Author: Matt Frey

Playing Through: Jim “Cheech” Shukdinas, PGA (S2E6)

July 1, 2025Comments Off on Playing Through: Jim “Cheech” Shukdinas, PGA (S2E6)PPGA

Welcome to the latest episode of the Philadelphia PGA Section’s web series, “Playing Through,” where PGA of America Golf Professionals, Section staff, Section partners, and other industry professionals are asked 18 questions about their lives and careers.

This episode features PGA of America Member Jim “Cheech” Shukdinas, a PGA assistant golf professional at Tavistock (N.J.) Country Club.

If you are interested in appearing in a future episode, please complete this form by clicking here. To watch past episodes, click here.

Submit Philadelphia PGA Board Nominations

June 30, 2025Comments Off on Submit Philadelphia PGA Board NominationsPPGA

The Philadelphia PGA Section is seeking nominations for our Board of Directors, including officers, director of Section affairs, director of tournaments and district directors in districts 1, 3, and 5. As provided in Section 6.03 of the Section By-Laws, our current district directors, Curtis Kirkpatrick, Jeff Breiner, and Tom Michaels, and our director of Section affairs, Anthony Malizia, are eligible to run for a second two-year term if duly nominated. Nominees must be a PGA Member in good standing and be from the District they are nominated to serve. Members may only nominate one candidate for each position.

The election is scheduled to take place at our Fall Membership Meeting on October 20 at Indian Valley Country Club in Telford, Pa. The nomination deadline is Friday, August 15, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. To submit nominations, click here.

President

Vice President

Secretary

Director of Section Affairs

Director of Tournaments

District 1 Director
New Jersey, south of 40th parallel

District 3 Director
Pa Counties: Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry and York

District 5 Director
Pa. Counties: Berks, Lehigh, Northampton, Bucks (north of Route 202)

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 300 golf facilities in our region.

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

PGA of America Golf Professionals McNamee, Dixon Lead Teams to Victory at 2025 Philadelphia PGA Schuylkill Team Stableford Pro-Am Presented by Parx Casino® and Moyer

June 26, 2025Comments Off on PGA of America Golf Professionals McNamee, Dixon Lead Teams to Victory at 2025 Philadelphia PGA Schuylkill Team Stableford Pro-Am Presented by Parx Casino® and MoyerPPGA

Orwigsburg, Pa. (June 26, 2025) — PGA of America Golf Professionals Eric McNamee of Golf Galaxy Montgomeryville in North Wales, Pa., and Ken Dixon of Golf Genius Software in Wayne, Pa., led their respective teams of amateurs, Joe Boyle, Walt Hoffner, and Jesse Brookreson; Josh Lewis, Jason Barkley, and Cory Reighard; to a tie atop the Net Division in the 2025 Philadelphia PGA Schuylkill Team Stableford Pro-Am presented by Parx Casino® and Moyer. McNamee’s team won the tie-breaker in the weather-shortened event.

The winnings team each finished with 44 Stableford points in the two best balls of team format. The modified Stableford format awarded points as follows: Bogey or higher, one point; Par, two points; Birdie, three points; Eagle, four points; and Double Eagle, five points. Bent Creek Country Club’s Terry Hertzog, PGA, Ron kreider, Chris Simon, and Jonas Vossler finished in third place, one stroke behind the leaders.

Dixon’s team also finished atop the Gross Division with 42 points. Skippack Golf Club’s Darryl Lock, PGA, Bill Lydick, Bill Pabst, and Jim Fronzoni finished in a tie for second place with 39 points with Green Pond Golf Course’s John Kulhamer, PGA, John Mace, Phil Ries, and Ryan Orcutt.

A special congratulations to Schuylkill Country Club PGA Director of Golf Andy Signor, who made the shot of tournament, a hole-in-one, on No. 11; he used a seven-iron from 179 yards. Well played, Andy!

To view the full 2025 Philadelphia Senior PGA Professional Championship leaderboard, click here.

The 2025 Philadelphia PGA Schuylkill Team Stableford Pro-Am is presented by Parx Casino® and Moyer. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA of America Golf Professionals thank our partners, Schuylkill Country Club, its membership, management, staff, and host PGA of America Golf Professionals, 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

PGA of America Golf Professional John Pillar Successfully Defends Title at 2025 Philadelphia Senior PGA Professional Championship

June 25, 2025Comments Off on PGA of America Golf Professional John Pillar Successfully Defends Title at 2025 Philadelphia Senior PGA Professional ChampionshipPPGA

Royersford, Pa. (June 25, 2025) — PGA of America Golf Professional John Pillar of the Country Club at Woodloch Springs in Hawley, Pa., battled the record-breaking heat to successfully defended his title and capture the 2025 Philadelphia Senior PGA Professional Championship at Spring Ford Country Club. Pillar previously won this championship in 2019, 2020, and 2024.

