Lower Gwynedd Township, Pa. (September 29, 2021) — The Philadelphia PGA Section is proud to announce that its 12-member team for the 29th Philadelphia Challenge Matches has been finalized. The competition, played annually between top Philadelphia PGA Professionals and Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) amateurs, is slated to take place on October 14 on Saucon Valley Country Club’s Grace Course in Bethlehem, Pa. Twenty-twenty Philadelphia PGA Player of the Year Michael Little will lead the Section’s team as captain.

The Philadelphia Challenge Matches would not be possible without the support and energy of Robin McCool. McCool was instrumental in getting the matches started nearly 30 years ago and revitalizing them by bringing in support from Jim Wilson of Ping, Jim Ravina of Donald Ross, and our host facility, Saucon Valley C.C. McCool serves as the Honorary Captain for the GAP team and serves as Honorary Chair of the event. Everyone owes Robin a debt of gratitude for all of his efforts.

The 12 PGA Professionals representing the Philadelphia PGA Section include:

• Michael Little, PGA (C)
  Lookaway Golf Club
• Trevor Bensel, PGA
  Overbrook Golf Club
• Brian Bergstol, PGA
  Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort
• George Forster, PGA
  Philadelphia PGA
• Mike Furey, PGA
  Saucon Valley Country Club
• Brian Kelly, PGA
  Bucknell Golf Club
  
• Chris Krueger, PGA
  Kings Creek Country Club
• Hugo Mazzalupi, PGA
  Patriots Glen Nat’l. Golf Club
• Dave McNabb, PGA
  Applebrook Golf Club
• Zac Oakley, PGA
  Bidermann Golf Club
• Braden Shattuck, PGA
  Bidermann Golf Club
• Dustin Wallis
  Honey Run Golf Club

Michael Little, Lookaway G.C. – Little has won two Section events in 2021: the TPD Championship at Little Mill C.C. and the Spring Meeting Pro-Pro at Rolling Green G.C., and has finished in the top 10 seven times. He was also one of 13 Philadelphia PGA Members to compete in the 2021 PGA Professional Championship at PGA G.C. in Port St. Lucie, Fla., in April. As the 2020 Section Player of the Year, Little will serve as Philadelphia PGA Captain for the 29th Philadelphia Challenge Matches.

Trevor Bensel, Overbrook G.C. – Bensel has racked up three Section wins in 2021, including the Philadelphia Players Championship at Lookaway G.C., the Pro-Scratch Championship at Saucon Valley C.C., and the Spring Pro-Pro Championship at West Shore C.C., as well as one Philadelphia Assistants’ Organization (PAO) victory. He is slated to compete in the 2022 PGA Professional Championship at OMNI Barton Creek in ​Austin, Texas, next April, thanks to his play in the 100th Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship at Aronimink G.C. and Applebrook G.C.

Brian Bergstol, Shawnee Inn & G.R. – In 2021, Bergstol captured three Section titles, including the TaylorMade Classic at French Creek G.C., the Conestoga Classic at Conestoga C.C., and the Spring Pro-Pro Championship at West Shore C.C., and took the top spot in the U.S. Open qualifier at the Steel Club. He also qualified for the 45th National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship at PGA G.C. this November through his play in the National Car Rental Philadelphia Assistant PGA Professional Championship. Bergstol has also won two PAO tournaments and currently leads the race for the PAO Player of the Year.

George Forster, Philadelphia PGA – Forster is one of three senior members of the Section’s team, has one Senior Division victory in 2021, the Doylestown Open at Doylestown C.C., and has qualified in the 2022 PGA Professional National Championship via his play in the 100th Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship. He has four top 10s in 2021 and an additional eight top in Senior Division competitions.

Mike Furey, Saucon Valley C.C. – Furey will have a “home-field advantage” for the 29th Philadelphia Challenge Matches as a PGA Assistant Professional at Saucon Valley. His play in 2021 has been consistent, with seven top 10 finishes in Section tournaments, including at the 100th Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship, with his play leading to a first alternate position for the 2022 PGA Professional Championship.

Brian Kelly, Bucknell G.C. – Kelly is the second senior member of the Section’s team and has had a good year on the course. He won the 2021 Pro-Am for Wishes at Penn Oaks Golf Club and has finished in the top 10 in seven other events. On the Senior Division side, he has one victory, at the Philadelphia Players Championship. Kelly is currently in the second position in the 2021 Philadelphia PGA Robert “Skee” Riegel Senior Player of the Year race, and will compete in the 33rd Senior PGA Professional Championship at PGA G.C. in October, thanks to his runner-up finish in the 2021 Philadelphia Senior PGA Professional Championship.

