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West Chester, Pa. – The 2019 edition of the Club Car, LLC / Golf Cars Inc. Pro-Official Championship was played Thursday, October 10 at Concord Country Club. The 24 teams that gathered at the Chester County golf course were treated to a near perfect fall afternoon. The Pro-Official features one PGA Professional partnered with an officer from his or her facility. The two-person teams compete in a net four-ball competition (better ball of partners).

As scores from the event began to get posted, one team managed to separate themselves from the rest of the field. The duo of PGA Professional Ashley Grier and her partner Joan Larney of Overbrook Golf Club carded a tournament best 10-under (60), finishing three shots ahead of their closest competitors. The pair each contributed multiple shots throughout the day, including a net eagle carded by Larney on the par-4 seventh hole at Concord. As the winners Overbrook Golf Club will host the perpetual Pro-Official Championship trophy at their facility for the next year and will also receive the use of two Tempo walk carts from Club Car LLC and Golf Cars Inc. during the 2020 season.

Finishing three shots behind in solo second place was the team from Gulph Mills Golf Club featuring PGA Professional Alec Brown and his partner Jeff Henderson. As a team, Brown and Henderson carded ten birdies but a couple of bogeys on Concord’s difficult par-3s (4&15) proved too much to overcome and the pair ultimately turned in a score of 7-under-par (63).

Rounding out the podium was the team from Blue Bell Country Club led by PGA Professional Joey Pohle and his partner Bud. Pohle and Hansen combined to post a 6-under (64), good enough for a solo third place finish. The pair posted an impressive seven birdies along with one eagle, but it was a few bogeys scattered throughout their round that ultimately prevented them from moving up the leaderboard any further.

Once again the Philadelphia PGA thanks our generous tournament sponsors Club Car LLC. and Golf Cars Inc. Through their support the Pro-Official Championship continues to remain as one of the premiere events on the Philadelphia PGA calendar year in and year out.

The next event on the Philadelphia PGA tournament calendar is the 29^th Annual Challenge Cup Matches which pits members of the Philadelphia PGA against a team from the Golf Association of Philadelphia. As always you can find complete Philadelphia PGA tournament information online at philadelphia.pga.com

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Lancaster, Pa. – After a one-year hiatus the AB Thorn Memorial Pro-Am once again returned to the Philadelphia PGA tournament schedule. The long-time event was not played in 2018 due to inclement weather. However, as players returned to the rolling hills of Lancaster Country Club this year, they were treated to a near perfect golf course. The AB Thorn is played as a four-ball (better ball of partners) tournament with each team consisting of one PGA Professional and one amateur playing to a scratch handicap.

With the course playing tough, any team finding their way into red figures was going to give themselves a chance at coming away with a victory. In the end the number that teams needed to reach was 3-under (67) and by the conclusion of the tournament, five teams found their way to that number and a share of first place.

The first team to post a score of 3-under (67) was Scott Reilly (Philadelphia Country Club) and his partner Chris Button. The pair each contributed birdies to their overall score helping to overcome a lone bogey on the difficult par-3 8^th hole.

The next team to reach 3-under also came out of the tournament’s morning wave and feature Matt Goudie (Lancaster Country Club) and partner Ken Phillips. The team posted five birdies against two bogeys, including a blemish on their closing hole, the par-4 18^th, to drop them back into a first-place tie.

The third team to finish the tournament at 3-under was the pair of Lee Gardenhour (Chambersburg Country Club) and his partner Kenny Smith. The duo posted four birdies and an eagle two on the par-4 14^th hole and found themselves at 5-under heading to the 17^th tee. Unfortunately, the pair carded a double bogey to fall back to 3-under which is where the finished at the end of the tournament.

The fourth team to join the groups at 3-under was the duo of Rob Shuey (Philadelphia PGA) and his partner Ryan Knolles. As a team, Shuey and Knolles posted six birdies helping them to overcome their three team bogeys and making them the fourth team to finish at the magic.

The fifth and final team to reach the winning score of 3-under was the pair of Rich Steinmetz (Spring Ford Country Club) and partner Kevin Koch who despite bookending their round with bogeys manage to post enough red numbers in between to join the crowded first-place spot.

Special congratulations to Dustin Wallis of Dustin Wallis Golf of Philadelphia Cricket Club on carding a hole-in-one on the par-3 17^th hole at Lancaster Country Club. Wallis used a 7-iron on the 160-yard hole to accomplish the feat, which was his fourth career hole-in-one.