The championship is supported by Golf Channel, Ohana Farm, and the PGA Tour.

Pillar entered the final round with a two-stroke lead, and completed his title defense with rounds of 68-70–138 to finish at 6-under-par, four strokes ahead of Brian Kelly of Titleist Fit Crew.

Heat index of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, Pillar battled back on his final nine with five birdies, including three straight to finish, and a lone bogey, after starting his final round 2-over through seven holes.

“I’m proud of the fact that I finished strong,” Pillar said after being presented the trophy. “It’s very emotional to win this championship again; it’s my fourth victory in six years. I don’t take it lightly, because the [Philadelphia PGA] Section has a lot of great players.”

When asked about how he stayed focused in the extreme heat, Pillar said that players have to find shade.

“I learned that a long time ago from a caddie at Aronimink Golf Club…he said to get in the shade whenever you can, because it’s 15 degrees cooler than in the sun. I drank a ton of water, Gatorade, and a Pedialyte, but in the end, you have to take your time and not rush. The heat will identify your mental mistakes more so than the physical mistakes.”

Pillar went on to thank Spring Ford Country Club for hosting, the Country Club at Woodloch Springs for giving him the opportunity to compete, his wife Eileen, his kids, TaylorMade, Nike, and the Philadelphia PGA Section staff.

Pillar will lead six other Philadelphia PGA Members to compete in the 2025 Senior PGA Professional Championship at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on October 23-26, including: Brian Kelly; Stephan Swartz, Carlisle Country Club; Dave McNabb, Applebrook Golf Club; Frank Bensel, Galloway National Golf Club; Rich Steinmetz, Spring Ford Country Club; and Terry Hertzog, Bent Creek Country Club. The top 35 finishers in the 2025 Senior PGA Professional Championship will earn a spot in the 2026 Senior PGA Professional Championship, scheduled to be played on April 16-19, at the Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla. Alternates include: Mark Sehtic, Sunnybrook Golf Club; John Cooper, Green Valley Country Club; Hugo Mazzalupi, Radnor Golf Foundation; Brendon Post, University of Delaware; and Kevin Edwards, Olde Homestead Golf Club.

The Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Bill Sautter, PGA, took the top prize in the Super Senior Division, finishing at 4-over-par and one stroke ahead of Harvey Williams, Glen Oak Country Club.

To view the full 2025 Philadelphia Senior PGA Professional Championship leaderboard, click here.

The 2025 Philadelphia Senior PGA Professional Championship is supported by Golf Channel, Ohana Farm LLC, and the PGA Tour. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA of America Golf Professionals thank our partners, Spring Ford Country Club, its membership, management, staff, and host PGA of America Golf Professionals, 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

PGA of America Golf Professional Riley Wheeldon Wins at the Hutch

June 18, 2025Comments Off on PGA of America Golf Professional Riley Wheeldon Wins at the HutchPPGA

Reading, Pa. (June 18, 2025) — Despite a shortened round due to thunderstorms, PGA of America Golf Professional Riley Wheeldon of Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pa., took first place with a score of five-under par at the Hutch Invitational at Berkshire Country Club. This is Wheeldon’s first victory in the Philadelphia PGA Section.

Scott and Karen Hutchinson have been longtime supporters of the Philadelphia PGA Section and the PGA of America REACH Foundation Philadelphia, the Section’s 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, and also support the Philadelphia Players Championship at Lookaway Golf Club. The Hutchinsons established the Hutch to provide an additional playing opportunity to PGA Professionals who prioritize competitive golf while also successfully balancing their careers and partner relationships. The Hutch is a limited field event with the Hutchinsons extending invitations to 33 PGA Professionals. We at the Philadelphia PGA Section thank Scott and Karen Hutchinson for their amazing generosity and continued support. Today’s event was also supported by Holderness & Bourne.

“I feel like I played really well today,” said Wheeldon. “Believe it or not I still think I left a couple of shots out there.” He then went on to thank Scott for inviting him to play in this event and extended gratitude to Berkshire Country Club, his wife and new baby girl.

Wheeldon put up an impressive round despite the heat and humidity, making five birdies to better Dave Quinn, Laurel Creek Country Club, by two strokes. Dupont Country Club’s Michael Caldwell, PGA, was close behind finishing at 2-under-par. Tied for fourth at one-under-par was John Cooper, Green Valley Country Club; Michael Strain, Concord Country Club; and Scott Chisholm, Rolling Green Golf Club.

