News

PGA Member Joanna Coe Wins Second Annual Women’s Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship

Exton, Pa. (July 21, 2022) — Philadelphia PGA Member Joanna Coe of Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., endured high temperatures and humidity to win the 2022 Women’s Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship at Whitford Country Club by seven strokes over Britt Weddell of Stonewall Links in Elverson, Pa., and Patty Post of the University of Delaware in Newark, Del.

Coe, the inaugural (2020) Women’s PGA Professional Player of the Year, birdied half of her holes, nine in all, finishing with a 5-under-par 67. Coe also made nine birdies in her previous 2022 win, the Conestoga Classic.

“I struck it really well today, and was able to practice between events over the past couple of weeks,” Coe said of her round. “I’ve been putting well too, for probably over a year now, so I feel as if I give myself chances, I can make them.”

Coe said she was pleased the way she played, especially considering the LPGA Professionals National Championship, a qualifying event for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, is coming up next month.

Abby Mann, Aronimink G.C., finished in fourth place at 8-over-par, while Andrea Grier finished at 9-over in fifth place.

Fifteen women PGA Professionals competed at Whitford, approximately 50 percent of the Philadelphia PGA’s women’s membership. The Section’s tournament and women’s committees and staff worked hard over the past two years months to create this championship for its women PGA Members and Associates.

The 2022 Women’s Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship is supported by Valley Forge Tourism & Convention BoardKM Golf Sales, and the PGA Tour. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our host, Whitford Country 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 Women’s Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship leaderboard, 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.

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

PGA Professional Nick Corper Leads Team to Net Victory in 2022 Philadelphia PGA Indian Valley Team Stableford Pro-Am

Telford, Pa. (July 18, 2022) — PGA Professional Nick Corper of Skippack (Pa.) Golf Club led his team of amateurs, Billy Beisel, Bob Oswald, and Aaron Roland, to a net victory in the 2022 Philadelphia PGA Indian Valley Team Stableford Pro-Am at Indian Valley Country Club, finishing before inclement weather interrupted play.

While the competition was paused twice for severe weather in the area, totaling two hours and eight minutes, the team from Skippack finished ahead of the delays with 89 points, one more than Blue Bell (Pa.) C.C.’s Joey Pohle, PGA, Jim Ravina, Joe Fields, and Roger Cohn. In the event’s modified Stableford format, teams earned points as follows: Bogey or higher, 1 point; Par, 2 points; Birdie, 3 points; Eagle, 4 points; and Double Eagle, 5 points.

Eric McNamee, Golf Galaxy – Montgomeryville, and his team of Joe Boyle, Brian Murphy, and Walt Hoffner finished in third place with 87 points. Makefield Putters’ Michael Little, PGA, Chris Salvatico, Tom Holmes, and David Sheerr ended their round with 86 points in fourth, while two teams tied for fifth with 85 points each: Steven Farrell, PGA, Garrisons Lake G.C., Mike Forsyth, Richard Karolczak, and Chris Birch; and Dan Hoban, PGA, Middletown C.C., Brian Sacharczyk, WD Horan, and Keith Lewis.

PGA Professional John Roche of Elmhurst Country Club in Moscow, Pa., led his team of amateurs, Jim Lanza, Mike Bonavoglia, and JT Coyne, to victory in the event’s Gross Division, with 75 points. Roche’s team won the division by one stroke over Green Pond G.C.’s John Kulhamer, PGA, Charlie Leon, John Mace, and Ryan Orcutt. Bala G.C.’s Chris Barletta, PGA, Wesley Davis, Lars Beck, and Steve Minnick, and Whitford C.C.’s Evan Mitchel, Matt Dietrich, Matt Weist, and Bill Penney tied for third with 73 points each, while Blue Bell C.C’s Rick Pohle, PGA, Brian Alling, Jeremy Arner, and Dick Beck finished in fifth with 71 points.

