John Pillar Captures Philadelphia Senior PGA Professional Championship;
Earns Berth in 31st Senior PGA Professional Championship

Full Tournament Leaderboard

(Malvern, Pa.) (August 20, 2019) – John Pillar of (Hawley, Pa.), winner of the Philadelphia Section Senior PGA Professional Championship August 19-20, 2019 at Applebrook Golf Club will lead seven Section PGA Professionals to compete Oct. 3-6, in the 31st Senior PGA Professional Championship.

The national Championship, presented by Cadillac and supported by Golf Channel and John Deere, will be held at Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa in Austin, Texas.

Pillar turned in a winning total of 8-under-par 134 to capture the Philadelphia Section Senior PGA Professional Championship presented by Cadillac. Bob Lennon of (Wilmington, Del.) finished three strokes back at 5-under-par 137. They are joined by Brian Kelly of (Lewisburg, Pa.), Terry Hertzog of (Lititz, Pa.), George Forster of (Blue Bell, Pa.), Dave Quinn of (Marlton, NJ), Eddie Perrino of (Mountain Top, Pa.).

“I feel grateful to join the list of Philadelphia PGA Senior Champions,” commented Pillar of his win. “We have such a strong contingent of senior players in our Section and to be considered in the same sentence as those legends is truly an honor. “I’d be remiss if I didn’t recognize everyone at Woodloch Springs, especially my staff, who do such an outstanding job at home allowing me to compete in these events. I also need to thank the membership and staff of Applebrook Golf Club for providing such an outstanding venue for us to play these past two days. I am looking forward to the National Championship and playing with the best players from across the country.”

Pillar now joins a short list of players who have won both the Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship (2009) and Philadelphia PGA Senior Championship.

The Senior PGA Professional Championship brings together a field of 264 contestants representing the PGA of America’s 41 nationwide Sections and features a total purse of $300,000. The first two rounds will be conducted on the Foothills and Coore Crenshaw Courses. The first cut will be made after 36 holes of play to the low 90 scorers and ties. The second cut will be made after 54 holes of play to the low 70 scorers and ties. The final two rounds will be played on the Foothills Course.

Designed by Tom Fazio, the Foothills Course was recently ranked as one of the top courses in Texas by Golf Magazine. The course is protected by cliffs, waterfalls and creeks, making for a beautiful, scenic round, but also emphasizes the importance of accuracy. Drives from the elevated tee boxes must be precise to hit the fairways, and even more so when approaching the small greens. Previously, the Foothills Course was home to the PGA Tour Champions Legends of Golf tournament from 1990-1994.

A collaboration between course architect Bill Coore and two-time Masters Champion, Ben Crenshaw, the Coore Crenshaw Course is designed with the ideology that nature is the best architect. Although the holes feature lush, wide fairways, the dense trees to their sides will swallow any ball that misses its mark. However, the real challenge is found on the large, undulated greens that are sure to stump and frustrate players. The course’s beauty is really seen on the signature 18th hole. Running slightly uphill, approach shots must carry a creek to the low-lying green which is designed to appear as though it was carved into the hillside.

Begun in 1989, the Senior PGA Professional Championship is modeled after the PGA Professional Championship, with a field of 50-and-older senior PGA Professionals who advanced through 41 Section Championships conducted from June through August this year.

The top 35 finishers in the national Championship earn a berth in the 81st KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, which will be conducted in May 21-24, 2020, at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Michigan.

The top five finishers earn an exemption into the final stage of the 2020 PGA Tour Champions National Finals in November 2019. Since its debut, many participants in the Senior PGA Professional Championship have used their success in the event as a springboard to a PGA Tour Champions career.

About Cadillac:

Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. Today, Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio featuring distinctive design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com. Cadillac’s media website with information, images and video can be found at media.cadillac.com

About the PGA of America

The PGA of America represents the very best in golf. For more information about the PGA of America, visit PGA.org and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Full Tournament Leaderboard

Cape May Court House, N.J, – Nearly two months after its originally scheduled date, the 2019 Atlantic City Team Stableford was played at Union League National, a new venue for the Philadelphia PGA, on a warm and humid summer afternoon. For this rescheduled event, 25 teams traveled down the AC Expressway to the New Jersey shore for the championships that pairs one PGA Professional with three amateur partners playing a stableford points.

