star, at The Ridge at Back Brook.  Kelly excelled intercollegiately at Adelphi University and Louisiana-Lafayette. At Adelphi, he qualified as an individual for the NCAA Division II National Championship tournament after finishing second in the NCAA Regionals in 2013. He was the 2011 Northeast-10 Player and Rookie of the Year as well as a three-time first team All-Northeast 10 Conference selection before finishing his collegiate career at Division I Louisiana-Lafayette in 2015. He was named to the PING All-Region East team three times at Adelphi and ended up with six collegiate championships.

JEFF CUNNINGHAM has lived in Philadelphia for the past several years while playing intercollegiate golf for Drexel University. He graduated from Drexel in 2021 and earned his masters in Sports Business earlier this year. He finished his senior year golf season on a strong note by finishing fifth at the CAA Championship and finished fifth overall with a three-under-par 213 and was named to the All-Tournament team. He had a four-under-par 68 in the final round at Dataw and tied for fourth overall at the Don Bebow Invitational, where the Dragons picked up a team victory. He shot a one-under-par 70 in the final day at the tournament, one of his three sub-par rounds during the shortened season and had a 74.8 scoring average. He was also a CAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll recipient.

Contacts:

Steve Griffith, Vizion Group PR
484 433 7757 (East Coast)
sgriffith@viziongroup.net

Rachel Riley, Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board
610 834 7990
riley@valleyforge.org

Please join us in congratulating PGA Member Joanna Coe for qualifying for the 2022 United States Women’s PGA Cup Team. The premier international competition for women PGA Club Professionals will be held at Twin Warriors Golf Club at Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, October 24-29.

Coe and Ashley Grier (formerly of the Philadelphia PGA Section, now works in the Middle Atlantic PGA Section) are the two veterans returning from that inaugural championship team. Coe is the Director of Instruction at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania: She is among the first women to hold the position of head professional or director of instruction at one of the nation’s top 10 private golf facilities.

Currently there are representatives from five PGA Associations that will be part of the field: Australia, Canada, Great Britain & Ireland, Sweden and the United States. The Women’s PGA Cup is conducted as a 54-hole, stroke-play event, with each team’s lowest three scores counted after each round. The winning country will be the team with the lowest 54-hole aggregate total. The U.S. team won the inaugural Women’s PGA Cup by four shots in October 2019 at the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa/Foothills Course in Austin, Texas.

To read the full announcement from the PGA of America, 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 Members and Associates who are employed at over 590 golf facilities in our region.

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

Pine Hill, N.J. (August 8, 2022) — PGA Associate J.T. Wambold of Yardley (Pa.) Country Club and led his amateur partner, Chris Ault, to a one-stroke victory in the 2022 Philadelphia PGA Pro-Scratch Championship Presented by Parx Casino® on yet another hot day at Trump National Golf Club Philadelphia.

The winning team got off to a hot start, carding an eagle three on the opening hole, a 520-yard par-5. From there, the team made five birdies and one bogey in the gross Four Ball format, finishing with a 6-under-par 65, to overtake the second place team from Elmhurst C.C.: PGA Associate John Roche and amateur Billy Pabst.

George Frake, PGA, of Moorestown Field Club, and amateur Kevin Kramarski finished in third place, two strokes behind the victors. Tavistock C.C.’s Jim Shukdinas and Darran Cassar tied for fourth with their counterparts from Tavistock: Pat Butkus and Dougie Ergood, at 2-under-par.

The 2022 Philadelphia PGA Pro-Scratch Championship is presented by Parx Casino®, and is supported by L2 Brands, Kevin McClellan Golf Sales, Workhorse Brewing Company / Workhorse Tour, Destination Kohler, and Ohana Farm LLC. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our host, Trump National Golf Club Philadelphia, its members, management, host PGA Professionals, and staff, as well as our partners, as the event would not have been possible without their support.

To view the full 2022 Philadelphia PGA Pro-Scratch Championship Presented by Parx Casino® leaderboard, click here.

Photo: The Bausch Collection / MyPhillyGolf.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 Members and Associates who are employed at over 590 golf facilities in our region.

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