Category: PPGA

PGA of America Golf Professional Ryan Rucinski Captures 2025 Philadelphia Assistant PGA Professional Championship

Lafayette Hill, Pa. (June 28, 2025) — PGA of America Golf Professional Ryan Rucinski of Wilmington (Del.) Country Club, battled the field and oppressive heat to capture the 2025 Philadelphia Assistant PGA Professional Championship at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club for his first Philadelphia PGA Section victory.

The championship is supported by Srixon | Cleveland Golf, Payntr Golf / Frank Wittenberg / Quaker Sales, Ohana Farm LLC, and the PGA Tour.

Rucinski carded rounds of 66-69–135 to finish at 9-under-par, four strokes ahead of the duo finishing in a tie for second place: Austin Barbin, Chesapeake Bay Golf Club, and Zac Oakley, Bidermann Golf Club. The Country Club of York’s Andrew Turner and Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort’s Brian Bergstol tied for fourth place at 3-under-par.

“My good memories from playing at Whitemarsh Valley in the past helped me,” Rucinski said after his second round. “I was medalist in the Philadelphia Amateur here in 2018. I relied on my past experiences and knowledge of the course. Keep doing what got me here.

He said that he was given a gift, and has been very fortunate to be a part of golf for most of his life.

“Our Section is filled with great players, and we do an amazing job hosting tournaments, so it’s pretty cool to get my name on the trophy.”

Rucinski went on to thank his family, the Wilmington Country Club membership and staff, the Section staff, partners, and Whitemarsh Valley Country Club for hosting.

Our champion, a PGA Associate, is still working through the first level of his PGA of America education and is ineligible to compete in the 2025 Assistant PGA Professional Championship at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on November 13-16. However, seven other Philadelphia PGA Professionals will travel south to compete in the event: Andrew Turner; Brian Bergstol; Andrew Cornish, Green Valley Country Club; Matt Zehner, Pine Valley Golf Club; Zach Barbin, Chesapeake Bay Golf Club; Chad Ferguson, Pine Valley Golf Club; and Zac Oakley. Oakley was already exempt for the tournament in November thanks to second-place-tie in the 2024 championship.

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

The 2025 Philadelphia Assistant PGA Professional Championship is supported by Srixon | Cleveland GolfPayntr Golf / Frank Wittenberg / Quaker SalesOhana Farm LLC, and the PGA Tour. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA of America Golf Professionals thank our partners, Whitemarsh Valley 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 Braden Shattuck Wins 2025 Doylestown Open

Doylestown, Pa. (July 25, 2025) — PGA of America Golf Professional Braden Shattuck of Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Pa., battled through the oppressive heat and severe weather to claim victory in the 2025 Doylestown Open at Doylestown Country Club, his first Section victory of the year. Shattuck previously won this event in 2022.

His round 5-under-par round of 67 tied Brian Bergstol of Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort, but Bergstol, who teed off in the event’s second pairing, was not present to compete in a sudden-death playoff. In accordance with the Philadelphia PGA Section’s Rules and Regulations, Section 8.09 – Playoffs, PGA Professionals who do not onsite for a playoff lose the right to compete for first place.

With the heat index reaching nearly 115 degrees Fahrenheit, and an hour-and-fifteen-minute severe weather delay, Shattuck had more to contend with other than the field. He made six birdies and a lone bogey to get to 5-under-par.

“[The heat] was tough,” Shattuck said following his round. “I probably need to spend more time in a sauna to get used to the heat, to be honest.”

Shattuck joked that one of his playing competitors, Jeff Fick, deserved most of the credit, as he helped keep him calm throughout the round. He went on to thank his wife, Veoletta, for being so supportive, all the members and staff at Rolling Green for everything they do for him, Doylestown for hosting, and the Section staff for running the event.

Chesapeake Bay Golf Club’s Austin Barbin finished in a tie for third place at 3-under-par with Aronimink Golf Club’s Riley Wheeldon. Seven PGA Professionals tied for fifth place at 2-under-par.

