Cinnaminson, N.J. (August 21, 2023) — Saucon Valley Country Club won the inaugural PGA HOPE Philadelphia Cup in dominating fashion at Riverton Country Club on Monday. As a result of their six-stroke victory, the team, led by PGA Member Mike Wood, included four U.S. military veterans, Bill Lippincott, Cal Bostick, Leo Kollar, and Shaun Osting, will represent PGA REACH Philadelphia’s 10 PGA HOPE chapters in the 2024 PGA Secretary’s Cup during PGA Championship week in Kentucky.

The PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup celebrates the PGA HOPE program by providing a unique and memorable experience for our military Veterans and the PGA Professionals who work tirelessly to positively impact Veterans’ lives. This annual event in conjunction with the week of PGA Championship, began in 2016 and is named after the Secretary of Veteran Affairs in recognition of the Memorandum of Understanding between PGA REACH and the Department of Veteran Affairs. Each team is made up of four veterans from a PGA HOPE program and one PGA or LPGA Professional.

The team from Saucon Valley turned in a net team score of 55, 16-under-par, topping Regents’ Glen C.C.’s Andrew Geesey, PGA, Jonathan Charles, Don Brown Jr., Kenney Souders, and Garrett Tordeur, by six strokes.

To view the full 2023 PGA HOPE Philadelphia Cup leaderboard, click here. To view photos from the event, click here.

The field also provided a warm tribute to John Carpineta, PGA, also known as “Johnny C,” who will be honored with the PGA of America’s PGA Patriot Award in Frisco, Texas, in November. The award bestows special recognition on a PGA Professional who personifies patriotism through the game of golf and demonstrates unwavering commitment and dedication to the men and women who have valiantly served and protected the United States of America.

The 2023 PGA HOPE Philadelphia Cup’s presenting partner is MedEast Post-Op & Surgical Inc. and was supported by Greyson Clothiers, PXG, and Univest. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our host, Riverton Country Club, their members, management, host PGA Professionals, and staff, as well as our partners, as the event would not have been possible without their support.

Lower Gwynedd Township, Pa. (August 17, 2023) — On Monday, August 21, PGA REACH Philadelphia, the Philadelphia PGA Section’s 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, will host nine teams representing the Section’s PGA HOPE chapters will compete in its inaugural PGA HOPE Philadelphia Cup at Riverton Country Club in Cinnaminson, New Jersey. The event is presented by MedEast Post-Op & Surgical Inc., and is supported by Univest and Greyson. 

Each team will be comprised of four U.S. military veterans and a PGA Professional. The winning team at Monday’s 18-hole event will receive an invitation to play in the 2024 PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup during PGA Championship week in Kentucky. 

PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere), the flagship military program of PGA REACH, is a rehabilitative golf program that introduces golf to veterans to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being. PGA HOPE offers golf through a developmental, six- to eight-week curriculum taught by PGA Professionals trained in adaptive golf and military cultural competency. All programs are funded by PGA REACH and supplemented by PGA Section foundations, so the cost of programming is free to all veterans.

The PGA HOPE Philadelphia Cup will be held annually and will bring together PGA HOPE Philadelphia alumni from across three states (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware) to compete against each other in a friendly tournament. 

In addition to the golf event, the PGA HOPE Philadelphia Cup will feature a veterans’ color guard and a rendition of our national anthem from John Carpineta, the recipient of the PGA of America’s 2023 Patriot Award. The award bestows special recognition on a PGA Professional who personifies patriotism through the game of golf and demonstrates unwavering commitment and dedication to the men and women who have valiantly served and protected the United States of America.

To learn more about PGA HOPE Philadelphia, visit pgareachphiladelphia.com/military.

WHAT: Inaugural PGA HOPE Philadelphia Cup

WHEN: Monday, August 21, 2023; 11:00 a.m. lunch; 12:00 p.m. program start; 12:30 p.m. shotgun start

WHERE: Riverton Country Club, 1416 Highland Ave, Cinnaminson, NJ 08077

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 Philadelphia is committed to serving our communities and growing the game of golf through our three pillars: Youth, Military, and Diversity. Visit PGAREACHPhiladelphia.com to learn more. To donate to PGA REACH Philadelphia, please 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.

Contacts: 

Matt Frey, PGA, Communications Director, mfrey@pgahq.com, (513) 205-3081

Courtney Curcio, Director, ccurcio@pgahq.com, (856) 685-3167

As you are likely aware, parts of Maui have recently been destroyed by wildfires with many residents losing their homes, possessions, and in some cases, loved ones. Many PGA Professionals, golf industry workers, and their families, have also been impacted.

To aid in their rehabilitation, the Aloha PGA Section has organized a task force to locate available housing, and gather and distribute essential items to their friends and colleagues in need. Additionally, the Section launched an Aloha Fore Maui GoFundMe campaign with hopes to raise $100,000 to support their efforts and to help PGA Professionals, golf industry workers, and their families get back on their feet.