The 2022 Philadelphia PGA Indian Valley Team Stableford Pro-Am is supported by Ohana Farm LLCParx CasinoPrecision Pro GolfSwanniesTrinity FlavorsWorkhorse Brewing Company / Workhorse Tour, and Imperial Headwear. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our host, Indian Velley Country 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 Philadelphia PGA Indian Valley Team Stableford Pro-Am leaderboard, 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.

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

Dunnigan, Ciocca Win 2022 Philadelphia Girls, Boys PGA Championships

Mount Laurel Township, NJ- With not a cloud in site, this Monday was the perfect day to hold our Girl’s Junior Championship at Laurel Creek Country Club. After 36 holes on the water hazard filled course, our girls shot impressive rounds. The day was completed with a memorable two-hole playoff between Kayla Maletto, Grace Smith, and Sawyer Brockstedt for second place.

Placing first overall in the 13-18 division is Mary Grace Dunigan (Kennett Square, PA). Mary Grace fired a 142 overall (E) and had 8 birdies between here two rounds. In second place, after winning the two-hole playoff with a 146 (+4) was Sawyer Brockstedt (Rehoboth Beach, DE), Rounding off the top three overall is Grace Smith (Wallingford, PA) who shot a 146 (+4). Grace finished second in the two hole playoff. The top three overall also placed in their separate divisions. Mary Grace placed first and Grace placed second in the 16-18 division and Sawyer took first place in the 13-15 division. Mary Grace and Sawyer were also the only two all day to shot a round under par!

In the girl’s 16-18 division, Kayla Maletto (Sinking Spring, PA) took third place after shooting a 146 (+4). Kayla was even on her second round of the day! In the girl’s 13-15 division, Rhianna Gooneratne (Rehoboth Beach, DE) placed in second shooting a 150 (+8). Rhianna had three birdies over over her two rounds. Taking third place was Zoey Zhu (Basking Ridge, NJ) after firing a 150 (+8). Zoey finished her 36th hole of the day with a birdie!

The Philadelphia Junior Tour would like to thank Bob Hennefer, PGA and the Laurel Creek Country Club staff for hosting a great event. Thank you to all the parents and juniors that participated in today’s event. The next PJT event will take place on Thursday, July 14th at Southmoore Golf Course (Bath, PA).

To view results from the event, please click here.
To view photos from the event, please click here.


Pottstown, PA – Bellewood Country Club played host to the Boys Junior PGA Championship on a warm and sunny day, giving the field favorable conditions in the first major of the season. A great day of golf was capped off by an exciting 4-hole playoff between Nicholas Ciocca and Joshua Ryan.

In the Boys 16-18 division, Nicholas Ciocca (Berwyn, PA) claimed first place with a thrilling 4-hole playoff victory following his second-round score of 65 (-6) and overall gross score of -2. Starting on the 10th hole and ending on the 18th hole, Ciocca and Ryan went back and forth across the playoff before Ciocca eventually prevailed on the Par-5 18th. Joshua Ryan (Norristown, PA) earned second place in the overall division, also posting a gross score of -2 with several birdies across the day. Third place was claimed by Matthew Vital (Bethlehem, PA), who had two impressive rounds to finish at +2 overall. Ciocca, Ryan, and Vital also claimed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the overall 13-18 division.

In the Boys 13-15 division, Reed Krosse (York, PA) finished +8 overall to claim first place with a gross score of 150. Krosse bounced back later in the day, with several birdies to take first place. In second place was Samuel Feeney (West Chester, PA), who finished three strokes behind Krosse at +11 overall. Rounding out third place in the division was Ethan Martin (North Wales, PA), at +13 overall.

The Philadelphia Junior Tour would like to thank John Bonaduce, PGA and the Bellewood Country Club staff for hosting a great event. Thank you to all the parents and juniors that participated in today’s event. The next PJT event will take place on Thursday, July 14th at Southmoore Golf Course (Bath, PA).

To view results from the event, please click here.
To view photos from the event, please click here.


About the Philadelphia Junior Tour
The Philadelphia PGA Section Junior Tour leads the region in competitive junior golf, conducting over 85 events seasonally at top facilities. With more than 800 members, the Junior Tour is represented by players from every geographic location in the section.