In the Net division, Eric McNamee (Golf Galaxy – Montgomeryville) and his amateur partners Joseph Boyle, Walt Hoffner, and Jesse Brookreson combined for a team score of 94 points, four more than their closest opponent. Each member of the team contributed to the overall score including every member of the team carding a natural birdies.

In the Gross division, the team of Eric Figueroa (McCall Golf and Country Club) and his amateur partners Jon Stein, Pat Reynolds, and Russ Loue took home the tournament’s top spot. While each member of the team contributed to the overall score, it was the fantastic play of Figueroa, who posted a 4-under (68) on his ball that led to the team’s first place finish.

The Philadelphia PGA would like to thank our tournament sponsors the Morell Studios, Maui Jim, Red Arrow Markers, and Morgan Stanley for their support of the AC Stableford Team Championship. The Philadelphia PGA also thanks the membership and staff of Union League National for their support.

The next event on the Philadelphia PGA calendar is the Philadelphia Senior PGA Professional Championship set to be played on August 19-20 at Applebrook Golf Club in Malvern, Pa.

For more information, visit www.philadelphia.pga.com or follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Full Tournament Results

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. – As the calendar turned to August, the Philadelphia PGA once again returned to Doylestown Country Club for the annual Doylestown Open. The one-day stroke-play tournament featured more than 90 Philadelphia PGA Professionals and served as the seventh event in the race for the Omega Player of the Year presented by the Haverford Trust Company.

Early in the day, current Philadelphia PGA Omega Player of the Year points leader Michael Little (Lookaway Golf Club) got things going after posting an impressive 4-under (68). Little posted back to back birdies on his front nine to make the turn at 2-under. As he made his way back to the clubhouse, Little added an eagle on the par-5 14^th hole as well as another birdie on the short par-4 16^th to reach 5-under. However, an untimely bogey on the par-5 18^th hole dropped Little back to 4-under and in the end that proved to be a costly stroke.

As play continued, word started to spread that there was a player on the course who was having an impressive round. Brian Bergstol (Shawnee Inn & Resort) got off to a flat start but was able to turn things around on the par-4 6^th hole carding his first birdie of the day. Bergstol added two additional birdies over his next three holes to make the turn at 3-under. After a couple of bogeys on holes 10 and 12, Bergstol was able to right the ship and posted three consecutive birdies on holes 13-15 before adding a final birdie on the par-5 18^th hole to finish with a 5-under (67) and take over the clubhouse lead.

“I haven’t been playing on that well recently,” commented Bergstol on his round. “I have been very inconsistent with my driver and the only time I have been able to practice is during events. Today I was able to recover nicely from some of those poor drives and made some putts which helped a lot.”

Playing a couple hours after Bergstol, a second player was able to get to the 5-under (67) mark. Ben Schlesman (Manufacturers Golf & Country Club) is in his second year as an Assistant Professional in the Philadelphia Section. Like Bergstol, Schlesman played his outward nine in 3-under par after posting four birdies and one bogey. As he played the inward nine, Schlesman added four additional birdies but paired with two more bogeys Schlesman also finished at 5-under (67). Schlesman’s eight birdies were the most of any player in the field.

With no other players able to match or pass Bergstol and Schlesman, the pair headed back to the 18^th hole for a sudden death playoff, the second consecutive Philadelphia PGA points event to be settled this way. Both players missed the fairway with their tee shots, although both managed to put themselves in a good position after their second shots came up just short of the par-5 green. In the end, Bergstol was able to get up and down for birdie giving him the edge over Schlesman as well as his first points win of the 2019 season.

