Lower Gwynedd Township, Pa. (May 20, 2022) — The Philadelphia PGA Section today is happy to announce it has renewed its partnership with adidas, a sports brand dedicated to creating and selling the best sports products in the world in a sustainable way.

As part of the agreement, adidas will again be the uniform provider for the Philadelphia PGA Section and the Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour, the Delaware Valley’s premier youth golf tour. As such, the Section’s full-time staff members and field staff will wear adidas apparel at all Section golf events and Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour golf tournaments.

“The Philadelphia PGA is pleased to renew our partnership with adidas,” said Section Executive Director Geoff Surrette, PGA. “The company has been supporting our Section, junior tour, and PGA Professionals for many years, and our programs, PGA Members and Associates will continue to benefit from their support.”

“I’m very excited to partner with the Philadelphia PGA Section for another year,” said adidas Pa., Central N.J., South N.J., and Del. Territory Sales Representative Wes Gates. “Growing up with a father who is a PGA Member in Michigan, and now Indiana, I look forward to working with all the PGA Members in my territory!”

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, Philadelphia PGA Section, mfrey@pgahq.com
Wes Gates, adidas, wes.gates@adidas.com

Lower Gwynedd Township, Pa. (May 19, 2022) — The Philadelphia PGA Section today is happy to announce it has renewed its partnership with L2 Brands, an apparel company dedicated to producing premium custom-decorated, vintage-inspired apparel, headwear, and home décor.

As part of the agreement, L2 Brands’ League and Legacy apparel lines will support the Section’s 2022 Spring Pro-Pro Championship at Woodstone C.C. & Lodge (results), and Pro-Scratch Championship on Monday, August 8 at Trump National Golf Club Philadelphia.

“The Philadelphia PGA is pleased to renew our partnership with L2 Brands,” said Section Executive Director Geoff Surrette, PGA. “The company has been a longtime player in the golf apparel industry, and their reach has only grown in recent years. With their support of our PGA Members and Associates, L2 Brands will surely continue to grow in popularity.”

“L2 Brands and I are excited to continue our relationship with the Philadelphia PGA Section,” said L2 Brands Sales Representative Frank Wittenberg. “By each group’s support of the other, we will ensure a successful future for all of us.”

About L2 Brands
Based in Hanover Pennsylvania, L2 Brands comprises two respected industry giants, Legacy headwear and League apparel.  Our youthful & relaxed stylings will certainly bring added value to your shop’s product mix

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, Philadelphia PGA Section, mfrey@pgahq.com
Frank Wittenberg, L2 Brands / Quaker Sales LLC, quakersalesllc@gmail.com

Please join us in congratulating Philadelphia PGA Member Zac Oakley of Bidermann G.C. in Wilmington, Del., for finishing T6 in the 2022 PGA Professional Championship, securing his spot on the Team of 20 to compete in the 2022 PGA Championship! Oakley turned in rounds of 69-72-65-75–281 on Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa’s Foothills and Coore Crenshaw courses to finish at 2-under-par. This year’s PGA Championship is scheduled for May 16-22 at Southern Hills C.C. in Tulsa, Okla.

Oakley led 10 other Section PGA Members in this year’s PGA Professional Championship in Texas: Trevor Bensel, Mike Furey, Rusty Harbold, Terry Hertzog, Hugo Mazzalupi, Parks Price, Scott Reilly, Steve Sanderson, Billy Stewart, and Brett Walker. Thank you all for representing our Section so well.

Congratulations, Zac…play well in your first major championship!

Click here to view the full 2022 PGA Professional Championship leaderboard.

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. (May 6, 2022) — The PGA of America was in the Delaware Valley to stage the 2022 PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship (PWCC), considered the most culturally significant championship in collegiate golf, on April 30 – May 4. The series of events that were included in PWCC week directly and indirectly benefited PGA REACH Philadelphia, the Philadelphia PGA Section‘s 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, and local golfers, via a significant donation from the PGA, educational programming, and increased media exposure.

Formerly known as the PGA National Minority Collegiate Championship, the 54-hole tournament was played on courses donated by the Union League of Philadelphia – Union League Liberty Hill and the Union League Golf Club of Torresdale. In its 35th year, the annual championship is open to all minority-serving institutions with a focus on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The Philadelphia PGA Section and PGA REACH Philadelphia was engaged with PGA of America staff all week to host the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship Youth Day Presented by CastleOak Securities, and support the PGA WORKS Beyond the Green at the Comcast Technology Center, as well as the championship itself.

At the PWCC Youth Day, nearly 100 youth golfers, primarily of diverse backgrounds from local organizations such as the First Tee of Greater Philadelphia, Sigma Pi Phi, the Police Athletic Academy, Edu Sports Academy, and Delta Epsilon, visited Union League Liberty Hill to receive free golf instruction from PGA Members from the Philadelphia PGA Section and around the country. The kids were treated to appearances by the ever-popular the Philadelphia Phillies’ mascot Phillie Phanatic, the Philadelphia Flyers’ mascot Gritty, PGA Members Joanna Coe, Merion G.C.; and Gavin Parker, Salisbury C.C. They were treated to a performance by Miles College’s Purple Marching Machine brass band, and music from a local DJ. To view photos from Youth Day, click here; click here to watch a brief video recap.