The Section thanks our tournament sponsors Greg Norman Apparel, Imperial Headwear and Synlawn for their continued support of the Philadelphia PGA tournament program and specifically the AB Thorn Memorial Pro-Am. Additionally, the players and staff thanks the members and staff of Lancaster Country Club for their outstanding hospitality.

The next event on the Philadelphia PGA tournament calendar is the Fall Pro-Pro Championship set to be played Monday, September 30 at Cedarbrook Country Club. For more information on the Philadelphia PGA and our tournament program visit www.phillypga.com or you can find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @PhiladelphiaPGA.

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Blue Bell, Pa. – The annual Fall Pro-Pro Championship was played Monday, September 30 at Cedarbrook Country Club. The Pro-Pro brings together two PGA Professionals partnered in a four-ball competition (better ball of partners). Although the calendar turned to fall more than a week ago, today’s event was the first to feature temperatures indicative of the season. However, despite the weather the 40 teams were treated to an outstanding day of golf..

With the course playing firm and fast, shot making was at a premium. However, throughout the day, several teams managed to get around the course with relative ease on their way to scores of 7-under (65). The first of the teams to reach that number was the pair of John Appleget (The Shore Club) and Jason Calhoon (Univ of Pennsylvania) who carded seven birdies and no bogeys. They were eventually joined by the team of Brett Melton (Radley Run Country Club) and Trevor Bensel (Overbrook Golf Club) who posted eight birdies against only one bogey to reach 7-under. Finally, the pair of Ben Debski (The Springhaven Club) and Mark Parsons (Harbor Pines Golf Club) also reached 7-under after posting five birdies and an eagle on the par-5 12^th hole, the only eagle of the day on that hole.

However, in the end, it was the team of Michael Little (Lookaway Golf Club) and Mark Sheftic (Merion Golf Club) that were able to go low and separate themselves from the field. As a team, Little and Sheftic posted nine birdies and an eagle on their way to a 10-under (62) and a three-shot win.

The Section thanks our Fall Pro-Pro Championship partners Club Prophet Systems, Sun Mountain, Criquet, Evolve Golf, and the PGA Tour. The Section also thanks the membership and staff of Cedarbrook Country Club for their hospitality in hosting this event.

The Philadelphia PGA will be back in action on Monday, October 7 for the first round of the 36-hole Shawnee Open. For more information on the Philadelphia PGA and our tournament program visit www.phillypga.com or you can find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @PhiladelphiaPGA.

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West Chester, PA – Nearly four months after it’s originally scheduled date, the Delaware Valley Open (DVO) was finally contested at Radley Run Country Club on Monday, September 23^rd. With a field consisting of nearly 80 players from across the Philadelphia Section PGA everyone was excited to play in the beautiful, albeit warm, weather for the first day of fall.

Host professional Brett Melton (Radley Run CC) was in the first pairing of the day and posted the score to beat with a 3-under (69). Melton’s card had 3 birdies and an eagle 2 on the par 4-15^th hole, but two bogies would come back to haunt him later in the day. He managed to stay on top of the leaderboard for most of the day, with those coming close falling short by one or two shots. Zac Oakley (Bidermann Golf Course), finally knocked him from the top with a 4-under (68). Oakley started off slow carding a bogey on his second hole, but quickly followed with two birdies, making the turn at 1-under. His back nine was bogey free and he added three more birdies to his total reach his 4-under par. With only a few more groups to finish, no one else got close to Oakley’s 4-under.

According to Oakley; “I started out the day slow, but by mid-round I was able to get used to the green speeds. I felt like I struck the ball decent the whole round, but I was able to make a lot of my putts on the back nine, which helped. I finished my round with a birdie on 18 which, it turned out, I needed. The course was in great shape, and it is always fun playing with my college teammate Will Scarborough (Peninsula G&CC).”

A pair of players shared the top spot in the tournament’s Senior Division, Dave Quinn (Laurel Creek CC) and Stu Ingraham (M Golf Range) both carded 2-under (70). Quinn card had five birdies, two on the front and three more on the back, but had three bogies, the last one coming on the 18^th hole for his 70. Ingraham’s scorecard had four birdies, one on the front, and three on the back, but he had two bogies with his final one also coming on the 18^th. Mike Moses (Concord CC) finished in third two shots back at even par 72.