In the Senior Division, John Pillar, Country Club at Woodloch Springs, earned the victory, finishing at 1-under-par, four strokes ahead of Eric Kennedy, Overbrook Golf Club. Three PGA Professionals tied for third place at 4-over-par. Deerwood Country Club’s Greg Farrow took the top prize in the Super Senior Division, bettering three PGA Professionals by two strokes.

The Philadelphia Assistants’ Organization (PAO) held an event concurrently with the Doylestown Open, with Brian Bergstol taking the top prize. Austin Barbin finished in second place three behind the victor. Green Valley Country Club’s Andrew Cornish, Chesapeake Bay Golf Club’s Zach Barbin, and Bidermann Golf Club’s Zac Oakley tied for third place at 2-under-par.

Matthew Hutcheson turned in a 2-over-par 74 to earn Low Amateur honors; he finished two strokes ahead of Ryan Rigby, and four in front of Neil Gordon.

View the full 2025 Doylestown Open leaderboard by clicking here.

The 2025 Doylestown Open is presented by Doylestown Country Club and supported by KM Golf Sales / Kevin McClellan, and the PGA Tour. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA of America Golf Professionals thank our partners, host Doylestown Country Club, their owners, membership, management, and staff, as the event would not have been possible without their support.

The next Rolex / Haverford Trust Company Philadelphia PGA Player of the Year points event is the Pro-Am for Wishes at Penn Oaks Country Club in West Chester, Pa., on Sunday, August 3 – Monday, August 4.

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

Philadelphia PGA Announces New Partnership With Safari Solutions

Lower Gwynedd Twp., Pa. (July 23, 2025) — The Philadelphia PGA is excited to announce a new strategic partnership with Safari Solutions, a technology company renowned for developing dynamic, scalable, and sustainable technology solutions for their clients.

Safari Solutions will engage in a strategic marketing partnership with the Section, aiming to effectively reach all PGA Professionals and club decision-makers to demonstrate the advantages of their technology solutions.

Geoffrey Surrette, PGA, the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Section said, “”We are excited to welcome Safari Solutions as a partner and expand our already great working relationship. They have provided first class service and solutions as our technology vendor during my entire tenure here at the Section. I am happy to introduce and recommend them to our membership as a best-in-class partner for your technology needs.”

“We are very excited to continue our 20+ year partnership with the PGA of America,” said Safari Solutions Client Services Advisor, Zach Brown. “With this new strategic focus with the Philadelphia Section office, we are able to extend our technology offerings to golf venues and country clubs in the Philadelphia area to help navigate the ever-changing technology ecosystem.”

About Safari Solutions 
Safari Solutions has a 30-year history in developing dynamic, scalable, and sustainable technology solutions for its clients. Focused on long term relationships, Safari brings forward cutting edge trends to strategically scale business operations with the proper technology investment. As a strategic technology partner, Safari will lead you through all stages of technology decision making, implementation and ongoing support in a turn-key, white glove fashion.
Contact: Zach Brown, communications@safari-solutions.com

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

Attend the 2025 Fall Philadelphia Golf Sales Association Merchandise Show

The 2025 Fall Philadelphia Golf Sales Association Merchandise Show is scheduled for August 26-28 at the Embassy Suites Philadelphia – Valley Forge. PGA Members will receive two PDR credits for attending. To view the list of vendors, click on the below button.

If you have any questions, please contact Chuck Sakmann at (610) 375-8372 or John Higinbotham at (610) 223-6706.

View Vendors

 

Philadelphia Golf Sales Association Merchandise Show
August 26-28
Embassy Suites Philadelphia – Valley Forge
888 Chesterbrook Boulevard
Wayne, PA 19087Tuesday, August 26: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 27: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 28: 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Playing Through: Matt Bonanno, PGA (S2E7)

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 Matt Bonanno, the PGA head golf professional at Newark (Del.) Country Club.

To watch the episode, click on the below button.