The Aloha Section has asked that the entire golf industry, from our PGA community to our allied associations and those that love the game of golf, to join them in this endeavor by making a donation to help these individuals who have been impacted by the wildfires. It’s been devastating and heartbreaking to witness, but together we can provide encouragement and help them rebuild their lives. To donate, click on the below button.

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

Lower Gwynedd Township, Pa. (August 8, 2023) — The Philadelphia PGA Section and Silvercrest Asset Management Group have finalized the PGA Professional field for the second annual Silvercrest Cup, scheduled for Tuesday, September 5 at the Gil Hanse-designed Applebrook Golf Club in Malvern, Pa.

Fifty-four PGA Professionals earned their place in the Silvercrest Cup final, which will boast a purse of over $35,000, via a points system drawn from their performance in four qualifying events; the top eight amateurs on the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s (GAP) William Hyndman III Player of the Year list will also be invited to compete. The Silvercrest Cup champion is set to receive $15,000, one of the most lucrative winner’s checks on the Section’s tournament calendar. In addition to the final purse, each qualifying event included a bonus pool of $4,000, to be shared between each qualifier’s champion and runner-up.

Alex Knoll, PGA, of Glen Brook Golf Club in Stroudsburg, Pa., finished atop the 2023 Silvercrest Cup points standings with 696 points. Laurel Creek C.C.’s Dave Quinn, PGA, finished 103.98 points behind Knoll, while 2023 Delaware Valley Open and second qualifying event champion Zach Barbin, Chesapeake Bay G.C., finished in third.

Michael Little, PGA, Clubhouse 54, placed in fourth. Anthony Sebastianelli rounded out the top five, 143.16 points behind the leader. The University of Delaware’s Brendon Post, PGA, winner of the season’s first qualifier, the TaylorMade Classic, finished in 34th place with 360.5 points. Conestoga Classic and third qualifying event champion Bob Lennon, Wilmington C.C. ended in 16th place, while Doylestown Open and final qualifying event champion Kyle Early, Waynesborough C.C., finished in 14th place. Rounding out the PGA Professional field, in 54th, is Rolling Green G.C.’s Scott Chisholm, PGA.

2023 Silvercrest Cup – Top 10 Points Earners

1. Alex Knoll, PGA, 696.00 points
2. Dave Quinn, PGA, 592.02 points
3. Zach Barbin, PGA, 584.11 points
4. Michael Little, PGA, 571.54 points
5. Anthony Sebastianelli, PGA, 552.84 points
6. Andrew Cornish, PGA, 541.94 points
7. Brian Bergstol, PGA, 540.56 points
8. David Hicks, PGA, 540.52 points
9. Trevor Bensel, PGA, 540.50 points
10. Zac Oakley, PGA, 540.48 points

To view the full 2023 Silvercrest Cup standings, click here and select “Silvercrest Cup” under “Category.”

While the Silvercrest Cup rewards playing excellence of Philadelphia PGA Professionals and top amateurs, the series will also provide significant donations to local foundations, including the Philadelphia PGA Section’s 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, PGA REACH Philadelphia, and the GAP’s J.Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust.

About Silvercrest Asset Management Group
Silvercrest Asset Management Group was founded in April 2002 by a group of highly experienced investment professionals with the goal to create a firm dedicated to serving individuals, families and select institutions with significant financial assets. Since inception, Silvercrest has nurtured an entrepreneurial, collegial, and action-oriented business culture with a client first ethos that has led to a 98% client retention rate. Our dedication to serving our clients’ needs first and to providing institutional quality asset management capabilities to the marketplace, has allowed Silvercrest to prosper and grow.  Over the past twenty years, we’ve grown to a diverse organization with 150 employees from various backgrounds in offices around the country and today, we manage over $21 billion dollars in assets on behalf of our clients.

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.

Contacts: 

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

Jack Marriott, Marketing Associate, Silvercrest Asset Management Group, jmarriott@silvercrestgroup.com

West Chester, Pa. (August 7, 2023) — PGA Member Trevor Bensel of Sandy Run Country Club in Oreland, Pa., turned in an impressive final round 6-under-par 65 to win the 47th Pro-Am for Wishes at Penn Oaks Golf Club, bettering Clubhouse 54’s Michael Little, PGA, and Bidermann G.C.’s Zac Oakley, PGA, by four strokes. Today’s victory marks his first Section win of the year.

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 $700,000 for the Make-A-Wish foundation.

Bensel started his day one stroke behind the first round leader Zac Oakley but his six birdies and bogey-free round propelled him to victory, finishing with scores of 69-65–134, 8-under-par.

