Ardmore, Pennsylvania. (October 20, 2026) — PGA of America Golf Professional Austin Barbin of Chesapeake Bay Golf Club in Rising Sun, Md., claimed victory in the 2026 Philadelphia Assistants’ Organization Tour Championship at Merion Golf Club’s West Course. Barbin secured the win with a birdie on the first playoff hole after finishing at even par.

Andrew Turner of Green Valley Country Club finished in second place, falling to Barbin in the playoff after also finishing at even par. A two-way tie for third at 72 was shared by Andrew Cornish of Llanerch Country Club and Zac Oakley of Bidermann Golf Club. Rounding out the top five was a three-way tie between Trevor Bensel of LuLu Country Club, Logan Hay of Burlington Country Club, and J.T. Wambold of Yardley Country Club.

To view the full 2026 Philadelphia PGA PAO Tour Championship leaderboard click here. 

The 2026 Philadelphia PGA PAO Tour Championship event is supported by Ohana Farm LLC . The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our host, Merion Golf Club, their members, management, host PGA Professionals, 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, Director of Operations , mfrey@pgahq.com

Havre de Grace, Maryland (October 21, 2026) — PGA of America Golf Professional Kevin Nicholson of Sandy Run Country Club led his team of amateurs, John McDonnell, Patrick Smith and Tim Kirk, to Net victory at the 2026 Fall Finale Pro-Am presented by Parx Casino® at Bulle Rock Golf Course. Nicholson’s team finished at 11-under-par. 

A four-way tie for second place at 10-under-par included Odessa National Golf Club’s Dale Loeslein and his team, including Ed Roncone, Lonnie Adams and Chris Chapman; Fieldstone Golf Club’s James Larkin and his team, including Kevin Shroyer, Ryan Gawlas and Mike Burns; Life Member Jeb Boyle and his team, including Mike McKinney, Sam Auker and Skip Moerschbacher; and The Peninsula Golf and Country Club’s Will Scarborough and his team, including Matt Hall, Trevor Kirchner and Eric Gianelle.

In the Gross Division, a two-way tie for first place at 8-under-par included Odessa National Golf Club’s Dale Loeslein and his team, including Ed Roncone, Lonnie Adams and Chris Chapman, and Wild Quail Golf & Country Club’s Tyler Spielberger and his team, including Mike Hall, Jeff Allen and Pem Rosal. A two-way tie for second place at 5-under-par included DuPont Country Club’s Matt Finger and his team, including Alan Lazzarino, Mike Boyle and Lauren Klick, and Atlantic City Country Club’s Nicholas Borro and his team, including Mitch Brown, Mike Fabiano and Greg Case. A five-way tie for fifth place at 4-under-par included Glen Brook Golf Club’s Dustin McCormick and his team, including Al McCormick, Steve Houloose and Lucas Fuller; Fieldstone Golf Club’s James Larkin and his team, including Kevin Shroyer, Ryan Gawlas and Mike Burns; Colonial Golf & Tennis Club’s Chris Perry and his team, including Beth Ward, Jason Miller and Jim Havrilla; The Peninsula Golf and Country Club’s Will Scarborough and his team, including Matt Hall, Trevor Kirchner and Eric Gianelle; and John F. Byrne Golf Course’s Anthony Hoffman and his team, including Shaun Pennie, Anthony Saltarelli and Dickie Wade.

To view the full 2026 Philadelphia PGA Fall Finale Pro-Am presented by Parx Casino® leaderboard, click here.

The 2026 Philadelphia PGA Fall Finale Pro-Am event is presented by Parx Casino® and supported by Cobra Puma Golf. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our host, Bulle Rock Golf Course, their members, management, host PGA Professionals, 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, Director of Operations , mfrey@pgahq.com

New Hope, Pennsylvania (October 19, 2026) — PGA of America Golf Professionals Michael Rushin, Justin Alunni, Sam Ambrose, and Sean Palmer were elected to the Philadelphia PGA Board of Directors during the Section’s Fall Membership Meeting at Jericho National Golf Club.