Watch Now

 

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

PGA of America Golf Professional Dave Quinn Leads Teams to Victory at 2025 Philadelphia PGA LedgeRock Team Stableford Pro-Am Presented by Parx Casino® and Moyer

Mohnton, Pa. (July 22, 2025) — PGA of America Golf Professional Dave Quinn of Laurel Creek Country Club led his team of amateurs, Mark Walker, Mike Okeefe, and Bobby Dominy to victory in the Net Division in the 2025 Philadelphia PGA LedgeRock Team Stableford Pro-Am presented by Parx Casino® and Moyer and supported by Ohana Farm LLC.

Quinn’s team finished with 93 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. Robert Kleckner, PGA and his team of Dwayne Keller, Bob Wood and Joe Sandri out of Linfield National Golf Club finished with 92 points to claim second place. Tied for third place with 87 points was Medford Village’s Christian Simms, PGA, Cliff Mautner, Ken Dazen and Mark Hodgson as well as Berkshire Country Club’s Tom Michaels, PGA, Mike Kramer, Scott Corcoran and Dean Wolf. Three teams tied for fifth place.

Rock Manor’s Golf Professional Nikita Romanov and his team of Kevin Lydon, Drew Clark, and Alec Ryden took first prize in the Gross Division with 85 points. Philadelphia Cricket Club’s team of Nate Eichner, PGA, John Brennan, Ryan Kelly and Dan Feeney came in second with 83 points. Adam Williamson, PGA, of Bluestone Country Club and Mike Reid, Travis Jett and Danny Wu and Bill Kindoll, PGA, Chris Storck, Brad White, and Greg Giles from LedgeRock Golf Club tied for fourth with 80 points. They outscored Lamar Saxon, Michael Sanfrancesco, Mike Harmeson and Jeff Miller from Kennett Square Golf and Country Club by one point.

To view the full 2025 LedgeRock Team Stableford Pro-Am leaderboard, click here.

The 2025 Philadelphia PGA Ledgerock Team Stableford Pro-Am is presented by Parx Casino® and Moyer and supported by Ohana Farm LLC. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA of America Golf Professionals thank our partners, LedgeRock Golf 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

Philadelphia PGA Partners with Nextevo Naturals

Lower Gwynedd Twp., Pa. (July 11, 2025) — NextEvo Naturals, an innovative, science-backed  health and sports wellness company leveraging proprietary technology and cannabinoid formulations (e.g., CBD) as a natural alternative, will join as a new partner of the Philadelphia Section.

NextEvo Naturals will be supporting the Philadelphia PGA section this season and making their products available to try and purchase at select clubs and online. NextEvo’s products — like creams, wellness powders, and supplements — are already making waves in the racquet and golf communities for helping with recovery, reducing systemic inflammation before it starts, and enhancing performance.

Geoffrey Surrette, PGA, the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Section said, “Having already demonstrated positive results with local clubs, we believe their products will offer significant value and benefit to our entire membership.”

Local clubs are now offering their members access to NextEvo’s Clinical Strength 5% CBD Cream, with 5000mg CBD, providing golfers the ability to enjoy the game again by delivering relief to joint and muscle strain related to inflammation.

About Nextevo Naturals 
NextEvo Naturals, a premium supplement brand, was established to bring a science-backed approach to the cannabinoid-derived consumer wellness category, with a core focus on innovation, optimized delivery, improved efficacy, and consumer safety. The company is revolutionizing the delivery of cannabidiol (CBD) and other nutritional compounds by creating formulations that increase the compound’s potential benefits and consumer value. Led by medical professionals and former scientists from companies such as Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline, and Schiff Nutrition, NextEvo Naturals bridges the gap between current CBD offerings on the market and the future of CBD supplements with proprietary SmartSorb™ technology and evidence-based research.

NextEvo’s products are manufactured in GMP-certified and FDA-inspected facilities, applying rigorous scientific standards to overcome CBD’s traditional oil-solubility challenges and ensure superior bioavailability. This commitment to scientific excellence allows NextEvo to provide effective, research-backed CBD solutions that professionals and consumers can trust.
Stay up-to-date with NextEvo at https://nextevo.com/ as well as on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) DISCLOSURE: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

LEGAL DISCLOSURE: NextEvo Naturals does not sell or distribute any products that are in violation of the United States Controlled Substances Act.

Contact: Robert Stirling, rstirl729@gmail.com

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