“It always feels great to get a win,” said Bergstol. “I hope I can continue to build off of this round, especially with some big events coming up Assistants Championship and the Haverford Philadelphia PGA Classic. I want to thank everyone at Doylestown Country Club for hosting us today.”

A familiar name took home the top spot in the tournament’s senior division. Dave Quinn (Laurel Creek Country Club) managed to overcome a bogey on the first hole, his only blemish of the day, to finish the tournament at 2-under (70), one shot ahead of a trio of competitors giving him his fourth senior win of the 2019 season. Finishing just behind Quinn were Dave McNabb (Applebrook Golf Club), John Pillar (Country Club of Woodloch Springs), and Don Allan (Burlington Country Club).

The Section would like to thank the membership and staff of Doylestown Country Club for their support of this event as well as tournament sponsor Jani-King and the PGA Tour.

Full Tournament Leaderboard

PGA Members Eric Eshleman and Kevin Kirk
Headline 2019 PGA of America National Award Recipients

Eshleman named PGA Golf Professional of the Year,
Kirk recognized as PGA Teacher of the Year; Lead Class of 12 Honorees 

Sara Muldoon Bio

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (July 24, 2019) – Eric Eshleman, PGA, the Director of Golf at the Country Club of Birmingham (Alabama), is the recipient of the 2019 PGA Golf Professional of the Year Award. This award is the highest annual honor given to a PGA of America Professional, awarded for qualities of leadership, strong moral character and a substantial record of service to the PGA and the game of golf.

A 24-year PGA Member, Eshleman has demonstrated a passion and commitment to training and mentoring fellow PGA Professionals throughout his career and has served in advisory roles on several golf committees. Eshleman currently serves as the Honorary President of the Alabama-NW Florida PGA Section, after a two-year term as President. During his time as a Section Officer, he helped raise the image and status of the Section and established a fundraising program for its foundation, while his stint as president included the approval of the Section name change (formerly the Dixie Section).

He has trained many PGA Professionals to become outstanding golf instructors, stemming from his devotion to bettering the golf community and fostering strong relationships with the individuals he mentors. Under his leadership, the Country Club of Birmingham has averaged more than 2,400 lessons annually since 2014. Eshleman is also a member of the PGA Adjunct Faculty, teaching golf to beginners and assisting students and staff in developing their skills and shaping their career paths. Additionally, Eshleman oversees one of the largest junior golf programs in the country, with 200 kids playing in CCB’s Junior Club Championship in 2018.

Well known as a teaching professional for students such as Graeme McDowell, Patton Kizzire, Paul Dunne and the 66^th U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Eshleman has been honored by the Alabama-NW Florida PGA Section on several occasions. He received the Section’s: PGA Golf Professional of the Year Award in 2010 and 2017; the Teacher of the Year Award (2000 and 2004); the 2011 PGA Bill Strausbaugh Award; and 2014 Youth Player Development Award.

Kevin Kirk, PGA, a 26-year PGA Member in the Southern Texas Section and Director of Golf Instruction at The Woodlands Country Club in The Woodlands, Texas, is the recipient of the 2019 PGA Teacher of the Year Award for his “outstanding services as a golf teacher, innovator and coach.”

Kirk, a PGA Master Professional and a GOLF Magazine Top 100 Teacher in America, has taught an impressive list of students, highlighted by three-time United States Ryder Cup Team Member and 2018 Masters Champion Patrick Reed; LPGA TOUR star and Major Champion Lexi Thompson; and three-time PGA TOUR winner Jhonattan Vegas, among others. Kirk also works with professional golfers Maria Verchenova and Rodolfo Cazubon, making him the coach of five Olympians.

Committed to player development, Kirk’s holistic approach to teaching caters to individuals of all ages and skill levels, from newcomers to Tour stars. A sought-after presenter and instructor, Kirk is a member of the PGA of America’s Coaching & Player Development Committee and has delivered numerous insightful presentations at PGA meetings, workshops and education programs at the Chapter, Section and National levels, as well as coaching summits in England, Australia and New Zealand. He is an advocate for the Aspen Institute Project Play and strongly supports the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the PGA of America in the advancement of the American Development Model.