The PAO (Player’s Assistant Organization) also joined in, with twenty-four of their group playing in both events. Since Zac is also a PAO member, he took home first in both events. Jeff Herb (Waynesborough CC) came in second with a 2-under par 70, followed by Alex Knoll (Glen Brook GC) and Mike Little (Lookaway GC), both at 1-under par 71.

The Section would like to thank our tournament sponsors Jack Jolly & Son, Golf Pride Grips, Morell Studios, Mizuno, and PGA Tour as well as the membership and staff of Radley Run Country Club. The Philadelphia PGA returns to action on Thursday, September 26 for the A.B. Thorn Memorial Pro-Am at Lancaster Country Club. For complete coverage of the Philadelphia PGA be sure to follow us on our Social Media Channels Facebook / Twitter / Instagram.

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Mt Laurel, N.J. – The annual TaylorMade Classic, was played on Monday, September 9 at Laurel Creek Country Club in Mount Laurel, NJ. The event featured over 100 players and was a combined event with the Section’s Philadelphia Assistants’ Organization (PAO).

Playing early in the day, Brian Kelly (Bucknell Golf Club) posted a number for everyone to chase. Kelly made his way around the par-71 6700 yards long course relatively unscathed finishing with a score of 5-under (66). Kelly carded four birdies and one bogey on his outward along with three birdies and one bogey on the inward nine to reach his final number. Kelly’ seven birdies were the most of any player in the field. However, with much of the field still to play, Kelly needed to watch the leaderboard throughout the afternoon to see if his number would hold.

The first player to make a run at Kelly was Rich Steinmetz (Spring Ford Country Club). Steinmetz was able to overcome an early bogey on the par-4 second hole, his only blemish on the day, by scattering five birdies throughout his round. Unfortunately for Steinmetz, he fell one shot shy of Kelly finishing with a final score of 4-under (67).

Throughout the afternoon several additional players made a run at Kelly and the top of the leaderboard. Billy Stewart (The ACE Club), Brian Bergstol (Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort), and Michael Tobiason (Deerfield Country Club) all tried to earn a victory at Laurel Creek but unfortunately for the trio they all came up one shot short with a score of 4-under (67).

With no players able to match Kelly at 5-under, he earned his first win of the 2019 season as well as his first TaylorMade Classic win. The victory was twice as nice for Kelly as he also took home the top spot in the tournament’s senior division. Finishing in solo second place with a score of 3-under (68) was Greg Farrow (Deerwood Country Club). Four players finished tied for third after posting a score of 1-under (70). Included in that group was Rick Flesher (Phila PGA), Eddie Perrino (Eagle Rock Resort), John Appleget (The Shore Club), and George Forster (Radnor Valley Country Club).

Despite falling just short in the overall tournament, Don DeAngelis (Spring Ford Country Club) took home the top spot in the Super Senior division after posting a 4-under (67).

Played in conjunction with the TaylorMade Classic, the Section’s Philadelphia Assistants’ Organization (PAO) also held their own tournament. With most players playing in both events, the PAO field was one of the largest of the 2019 season. At the end of regulation, three players found themselves tied at the top of the PAO leaderboard with matching scores of 4-under (67). However, only two players remained at the course at the end of the day to compete in the payoff. After two holes of a sudden death playoff, Michael Tobiason (Deerfield Country Club) defeated Brain Bergstol (Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort) with an eagle on the par-5 ninth hole. Finishing in third place in the PAO tournament was Billy Stewart (The ACE Club).

The Section would like to thank our tournament sponsors TaylorMade Golf and our Section representatives Mike Zupi and Jay Junkin as well as our supporting sponsor BagBoy.

The next event on the Philadelphia PGA tournament calendar is the 98^th Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship set to be played September 16-18 at Union League Golf Club – Torresdale and Riverton Country Club.

For complete coverage of the Philadelphia PGA be sure to follow us on our Social Media Channels Facebook / Twitter / Instagram.

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Lower Gwynedd Township, PA., September 9, 2019 … PGA REACH Philadelphia, the charitable arm of the Philadelphia Section PGA (PPGA), has announced its inaugural “Month of Giving,” a fundraising campaign that will take place from October 1^st through October 31^st, with proceeds going to support the foundation’s three core pillars: Youth, Military and Diversity.

As PGA REACH Philadelphia’s signature fundraising initiative, “Month of Giving” will encompass several key events and programs. Information and registration for this event can be found HERE.