Participating PGA Professionals teamed with one amateur golfer of their choice in a Better Ball format for the team competition.

Riley Wheeldon and his amateur partner, Jack Crowley, placed first with a combined score of six-under par. Three teams tied for second place, one stroke back: Mike Caldwell, PGA, and Ron Fields; Michael Strain, PGA, and Jason Patton, and Scott Chisholm, PGA, and Blake Walinsky. Finishing in a tie for fifth place at four-under par were PGA Professional, Andrew Cornish, Green Valley Country Club, and his amateur, Al DeColli and Professional, Dave Quinn and his teammate, Bobby Dominy.

To view the full 2025 Hutch leaderboard, click here.

The Hutch is presented by Scott and Karen Hutchinson, and supported by Holderness & Bourne. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA of America Golf Professionals thank our partners, Berkshire Country Club, its membership, management, staff, and host PGA of America Golf Professionals, 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

KPMG Women’s PGA Championship to Fund PGA Jr. League Programs in Championship Markets

June 17, 2025Comments Off on KPMG Women’s PGA Championship to Fund PGA Jr. League Programs in Championship MarketsPPGA

FRISCO, Texas (June 17, 2025) — The PGA of America and KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm, announced today that the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will fund 10 new sites for PGA Jr. League programs in each of the past, present and future host markets of the Championship. The new sites will create opportunities for young girls and boys from underserved communities to play the game with expert coaching provided by PGA of America and LPGA Professionals.

Funded through the charitable endeavors of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, youth 17 and under in the 10 selected sites will be provided access to equipment, uniforms and transportation.

“The PGA of America is incredibly fortunate to partner with KPMG in making this great game we all love more accessible to youth through PGA Jr. League,” said PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague, PGA. “These new leagues will help us make a positive impact on youth in each community we host a KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.”

PGA Jr. League, operated by the PGA of America, brings families and friends together around fun, team golf experiences where kids ages 17 and under wear numbered jerseys. In 2024, more than 77,000 youth participated in the program.

The PGA of America REACH Foundation, the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America, is committed to opening the game by providing wrap-around support to young golfers in underserved communities through its Youth Pillar, utilizing PGA Jr. League scholarships and fully-funded programs. In 2024, nearly 5,000 PGA Jr. League scholarships were awarded to children who qualified for financial assistance or were from a military family.

Market locations for new PGA Jr. League sites:

  • Atlanta, Georgia
  • Chicago, Illinois
  • Greater New York
  • Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Newark, New Jersey
  • North Texas
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Seattle, Washington
  • Washington D.C.
  • TBD – Site of 2028 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

The new leagues will aim to enrich communities by providing introductory golf exploration programs, creating pathways for more youth to experience and engage with the sport.

About the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

Founded in 1955, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is a major-championship collaboration between the PGA of America, LPGA, and KPMG. Broadcast in partnership with NBC and Golf Channel, the Championship offers a purse among the highest in women’s golf. In 2025, the 71st edition of the event will be contested on Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco, the second Major Championship to be held on the East Course.

About PGA of America REACH Foundation

The PGA of America REACH Foundation is the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America. The mission of the Foundation is to positively impact the lives of youth, military and diverse populations by enabling access to PGA of America Golf Professionals, PGA Sections and the game of golf. For more information on the PGA of America REACH Foundation, visit PGAREACH.org, follow @PGAREACH on Instagram, X and find us on Facebook.

About KPMG LLP

KPMG LLP is the U.S. member firm of the KPMG global organization of independent member firms providing audit, tax and advisory services. The KPMG global organization operates in 142 countries and territories and has more than 275,000 people working in member firms around the world. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. KPMG International Limited is a private English company limited by guarantee. KPMG International Limited and its related entities do not provide services to clients.

KPMG is widely recognized for being a great place to work and build a career. Our people share a sense of purpose in the work we do, and a strong commitment to increasing access to education and opportunity, advancing mental health, and supporting community vitality. Learn more at www.kpmg.com/us.