Fluent in Spanish, Kirk is a valued consultant for several golf federations, Olympic Committees and private clubs throughout Latin America. Highly regarded as a mentor, educator and role model for fellow PGA Members, Kirk’s passion is reinforced by his commitment to inclusiveness and sharing both his experience and knowledge with peers.

His recognition as 2019 National PGA Teacher of the Year follows a long list of awards at the Section level including: Southern Texas PGA Section Harvey Penick Teacher of the Year five times (1998, 1999, 2008, 2011 and 2017); the Horton Smith Award in 2006; and the Bill Strausbaugh Award in 2012.

“The 2019 Class of PGA of America National Awards winners has distinguished themselves as leaders and innovators, and it’s a privilege to recognize each one of them for their extraordinary commitment to the Association, as well as their passion for advancing the game and business of golf,” said PGA President Suzy Whaley. “With a commitment to excellence and the utmost of professionalism, these honorees inspire our 29,000 PGA Professionals to continually pursue the highest standards of success and achievement.”

Eric Eshleman and Kevin Kirk lead a group of 11 PGA Professionals and one PGA Section in winning the PGA of America’s 2019 National Awards. The majority of the awards will be presented on Thursday, Nov. 7, as part of the 2019 PGA Annual Meeting in West Palm Beach, Florida. The three PGA Merchandiser of the Year Awards will be presented next January, in coordination with events surrounding the 2020 PGA Merchandise Show.

2019 PGA of America National Awards Recipients

PGA Golf Professional of the Year: Eric Eshleman, PGA, Country Club of Birmingham (Ala.)

PGA Teacher of the Year: Kevin Kirk, PGA, The Woodlands (Texas) Golf Performance Center

Bill Strausbaugh Award: David Reasoner, PGA, Ridgewood Country Club – Paramus, N.J.

Horton Smith Award: Todd Sones, PGA, Todd Sones Impact Golf – Vernon Hills, Ill.

Deacon Palmer Award: Randy Jones, PGA, Club Car – Richmond, Texas

Patriot Award: Judy Alvarez, PGA/LPGA, Monarch Country Club – Palm City, Fla.

PGA Player Development Award: Liz Cooper, PGA/LPGA, Springfield (Va.) Golf & Country Club

PGA Youth Player Development Award: Scott Wilson, PGA, Bay Meadows Family Golf Course. –
Traverse City, Mich.

Herb Graffis Award: South Florida PGA Section

PGA Merchandiser of the Year–Resort Category: Sara Muldoon, PGA, Hershey (Pa.) Country Club

PGA Merchandiser of the Year-Public Category: Duncan Simms, PGA, Oak Creek G.C. –
Irvine, Calif.

PGA Merchandiser of the Year-Private Category: Scott Kirkwood, PGA, Ocean Reef Club –
Key Largo, Fla.

For bios and information on the individual award winners, click here.

About the PGA of America
The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of PGA Professionals who daily work to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. For more information about the PGA of America, visit PGA.org, follow @PGA on Twitter and find us on Facebook.

Media Contact
Michael Abramowitz  PGA of America 561/624-8458 mabramowitz@pgahq.com
Jared Minski, Mastro Communications, Inc. 732/469-5700 jared@mastrocomm.com

The Philadelphia PGA is in the process of switching to our new tournament software, Golf Genius. This transition will be fully deployed on Monday, July 1. Hopefully you have taken the time to complete your player profiles to help make your transition to this new platform more seamless.

To help you with the new registration process we have put together the following guides. These guides will help you with the new tournament registration process as well as the new program registration (TPD, Hole-in-One, Chapter and PAO membership). As always if you have any questions please contact the Philadelphia PGA.

Golf Genius Event & Program Registration Guide

Additionally, we are asking that you download the new Philadelphia PGA Golf Genius app so that you can register and follow all Philadelphia PGA tournaments. Search Philadelphia PGA in your phone’s app store.

• Apple Store
• Google Play Store