Select tournaments earn players AJGA performance-based entries and Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings. With ample opportunities to learn, grow, and compete, many Junior Tour members graduate to play at the collegiate level and beyond. The Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour Program is proud to help develop social skills, self-esteem, and inspire youth in our community.

For more information on the tour, please visit www.phillyjuniortour.com
Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!

Contact: 
Philadelphia Junior Tour Staff, (267) 622-6170, info@phillyjuniortour.com

Philadelphia PGA Section Announces Partnership with Impact Powder

Lower Gwynedd Township, Pa. (July 13, 2022) — The Philadelphia PGA Section is happy to announce that it has renewed its partnership with Impact Powder, a product designed specifically for golf providing instant feedback on where they are hitting the ball on the clubface.

As part of the partnership, Impact Powder will support two Section events:

  • Taylormade Classic at Cedarbrook Country Club in Blue Bell, Pa.
  • Fall Teaching and Coaching Summit
    November 15 at Llanerch Country Club in Havertown, Pa.

“The Philadelphia PGA is excited to partner with Impact Powder,” said Section Executive Director Geoff Surrette, PGA. “PGA Professionals are always looking to improve the way they coach and clubfit, and their product will allow them to do that.”

“Impact Powder is excited to partner with the Philadelphia PGA in support of the outstanding work they’ve done for years,” says Impact Powder Owner / President Rich Pennisi. “As a Philadelphia based company, we have an added focus on growing our game and making a positive impact on future generations of golfers here at home.”

About Impact PowderImpact Powder was designed by two competitive brothers who had a general disdain for hitting shots into the woods due to poor contact. At the time, the options for assessing contact during training required either a large financial investment or a makeshift product that had clear drawbacks regarding ball flight and/or ease of use. During the 2020 lockdowns they began working with different labs to develop a formula specifically for golf – something that wiped off easily, didn’t affect the ball flight, and could be applied to any club face regardless of compression force.

Our goal is to differentiate by not just providing another training aid, but by bringing a premium product that’s accompanied by a strong, correctly prioritized educational component, ultimately empowering the golfer. As an example, before a golfer starts working on shaping shots, we believe they should prioritize the skill of executing consistent contact. Each can of Impact Powder comes with our Impact Analysis Guide. Designed in collaboration with our top industry professionals the guide provides a high level education and suggests broad corrections based on the user’s impact pattern, but ultimately pushes the user toward the incredible expertise found within our professional instructional community.

Our mission is “to positively impact our community and promote the enjoyment and involvement in golf.” We’ve made a commitment to our community by donating $1 per can back to the local PGA sections to support the charities and foundations that help grow our game and impact the generations to come. We ask for your support in the use of Impact Powder as we continue to support you and contribute to the growth of our game.

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

Rich Steinmetz Wins 2022 GALV Lehigh Valley Open

Macungie, Pa. (July 12, 2022) — Philadelphia PGA Member Rich Steinmetz of Spring Ford Country Club in Royersford, Pa., won the Golf Association of Lehigh Valley’s 2022 Lehigh Valley Open at Brookside Country Club by three strokes over Alex Knoll of Glen Brook Golf Club in Stroudsburg, Pa., finishing at 3-under-par for the championship (68-71–139).

Steinmetz, the event’s 2009 champion and 2022 Philadelphia Senior PGA Professional Champion, remained steady in the final round, keeping his three-stroke lead throughout most of the round, while on occasion padding it to four and five strokes. Ultimately, Steinmetz made three birdies and three bogies to shoot even-par and secure his second Section victory of the year.

“I recently figured something out with my putting, which helped with my round yesterday,” said Steinmetz. “I had the same game plan as yesterday, even with a three-stroke lead; keep calm and keep it going.”

Jake Haberstumpf of Bethlehem, Pa., shot an even-par 71 in the final round to finish at 1-over-par, earning Low Amateur honors by three strokes over Michael Ashcraft of Freemansburg, Pa. As Low Amateur, Haberstumpf will receive an exemption into the 2023 GALV Lehigh Valley Open.