Additional “Month of Giving” events include:

• The annual Philadelphia PGA Golf Marathon, where PGA Professionals pledge to play 100 holes in 1 day. To donate, register, or participate CLICK HERE.
• A PGA REACH Philadelphia Awareness Event at the Union League Golf Club at Torresdale on October 9^th.

“The inaugural “Month of Giving” campaign is vital to our fundraising efforts at PGA REACH Philadelphia,” said Leila Mackie, Foundation Director, PGA REACH Philadelphia.  “Since our launch earlier this year, support of our programs has been incredible, we are using this month-long series of events and activities to promote our foundation and help raise funds that are core to our mission of positively impacting lives and communities through the game of golf.”
Among the key programs that will benefit from “Month of Giving” fundraising, is PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere), the PGA of America’s flagship military program.  Through PGA HOPE, PGA Professionals provide weekly golf clinics to Veterans with disabilities in order to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being. As golf has become a therapeutic part of the rehabilitation process for many Veterans with disabilities, PGA HOPE is truly making a difference in their lives.

The foundation will also continue growing its successful flagship youth initiative, PGA Jr. League. Golf’s version of Little League Baseball provides a fun, social and inclusive opportunity for boys and girls, ages 13 and under, to learn and play the game of golf in a popular “team” scramble format. Each team is coached by a PGA or LPGA Professional, and all players wear team uniforms with player numbers on the back. In 2019, more than 1,800 kids participated throughout the Philadelphia PGA region, encompassing over 150 teams, playing in 31 Leagues at 86 public, private and First Tee facilities.

Additionally, PGA REACH Philadelphia’s “Golf in Schools” Program will be a benefactor of the “Month of Giving” campaign. This program, operated in partnership with the Golf Association of Philadelphia, grows the game of golf among youth in local communities, backed by a comprehensive curriculum developed by PGA Professionals designed to introduce the game to students of all skill levels through their physical education classes in school. Currently, there are 30 schools that take part in PGA REACH Philadelphia’s Golf in Schools Program through their physical education classes throughout the Philadelphia region.

Lastly, PGA REACH Philadelphia Philly Junior Tour Diversity Scholarship will benefit from the “Month of Giving” campaign. In 2019, PGA REACH Philadelphia awarded three scholarship opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds to participate on the elite Philly Junior Tour (PJT). The PJT leads the region in competitive junior golf with over 90 events seasonally held at many of the area’s top facilities. Membership consists of junior golfers 18 years of age and younger who play a tournament schedule that covers all geographic areas of the Philadelphia Section.

Anyone who would like to get involved with PGA REACH Philadelphia’s “Month of Giving” campaign, including the  Philadelphia PGA Golf Marathon, and PGA REACH Philadelphia Awareness Event, can click on one of the links above. To make a general donation to PGA REACH Philadelphia, please visit: http://weblink.donorperfect.com/pgareachphila_donate

For more information on PGA REACH Philadelphia visit: www.pgareach.org/philadelphia

About PGA REACH Philadelphia

The PGA Reach Philadelphia Foundation is the 501c3 charitable arm of the Philadelphia Section of the PGA of America (PPGA), which encompasses Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey (Trenton – south), Delaware and parts of Northern Maryland. The Foundation was created to support the PGA of America’s national PGA REACH program, whose mission is to positively impact lives and communities through the game of golf, with a focus on 3 core pillars: Youth, Military and Diversity. Under the guidance of more than 850 PGA Professionals and Assistants from the PPGA, the Foundation hosts a dynamic line-up of dynamic golf programming that provides access for individuals from all backgrounds to experience golf in a welcoming environment.

PRESS CONTACTS:  Joe Monforto/Communications Director at (215) 481-9086 or jmonforto@pgahq.com
                                           Jared Minski/Mastro Communications at (732) 469-5700 or jared@mastrocomm.com

By: Joe Juliano

Plymouth Meeting, Pa. – The second Pro-Lady Team Championship was held on Wednesday, August 29 at Sunnybrook Golf Club. The summer Pro-Lady Team Championship featured 48 teams from across the Philadelphia PGA, featuring one PGA Professional and three female amateurs. The Pro-Lady Team Championship featured both a Gross and Net competition.