Following the PWCC Partner Invitational at Aronimink Golf Club on May 2, PGA of America Secretary Don Rea presented the PGA REACH Philadelphia team with a donation of $200,000 to be used for the foundation’s Youth, Military, and Diversity programs, including PGA Jr. League, Golf in Schools, PGA HOPE Philadelphia (Helping Our Veterans Everywhere), and the Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour Diversity Scholarships.

“We are incredibly thankful to the PGA of America, the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship, the Union League of Philadelphia, and all their partners for boosting our foundation via donations and media support,” said PGA REACH Philadelphia Director Courtney Curcio. “The 2022 PWCC will certainly have a lasting impact on our programs, reach, and operations, particularly with our PGA WORKS Fellowship position.”

The PGA WORKS Fellowship provides the opportunity for a one-year, paid immersion in a PGA Section’s foundation operations. This entry-level employment experience offers a taste of what a career in the golf industry can provide. The foundation’s first-ever fellow, Erin Martin, was hired in March, and was intimately involved with the PWCC week festivities. Martin will continue to assist the foundation and Section staff with programming, events, education, tournaments, communications, fundraising, and partnerships through March 2023.

“Hosting the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship has allowed our Section to proudly showcase our PGA Professionals and promote our foundation’s mission, vision, and accomplishments,” said Philadelphia PGA Executive Director Geoff Surrette, PGA. “The generosity of the PGA, PGA REACH, the Union League of Philadelphia, and the PWCC partners will help achieve our foundation’s mission to positively impact lives through the game of golf.”

A complete PWCC recap focusing on the championship’s local impact is scheduled to appear on NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Inside Golf television program in the coming weeks.

To view final results from the 2022 PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship, 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.

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.

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

Egg Harbor Township, N.J. (May 11, 2022) — PGA Associate Kyle Quagliero of Medford Lakes (N.J.) Country Club, led his team of amateur partners Mike Meyer, Cindi Miles, and Patti Monaghan to a Net victory in the 2022 A.C. Team Stableford Championship, Presented by Parx Casino®, at Ballamor Golf Club on an unseasonably cool and breezy day.

The Medford Lakes team finished with 86 points in the two best ball of four, modified Stableford format to win by one point over Philadelphia PGA Member Dave Quinn, Laurel Creek C.C., Chris Kolovos, Raymond Cascarino, and Dean Kramer. The modified Stableford points were awarded as follows: Bogey or higher, 1 point; Par, 2 points; Birdie, 3 points; Eagle, 4 points; and Double Eagle, 5 points.

The teams from Ed Oliver G.C., Tommy Ellison, Brett Garrison, Joseph Spitaleri, and Michael Fujita; Ballamor G.C., Sean Furman, PGA, John Ward, Eric Dekarski, and William Watts; and Merion G.C.: Terry Hertzog, PGA, Jonas Vossler and Chris Simon and Ron Kreider tied for third place with 84 points each.

In the Gross Division, with Furman’s team from Balamor G.C. took top honors with 78 points, to win by three points over the teams from Chestnut Hill College: Mike Paukovits, PGA, David Schmidling, PJ Schulte, and Ryan Woelfling; and Atlantic City C.C.: Joshua Kelley, Andrew Roberts, Anthony Bonasera, and John Baio Jr.

The 2022 A.C. Team Stableford Championship is supported by Parx Casino® and supported by Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG), Southern Tide, and Workhorse Brewing Company / Workhorse Tour. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our host, Ballamor 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 A.C. Team Stableford Championship Presented by Parx Casino® leaderboard, click here.

The next event in the Philadelphia PGA Pro-Am Series, Presented by Parx Casino®, on the schedule is the Spring Pro-Lady Team Championship on Tuesday, May 24 at Lehigh C.C.

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

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (May 10, 2022) – PGA REACH, the charitable foundation of the PGA of America, today announced that 12 teams consisting of four military veterans and one PGA Professional will compete in the 2022 PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup on Monday, May 16 at the Club at Indian Springs in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. The Secretary’s Cup is a spirited nine-hole golf competition that kicks off PGA Championship week and features military veterans who have participated in the PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) program hosted by their local PGA Section. 

PGA HOPE, the flagship military program of PGA REACH, introduces golf to veterans to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being. 