Media Contacts

Jesse Dodson, PGA of America, jdodson@pgahq.com

Katy Reddin, KPMG, kreddin@kpmg.com

KPMG Women’s PGA Championship Continues to Set the Standard for Excellence in Women’s Golf with Highest Purse, New Tech, World-Class Field and Most Comprehensive Broadcast Coverage

June 17, 2025Comments Off on KPMG Women’s PGA Championship Continues to Set the Standard for Excellence in Women’s Golf with Highest Purse, New Tech, World-Class Field and Most Comprehensive Broadcast CoveragePPGA
TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 2025 – The 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, taking place June 19-22 at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco in Frisco, Texas, continues to set the standard for excellence in women’s golf. This major championship will feature a purse tied for the highest on the LPGA Tour, new technology enhancements for the world’s best players to elevate their game, one of the best fields in women’s golf and the most comprehensive broadcast coverage of any event on the LPGA Tour.
  • High purse: The 156-player field will compete for a $12 million purse, tied for the highest in women’s golf.
  • Newest and best technology: This Championship is the most tech-forward championship on the LPGA Tour.
    • KPMG is adding new AI-enhanced features to KPMG Performance Insights, which provides LPGA players access to critical shot-level data to diagnose and improve their performance and delivers insights to fans and media to see how the players on the LPGA Tour stack up against one another. New for the 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, all players will receive a KPMG Performance Insights Daily Recap that includes:
  • Hole-by-hole AI-powered course analysis: Players will receive a detailed breakdown of how the field performed on each hole that day. For example, if hitting the ball to the right rough on one hole led to a negative strokes gained compared to the left rough, players can alter their strategy on that hole to improve their performance the following day.
  • AI-generated scoring targets: Players will receive a probability range of predicted scores for the cut line during early rounds followed by predicted winning scores over the weekend. For instance, knowing that a score of +2 has a 20% chance of making the cut for the next round will help them decide how aggressive they need to be with their play.
  • KPMG CHAMPCAST presented by T-Mobile leverages the same cutting-edge ShotLink Pro technology from the PGA TOUR and brings fans an immersive experience to follow each player in the field. Features like 3D imagery, radar data, shot trails, green views and individual shot video highlights allow fans get closer to the action than ever.
    • Combining KPMG Performance Insights and Champcast offers real-time, shot-level data and analytics for each player in the field, together with historical performance data.
  • Star-studded field: The Championship annually features one of the strongest fields in women’s golf. This year all top 100 players in the current Race to CME Globe Rankings are competing at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco. 
  • Top courses: The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will take place at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco. Designed by Gil Hanse, this marks the first women’s major championship played on the East Course. Fields Ranch East will also host the PGA Championship in 2027. Over the last five years, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship has been contested at three top 100 courses in the United States (Baltusrol, Congressional, Aronimink), tied for the most for any event on the LPGA Tour.
  • Most comprehensive broadcast coverage: The Championship will have the most comprehensive broadcast coverage of any event on the LPGA Tour, with nearly 100 hours of live, streaming and ancillary coverage across NBC, Golf Channel, and Peacock. For the first time, Featured Groups presented by KPMG and T-Mobile for Business will be available on Peacock, allowing fans to follow their favorite players even more closely.
“KPMG’s commitment to excellence extends to women’s golf, and through our collaboration with the PGA of America and LPGA Tour, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is the best event on the LPGA Tour,” said Paul Knopp, KPMG U.S. Chair and CEO. “The high purse, top courses, comprehensive broadcast coverage, and technology are all ways we are setting the standard. Technology is changing business and sports and, similar to the AI enablement we deliver for our clients, we’re equipping LPGA players with new AI capabilities through KPMG Performance Insights, enabling them to take their game to new heights.”
“The PGA of America is incredibly proud to be hosting the 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at our new home in Frisco,” said Derek Sprague, PGA of America CEO. “Bringing the best women players in the world to Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco reinforces our commitment to staging this Championship at world-class golf courses in major markets. With the tremendous support of our partners KPMG and the LPGA, this event continues to evolve — highlighted by a purse tied for the highest in women’s golf and more broadcast coverage than ever before, including the debut of Featured Groups.”
“We are deeply grateful for the long-standing support of our friends at KPMG and the PGA of America. Our shared goal of creating opportunities for our athletes, through a commitment to excellence both on and off the course, has created a truly dynamic, inspiring major championship,” said Liz Moore, LPGA Interim Commissioner. “Announcements like this are proof that the future of the LPGA Tour is bright, and we look forward to an exciting week at PGA Frisco.”
Media Contacts:
Ichiro Kawasaki, KPMG (ikawasaki@kpmg.com / 845-828-3757)
Katy Reddin, KPMG (kreddin@kpmg.com / 434-284-3162)
Greg Dillard, PGA of America (gdillard@pgahq.com / 561-308-8013)
J.D. Sterba, LPGA (jd.sterba@lpga.com / 248-821-1133)
Christina Lance, LPGA (Christina.lance@lpga.com / 908-963-1691)