Rushin, the PGA head golf professional at Bear Trap Dunes, was elected District 2 director; Alunni, the PGA head golf professional at Skytop Lodge, was elected District 4 director; while Ambrose, the PGA head golf professional at Chester Valley Golf Club, and Palmer, the chief operating officer for the Union League of Philadelphia, were both elected District 6 directors. All four will serve two-year terms on the board. Additionally, Joanna Coe, Merion Golf Club PGA director of instruction, was sworn in as an independent director following her appointment by Philadelphia PGA President Bob Hennefer.

Hennefer thanked outgoing district directors Mike Molino, Elmhurst Country Club; Scott Chisholm, Rolling Green Golf Club, and Tom Gilbert, Gulph Mills Golf Club; for all of their hard work and dedication throughout their terms.

Philadelphia PGA Vice President Eric Kennedy recognized the Section’s newest Hall of Fame member, Jim Smith Jr. of the Philadelphia Cricket Club. Smith will be formally honored at the Section’s annual awards banquet in early 2027. To learn more about Smith’s career, click here.

The Section honored two of its annual playing award winners during the meeting: the 2026 Rolex Haverford Trust Player of the Year Braden Shattuck, Rolling Green Golf Club, and the 2026 Women’s Player of the Year Joanna Coe. Both Shattuck and Coe have each earned their respective Player of the Year titles five years in a row.

Following the meeting, PGA Professionals competed in a Pro-Pro Scramble at Jericho National Golf Club. Evan Waldron and Shane Fiala of Philadelphia Cricket Club shared first place at 11-under-par with Brian Bergstol of Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort and Trevor Bensel of LuLu Country Club. Three teams tied for third place at 10-under-par: Nikita Romanov of Rock Manor Golf Course and Bill Smith of Berkleigh Golf Club; Jason Gebhart of The Bridges Golf Club and Richie Krebs of Briarwood Golf Club; and PGA Life Member Rob Rohrbach and Jeff Fick of Moselem Springs Golf Club.

To view the full 2026 Fall Membership Meeting Golf event leaderboard, click here.

The 2026 Fall Membership Meeting is supported by Bethany Travel, Club Car / Mid-Atlantic Golf Cars, Evolve Golf, Motocaddy, and Signature Golf. Thank you to our tee gift partners, L2 Brands,  Sun Cruiser Vodka Iced Tea, and Tifosi / Shade Headwear for their contributions. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals also thank our host, Jericho National Golf Club, its members, management, host PGA Professionals, and staff, as well as all our partners, whose support helped make this event possible.

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, Director of Operations, mfrey@pgahq.com

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (October 15, 2026) — PGA Life Member George Forster and Tony Perla of Huntingdon Valley Country Club claimed first place in the 2026 McQuiston Sr. Pro / Jr. Pro Championship at Bala Golf Club at 7-under-par.

This marks Forster’s fourth victory at the McQuiston Sr. Pro / Jr. Pro Championship and his second win alongside his nephew, Perla. Forster has also won the championship with Perla’s father, Tony Perla Sr., and John Spina.

Trevor Bensel of LuLu Country Club and Dave Quinn of Laurel Creek Country Club tied for second place at 6-under-par alongside Kevin Edwards of Olde Homestead Golf Club and Gregg Meyer of Woodstone Country Club & Lodge. Four teams tied for fourth place at 5-under-par: Dominic Frassinelli of GOLFTEC-Springfield and Pete Lovenguth of Sandy Run Country Club; Jason Wilson of Bethlehem Golf Club and Ross Brown of Fox Hill Country Club; Kyle Jackson of Sunnybrook Golf Club and Stephen Swartz of Carlisle Country Club; and Kyle Early and Adam Brigham of Waynesborough Country Club.

To view the 2026 McQuiston Sr. Pro / Jr. Pro Championship leaderboard, click here. 

The 2026 McQuiston Sr. Pro / Jr. Pro Championship is presented by Bala Golf Club and supported by Golf Max, Levelwear, and Homestretch Golf. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our host, Bala Golf 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.