Leading the way in the Net division was the team from Stone Harbor Golf Club featuring Professional Jay Gross and his partners Carolyn Gavaghan, Martha Freda, and Anne Oberg who posted a team score of 15-under (57) to win by two shots. Finishing just behind Stone Harbor in a tie for second place were a pair of teams that finished with a score of 13-under (59). The first team to get to 13-under was from Lehigh Country Club and featured Professional Chris Wegner and partners Linda Epstein, Erica Hyman, and Debbie Hawk. Joining Lehigh at 13-under was the team from Woodstone Country Club with Professional Ray Silnik and his partners Barbara Barry, Terry Zerby, and Suzy Armbruster.

In the Gross division, it was the team from Commonwealth National Golf Club featuring Professional Patrick Shine and partners Kere Averett, Karen Siegel, and Shannon Reilly that took home top honors after posting a 7-under (65). The Commonwealth team narrowly edged out a trio of teams who all finished with a score of 6-under (66). Commonwealth reached their magic number in large part because of a stretch of seven consecutive birdies towards the end of their round. The teams finishing one shot back included a team from the Philadelphia Cricket Club with Professional Michael Ferguson and partners Marji Goldman, Joanne Bidwell, and Soohee Lim. A team from Spring Ford Country Club with Professional Rich Steinmetz and partners Gwen Ward, Anne Giannopoulos, and Michelle Finley as well as a team from RiverCrest Golf Club and Preserve and Professional Mike Matson and partners Allie Robertson, Toni Barbine, and Delia Keys.

The Section thanks our tournament partners Lincoln Motor Company, SynLawn and Jo-Fit as well as the membership and staff of Sunnybrook Golf Club for their support of the Philadelphia PGA and the Pro-Lady Team Championship.

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WEST CHESTER, Pa. – On a cool, late summer day, the second and final round of the 17^th Pro-Am for Wishes was played at Penn Oaks Golf Club in West Chester, Pa. The second round of the 36-hole tournament featured 50 Section Professionals and one amateur, who qualified because of his performance in round one.

Sitting atop the leaderboard as play began on day two was Zac Oakley (Bidermann Golf Club) who posted a 4-under (67) on day one to lead by two shots. Joining Oakley in the tournament’s final pairing were Michael Little (Lookaway Golf Club) and Dustin Wallis (Dustin Wallis Golf) who both posted an opening 2-under (69). A pair of veteran players also found red figures on day one. Rich Steinmetz (Spring Ford Country Club) and Dave Quinn (Laurel Creek Country Club) each posted a 1-under (70) and were playing in the penultimate group.

As players made their way around the course it was a name that was just outside the top of the leaderboard that made the biggest move. Terry Hertzog (Country Club of York) posted an opening round 1-over (72) and found himself five shots behind Oakley. However, as Hertzog played his second-round things got off to a quick start after a birdie on the opening hole. Hertzog added an additional birdie on the par-4 eighth hole and made the turn at 2-under bringing him into red figures for the tournament.

As Hertzog played his way back to the clubhouse, he added three additional birdies, including one on his closing hole helping him to overcome a late bogey and bringing his two-day total to 3-under (139). Although he was now the low man in the clubhouse, there was a lot of play behind him meaning Hertzog would have to wait to see if his number was good enough.

Overnight leader Oakley got off to great start with two birdies and an eagle against only one bogey on his outward nine which brought him to 7-under for the tournament. However, Oakley was unable to find any more birdies and unfortunately for him a couple of bogeys as well as a double on his closing hole dropped him into a tie with Hertzog at 3-under (139).

With no other players left on the course, Hertzog and Oakley headed to the first tee at Penn Oaks to start their sudden death playoff. After both players found the fairway with their tee shots, Hertzog hit his approach shot close and was able to convert his birdie putt giving him the win and title of 2019 Pro-Am for Wishes Champion.

Rounding out the podium in the Professional division was John Appleget (The Shore Club) who posted the only other sub-par round on day two helping him to move up the leaderboard and bringing his 36-hole total to 1-under (141).

Hertzog and Appleget also finished first and second in the tournament’s senior division and were joined by third place finisher Dave Quinn who posted rounds of 70-74 to finish with a tournament total of 2-over (144).

Next up for the Philadelphia PGA is the Summer Pro-Lady Team at Sunnybrook GC on Wednesday, August 28 in Plymouth Meeting, Pa. The Section would like to thank everyone involved in the Pro-Am for Wishes, including Penn Oaks Golf Club and all the supporting sponsors.

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