“I made a few good putts yesterday, and that carried over to today,” Bensel said following his round. “I tried to keep it in the fairway today too; you need to keep it straight off the tee [at Penn Oaks].”

He went on to thank the Penn Oaks Golf Club membership and staff, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Jimmy O’Connor, Sandy Run Golf Club, Titleist, FootJoy, Holderness & Bourne, and the Philadelphia PGA Section.

Little made a run for the lead, getting to 5-under-par for his round, ultimately finishing with a 3-under-par 68. In the opening round, Little led his team of amateurs, Gene Marinelli and Pat Rugg, to victory in the pro-am portion of the event. To read more about the pro-am, click here. Oakley, who played in the same pairing as Bensel, had an up-and-down round, making five birdies and four bogies.

PGA Associate Anthony Sebastianelli, Rolling Green G.C., finished in fourth place at 1-under-par, followed by a four-way tie for fifth place at 1-over: Andrew Cornish, Cedarbrook C.C.; Braden Shattuck, Rolling Green G.C.; Mark Sheftic, Sunnybrook G.C.; and Andrew Turner, Berkshire C.C.

Royal Oak G.C.’s Terry Hatch, PGA, tied for first place in the Senior Division with Wilmington C.C.’s Bob Lennon, PGA, at 2-over-par, bettering fellow PGA Members Rich Steinmetz, Spring Ford C.C., and Dave McNabb, Applebrook G.C., by one stroke. Terry Hertzog, Bent Creek C.C., and Dave Quinn, Laurel Creek C.C., tied for fifth place at 5-over-par.

With rounds of 73-77–150, 8-over-par, Jimmy O’Connor successfully defended his low amateur honors, topping fellow amateur Patt Rugg by six strokes. Zach Paris and Kevin O’Hara finished in third and fourth place, respectively. The four amateurs qualified to compete in the final round at Penn Oaks via their sub-80 rounds on Sunday.

To view the full 47th Pro-Am for Wishes leaderboard, click here.

The 47th Pro-Am for Wishes title partner is Tamora Building Systems, and is supported by the Piazza Auto Group, Woodward Properties, Smart From the Start, and the Horn Family. 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.

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 6, 2023) — PGA Member Michael Little of Clubhouse 54 in North Wales, Pa., led his team of amateurs, Gene Marinelli and Pat Rugg, to victory in the 47th Pro-Am for Wishes at Penn Oaks Golf Club, topping three teams by two strokes.

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 $700,000 for the Make-A-Wish foundation.

Using a two best balls of three format, Little made three gross birdies, while Marinelli and Rugg combined for 10 net birdies and one net double eagle; the team rounded out their scorecard with five bogies to finish their round at 11-under-par.

Three teams tied for second place: Trevor Bensel, Sandy Run C.C., Jimmy O’Connor, and Syd Tyson; Zac Oakley, Bidermann G.C., Anthony Diver, and Kurt Scheivert; and John Allen, Squires G.C., Ken Eck, and David Benway. Terry Hatch, Royal Oaks G.C., Rich Boyd, and Todd Horn finished in fifth place at 8-under-par.

In the 36-hole PGA Professional event, Zac Oakley leads the field following his 3-under-par round of 68. Oakley earned his first Section victory of the year last week at the National Car Rental Philadelphia Assistant PGA Professional Championship. Trevor Bensel and Bob Lennon, Wilmington C.C., find themselves trailing Oakley by only one stroke, with three fellow PGA Professionals tied for fourth place at 1-under-par: Andrew Turner, Berkshire C.C.; Anthony Sebastianelli, Rolling Green G.C.; and Michael Little.

After the opening round, Lennon leads the Senior Division by two strokes, topping John Allen, and Dave McNabb, Applebrook G.C. Terry Hatch is in fourth place at 1-over-par, followed by PGA Life Member George Forster, who finds himself in fifth place at 2-over-par.

Four amateurs will play in Monday’s final round based on their opening round performance: Pat Rugg, 72; Jimmy O’Connor, 73; Zach Paris, 77; and Kevin O’Hara, 78.

The PGA Professional field and qualifying amateurs will play their final round tomorrow, Monday, August 7 at Penn Oaks. To view the full leaderboard, click here.

The 2023 Pro-Am for Wishes title partner is Tamora Building Systems, and is supported by the Piazza Auto Group, Woodward Properties, Smart From the Start, and the Horn Family. 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.

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

The Philadelphia PGA Section regrets to inform you of the passing of Aaron Palen, PGA. He tragically passed away on July 30 from a sudden cardiac issue while jogging. Palen, a 21-year PGA Member, was the PGA head professional and interim general manager at Duck Woods Country Club in North Carolina, and had previously worked as the PGA head professional at Mountain View Country Club here in the Philadelphia PGA Section. While observance information has yet to be made public, a GoFundMe page has been created to support his family during this difficult time. Ton contribute, click here.