About Henry J. McQuiston Jr., PGA
Henry J. McQuiston Jr. was born in Philadelphia in 1932 and grew up next to the Chester Valley Golf Club where his family lived. He and his two brothers played golf at Chester Valley and worked for  superintendent Dick Murphy. McQuiston graduated from West Chester State Teachers College in 1954 and then served two years in the United States Army. After being discharged from the Army, he went to work as a schoolteacher. In 1958 he turned professional and worked at Chester Valley while playing some tournaments on the PGA Tour during the summer months and still teaching school the rest of the year. In 1960 he took the job as the assistant at the Bala Golf Club and two years later he became the head professional. In 1968 McQuiston finished in a tie for second in the Section Championship losing in a three-way playoff and in 1971 he was second in the Philadelphia Open losing a playoff. He qualified for the 1962 PGA Championship, the 1963 U.S. Open and the 1984 PGA Senior Championship. McQuiston qualified for the PGA Tour tournament at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club ten times and made the cut three times. McQuiston was a member of eleven Challenge Cup teams that competed against the Middle Atlantic Section. He qualified for the Club Professional Championship four times and the Senior Club Pro Championship once. In 1970 McQuiston and several other Section members built the Avalon Golf Club and operated it until they sold out in 1986. He was elected as the 20th president of the Section in 1973 and 1974 after having served as the second vice president for two years. McQuiston was the head pro at Bala for thirty-seven years after which he continued on as the pro emeritus at the club. In 2004 McQuiston’s name was added to the Section’s Senior Pro-Junior Pro Championship, which had been held at the Bala Golf Club for over 20 years. He was the Section’s “Golf Professional of the Year” in 1997. In 2005 he was inducted into the Philadelphia PGA Hall of Fame.

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, Director of Operations, mfrey@pgahq.com

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 Mike Caldwell, the Head Golf Professional at DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware.

If you are interested in appearing in a future episode, please complete this form by clicking here. To watch past episodes, 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 300 golf facilities in our region.

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

Lower Gwynedd Township, Pa. (October 14, 2026) — The Philadelphia PGA Section and its Hall of Fame Committee have inducted PGA of America Golf Professional Jim Smith Jr. into its Hall of Fame as the class of 2026. He is the 49th Philadelphia PGA Hall of Fame member. 

Smith, the Philadelphia Cricket Club’s chief operating officer and PGA director of golf, is being recognized for over three decades of exceptional leadership, mentorship, and service to the golf profession. Elected to PGA Membership in 1994, Smith’s dedication to advancing the game has left an indelible mark on both the local and national levels. Smith has served in every capacity of the Section’s governance, culminating in his tenure as Philadelphia PGA Section President from 2007 to 2009. During his time on the Section Board of Directors and Executive Committee, he was instrumental in establishing sound financial practices and pioneering innovative tournament concepts, including the Tournament Players Division framework.

A hallmark of Smith’s distinguished career is his commitment to education and mentorship. He has mentored nearly 50 former PGA assistant golf professionals into key leadership roles across the country—including PGA directors of golf, head golf professionals, and directors of instruction. Recognized nationally by the PGA of America, Smith was awarded the Association’s prestigious Bill Strausbaugh Award in 2024, having previously earned the Section’s Bill Strausbaugh Award three times previously. He was also recognized as the Section’s PGA Golf Professional of the Year in 2006 and Merchandiser of the Year – Private Category in 2002.  

“Being elected to the Philadelphia PGA Hall of Fame is not something I ever dreamed of or aspired to; rather, my only goal as a PGA Professional has been to give members, guests, and teammates the best of me every day,” said Smith. “I’ve failed as much as I’ve succeeded, and know this honor is mostly an acknowledgement of the great mentors and teammates I’ve been supported by in my career, the love and support of my family (Kathy, Courtney, Justin, Haley), and the incredible membership that is the Philadelphia Cricket Club. Recognition of me is recognition of them, and I am thankful beyond words.”

Smith will be recognized at the Section’s Fall Membership Meeting on Monday, October 19 at Jericho National Golf Club, and will be formally honored at the Section’s Awards Banquet in early 2027.

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, Director of Operations, mfrey@pgahq.com