Members of PGA HOPE Philadelphia:

• Gerry Ortiz
  United States Army
  (Served 22 years)
  PGA HOPE Philadelphia Ambassador
• George Vasiloff
  United States Air Force
  (Served 30 years)
• Scottie Cuff
  United States Army
  (Served 3 years)
• Roann Leatz
  United States Air Force
  (Served 22 years)
• Jeffrey Breiner, PGA
  Lead Professional PGA HOPE Harrisburg
  Head Professional Country Club of Harrisburg

The Philadelphia Team will be led by PGA Professional Jeffrey Breiner, the PGA Head Professional at the Country Club of Harrisburg. Breiner has been teaching the PGA HOPE program for the past three years.

“We’re thrilled that four of our PGA HOPE Philadelphia veterans have the opportunity to travel to Oklahoma and participate in such a great event,” said PGA REACH Philadelphia Director Courtney Curcio. “The veterans from our Section will not only be able to tee it up in a fun golf tournament, but they will also be able to network with other veterans from around the country.”

All teams arrive in Tulsa, Oklahoma on May 14. They will participate in practice rounds on May 15, and will have an opportunity to attend a PGA Championship practice round at Southern Hills Country Club on May 17.

“PGA HOPE is enhancing, changing and saving lives, and when you hear that message directly from the family members of participating veterans, it’s very powerful,” said Jim Richerson, President, PGA of America. “Veterans have sacrificed so much, and the work that our PGA Professionals are doing is truly making a difference. I’m so proud to be part of this program, and of the PGA’s commitment to grow PGA HOPE.”

Led by PGA Professionals, PGA HOPE has helped thousands of veterans. Programs are currently being offered at more than 210  locations in the U.S. today, across 47 States and 40 PGA Sections, to serve 7,500 Veterans in 2022. It is the only adaptive golf program that has an MOU with the Department of Veterans Affairs, which enables VA Facilities to refer Veterans to the PGA HOPE program as a form of therapy.

About PGA REACH
PGA Foundation, Inc. d/b/a PGA REACH is the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America. The mission of PGA REACH is to Impact Lives Through Golf. For more information, visit PGAREACH.org and follow @PGAREACH on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.

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.

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. 

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

Springfield, Pa. (May 9, 2022) — Philadelphia PGA Member Terry Hertzog of Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., birdied the third sudden-death playoff hole to top Alex Knoll of Glen Brook Golf Club in Stroudsburg, Pa., and win the 2022 Delaware Valley Open at Rolling Green Golf Club.

Hertzog’s scorecard, a 3-under-par 68, featured four birdies and one lone bogey, an impressive feat on a golf course that played very difficult; unseasonably cool temperatures, blustery conditions with wind gusts around 30 mph, and slippery green surfaces drove scores up throughout the day.

“I got the breaks today,” Hertzog said after his overtime win. “I was not putting very well leading into the day, and made a few good, long putts today, including a long one for par on the first playoff hole.”

The event is a Philadelphia PGA Rolex / The Haverford Trust Company Player of the Year tournament and the first Silvercrest Cup qualifier of the year. Beginning this season, the Silvercrest Cup series will include four qualifying events for Philadelphia PGA Professionals, and will culminate in a $30,000 Silvercrest Cup final, hosted at Gulph Mills Golf Club in King of Prussia, Pa. For more information on the season-long race to the Silvercrest Cup, click here. In addition to receiving the winner’s share of the purse, Hertzog also took home an additional $3,000 from the Silvercrest Cup qualifier bonus pool.

Braden Shattuck, Rolling Green G.C., finished in third place at 2-under-par, followed by Dave Quinn, Laurel Creek C.C., at 1-under, while Joanna Coe, Merion G.C., rounded out the top five at even-par.

Knoll finished atop the leaderboard in the concurrent Philadelphia Assistants’ Organization (PAO) event, beating Trevor Bensel, Sandy Run G.C., and Rusty Harbold, Philadelphia Cricket Club, by five strokes.

Quinn also topped the Senior Division, with a 1-under-par 70. He finished two strokes ahead of Hugo Mazzalupi, Linfield National G.C., and Bill Walker, Riverton C.C. Frank Palumbo, Rolling Green G.C., took the top spot in the Super Senior Division. His 82 was good enough to finish one stroke ahead of PGA Life Member Michael Versuk.

Daniel Chernosky earned Low Amateur honors with his round of 1-under-par 70. Chernosky finished seven strokes ahead of the next closest amateur, Charlie Kovalcik.

Another highlight of the day came from Manufacturers’ G. & C.C. PGA Head Professional Peter Clarke, who made his second-ever hole-in-one on No. 16. Clarke used a 6-iron from 163 yards into a stiff wind to record his ace on the par-3.

The 2022 Delaware Valley Open is supported by Jack Jolly and Son, Jani-King, Kevin McClellan Golf Sales, Mizuno, Ohana Farm LLC, and the PGA Tour. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our host, Rolling Green 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 Delaware Valley Open leaderboard, click here.

The next Philadelphia PGA Rolex / The Haverford Trust Company Player of the Year tournament and Silvercrest Cup qualifier on the schedule is the TaylorMade Classic on Monday, May 16 at Cedarbrook Country Club in Blue Bell, Pa.

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