Haberstumpf finished tied for third place overall with Doylestown C.C.’s Travis Deibert at 1-over-par. Braden Shattuck, Rolling Green G.C.; and Alex Willey, Burlington C.C. tied for fifth place at 2-over-par.

Steinmetz also finished at the top of the Senior Division, with Dave McNabb, Applebrook G.C.; and George Forster, Radnor Valley C.C.; sharing second place at 3-over-par. The Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Bill Sautter took top honors in the Super Senior Division with rounds of 74-75–150, three ahead of PGA Life Member Michael Versuk.
The 2022 GALV Lehigh Valley Open, a Philadelphia PGA Rolex / The Haverford Trust Company Player of the Year tournament, is supported by the Golf Association of Lehigh ValleyJani-King, and the PGA Tour. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our host, Brookside Country 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 GALV Lehigh Valley Open leaderboard, click here.

The next Philadelphia PGA Rolex / The Haverford Trust Company Player of the Year tournament on the schedule is the Doylestown Open on Friday, July 29 at Doylestown Country Club. The Doylestown Open is also the final Silvercrest Cup qualifier prior to the final in September.

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

PGA Member Rich Steinmetz Leads 2022 GALV Lehigh Valley Open

Macungie, Pa. (July 11, 2022) — Philadelphia PGA Member Rich Steinmetz of Spring Ford Country Club in Royersford, Pa., leads the Golf Association of Lehigh Valley’s 2022 Lehigh Valley Open at Brookside Country Club by three strokes, following his 3-under-par opening round of 68.

It was the first time seeing the Brookside layout for many of the PGA Professionals in the field as this is the first new host site for the GALV Lehigh Valley Open since 2009. The Section did host its Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship at Brookside in 1968, won by Stan Dudas. Between the steady breeze and the difficult greens, most scores remained near par or over.

Steinmetz, however, managed to make four birdies and only one bogey in his opening round, placing him three strokes ahead of Alex Willey, Burlington C.C.; Jeff Fick, Moselem Springs G.C.; and Travis Deibert, Doylestown C.C. Four players are tied for third, four back: Brian Kelly, Bucknell G.C.; Trevor Bensel, Sandy Run C.C.; and amateur Jake Haberstumpf, Bethlehem, Pa.; and Rocco Sgrillo, John F. Byrne G.C.

In the race for Low Amateur honors, Haberstumpf leads the way by two strokes over Zach Fischl, Bethelem, Pa.; and Michael Ashcraft, Freemansbirg, Pa. Scott Kalamar, Bethlehem, Pa.; is in solo fourth place at 5-over-par. Three amateurs are tied for fifth place at 6-over-par.

Brian Kelly leads the Senior Division at 1-over-par, one clear of Applebrook G.C.’s Dave McNabb; Hugo Mazzalupi, Linfield National G.C.; and George Forster, Radnor Valley C.C. John Pillar, C.C. of Woodloch Springs, is in fifth at 3-over-par.

The Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Bill Sautter leads the Super Seniors following his 3-over-par round of 74. PGA Life Member Michael Versuk is six behind Sautter.

The 2022 GALV Lehigh Valley Open’s final round is scheduled to conclude tomorrow, July 12.to Due to the weather forecast for tomorrow’s final round, starting times will be moved to 8:30-10:10 a.m., with a two-tee start.

The 2022 GALV Lehigh Valley Open, a Philadelphia PGA Rolex / The Haverford Trust Company Player of the Year tournament, is supported by the Golf Association of Lehigh ValleyJani-King, and the PGA Tour. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our host, Brookside Country 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 GALV Lehigh Valley Open leaderboard, click here.

The next Philadelphia PGA Rolex / The Haverford Trust Company Player of the Year tournament on the schedule is the Doylestown Open on Friday, July 29 at Doylestown Country Club. The Doylestown Open is also the final Silvercrest Cup qualifier prior to the final in September.

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

Submit Philadelphia PGA Board Nominations

The Philadelphia PGA Section is seeking nominations for District Directors in Districts 2, 4, and 6. The election is scheduled to take place at our Fall Membership Meeting on October 31, 2022.
  • District 2 Director
    All of Delaware and part of Maryland
  • District 4 Director
    Pa. counties: Bradford, Carbon, Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Lackawanna, Lycoming, Luzerne, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Wayne and Wyoming
  • District 6 Director
    Pa. counties: Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia, and Bucks (South of Route 202) counties
Nominees must be a PGA Member in good standing and be from the District they are nominated to serve. Members may only nominate one candidate for each position. The Nominating Committee will produce a slate of endorsed and at-large candidates to the Section Secretary more than 30 days prior to the election. The Section Secretary will inform the membership of the slate of candidates 30 days prior to the election.
The nomination deadline is Monday, August 31 at 11:59 p.m; nominations from the floor will be accepted during the 2022 Fall Membership Meeting.  To submit nominations, click here.

The membership, Officers, and Board would like to thank District Directors Anthony Malizia, Gerry Davis, and Dean Kandle for their service as two-term District Directors.  They would also like to thank Mike Molino for finishing out the term as District 4 Director. As an added note, Mike remains eligible to be nominated as District 4 Director.

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

Join Us for a Women’s Golf Happy Hour at Workhorse Brewing Company

The Philadelphia PGA Section’s Women’s Committee is hosting a Women’s Golf Happy Hour at Workhorse Brewing Company in King of Prussia, Pa., on Monday, July 18 at 6:00 p.m., and we hope you will join us!

Our Women’s Committee has been working to engage more with our women PGA Members, Associates, and Students, as well with other women industry professionals, partners, and amateur golfers. We view this happy hour as a wonderful opportunity to catch up with friends, acquaintances, and peers, while also providing the opportunity to meet new women who are also involved with the game of golf.

Drink tickets will be provided, appetizers will be available as well. The event is free to attend, and open to all women professionals and amateurs. Feel free to pass the invitation and registration link along to your colleagues and friends who may benefit from attending.

To register, click here.

GOLFFOREVER FITNESS TIP: Pre Round Golf Warmup Standing Up

Here is a simple pre-round golf warmup you can do standing up. This is a quick 8 minute warmup that you can do anywhere. 

 

Warming up before your round – along with committing to a golf-specific fitness routine – is critical to maximize your performance and to stay healthy on and off the course. This goes beyond simply grinding through a bucket of range balls 10 minutes before your tee time. A good pre-round warmup is 5-10 minutes of moves and stretches that prepare your body for the unique demands of the golf swing. The goals of your warmup should be the following: 

 

Engage the Right Muscles Believe it or not, it’s possible to do almost any movement (including the golf swing) using only some of the muscles designed for that particular movement. That’s why it’s important to practice exercises that boot the neurologic system and wake up the crucial muscles for the golf swing. The muscles in our backside – the gluteal muscles – can especially need “waking up” if you’ve been sitting at work all day. A failure to engage the posterior chain can result in a weak, injury prone swing. 

Increase Mobility and Flexibility in the hips, thoracic spine and shoulders. To avoid injury and maximize your swing range of motion, it’s important to go through golf-specific mobility drills in a careful, controlled manner before doing it in a fast, dynamic manner. For example, a lack of mobility in the upper back (thoracic spine) is one of the main causes of lower back injury in golfers. This is due to over-rotation through the lower spine to compensate for the inability to move the upper back and shoulders during backswing and follow through. 

Rev up your Balance System Being able to stay balanced in your posture while generating high speed rotational force is an important skill to play consistently good  golf. The systems in our body that control balance – the vestibular, visual and proprioceptive systems – work better when challenged regularly, even right before tee time. 

A quick pre-round warmup can achieve all of these benefits which will  dramatically improve your performance on the course while decreasing your chances for pain and injury. 

Jeremy James, DC, CSCS

Founder of GOLFFOREVER

Co-Author, The Younger Next Year Back Book. Golf-performance and pain specialist to PGA pros, Fortune 500 CEOs and thousands of everyday golfers