Chris Krueger, Kings Creek C.C. – Krueger has finished in the top 10 six times, four of which were in the top five. His best finish in a Section event this year was a tie for second place in the Delaware Valley Open at Concord C.C.

Dustin Wallis, Honey Run G.C. – Wallis has accumulated four top 10 finishes in 2021, including his best finish, a tie for fourth place in the William Hyndman III Memorial Classic at Huntingdon Valley C.C.

The Philadelphia Challenge Matches was established in 1991 pits two 12-person teams, including at least two senior contestants, from GAP and the Philadelphia PGA Section in a concurrent individual match and better-ball match. Each match is worth one point. Ties are halved. The Philadelphia Section leads the series, 21-3-4. There were no contests in 2019 and 2020 due to severe weather and the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

Philadelphia, Pa. (September 30, 2021) — Philadelphia PGA Professionals John Pillar of the C.C. of Woodloch Springs in Hawley, Pa., and Brian Bergstol of Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort in Shawnee on Delaware, Pa., successfully defended the Philadelphia PGA McQuiston Senior Pro-Junior Pro Championship on a crisp autumn day at Bala Golf Club.

Pillar and Bergstol followed their record-breaking performance in 2020 (11-under-par 57) with a team score of 9-under-par, 59. The team combined for nine birdies and zero bogies enroute to their second sub-60 round in the event to give them the edge by one stroke over second place finishers Terry Hatch, Royal Oaks G.C.; and Travis Deibert, Doylestown C.C.

Rob Rohrbach, Foxchase G.C.; and Jeff Fick, Moselem Springs G.C.; finished in third place at 7-under-par, while John DiMarco, Woodcrest C.C.; and Zac Oakley, Bidermann G.C.; finished in fourth at 6-under. Don Allan, Burlington C.C.; and Stephen Sieracki, Woodcrest C.C.; and Jeff Kiddie, Aronimink G.C.; and Eric Kennedy, Overbrook G.C.; rounded out the top five with 5-under-par 63s.

The 2021 McQuiston Senior Pro-Junior Pro Championship is supported by Bala Golf Club and Vineyard Vines. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our partners, Bala G.C., its membership, management, and host PGA Professionals, and staff, as the event would not have been possible without their support.

To view the full 2021 McQuiston Senior Pro-Junior Pro leaderboard, click here.

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 Members and Associates who are employed at over 590 golf facilities in our region.

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

Fleetwood, Pa. (September 27, 2021) — Philadelphia PGA Professional Noah Firestone of Galloway National Golf Club in Galloway, N.J. won the 2021 Jack Jolly & Son Championship at Moselem Springs Golf Club on the first hole of a sudden death playoff against Eddie Perrino of Eagle Rock Resort.

Firestone teed off in the first group of the championship and fired a 3-under-par 67 to set an early clubhouse lead. He made five birdies and two bogies on a course that played difficult in the steady wind and featured slick greens. Perrino followed shortly with a 67 of his own, and the two waited nearly seven hours until the last groups finished before the playoff began on No. 1. Firestone made a par four against Perrino’s five.

“It’s a great feeling to get my first win of the season,” Firestone said following his playoff victory.

Mike Furey, Saucon Valley C.C.; Brian Bergstol, Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort; and Trevor Bensel, Overbrook G.C.; tied for third place, two strokes behind at 1-under-par. Dave Quinn, Laurel Creek C.C., finished in sixth place at even par. Six players tied for seventh at 1-over.

Firestone’s play also won him the Philadelphia Assistants’ Organization (PAO) event by two strokes over Furey, Bergstol, and Bensel.

Perrino’s round earned him top honors in the Senior Division, topping Quinn by three strokes, and four over Brian Kelly, Bucknell G.C.; and Terry Hatch, Royal Oaks G.C.; Kelly and PGA Life Member Michael Versuk tied atop the Super Senior Division, each shooting 1-over-par 71s. Don DeAngelis, Spring Ford C.C., and George Forster tied for fifth place two strokes back.

Following his round in the event, Zac Oakley of Bidermann Golf Club in Wilmington, Del. officially captured the 2021 Philadelphia PGA F. Edward Debaufre Trophy, which awards the PGA Professional with the lowest season scoring average for their consistently stellar play. Oakley’s 2021 scoring average of 68.93 over 14 rounds is the lowest scoring average since the trophy was commissioned in 1964. Additionally, Oakley’s father, Pete, previously won the award four times (1980, 1984, 1985, and 1999), making them the first father-son duo to win the DeBaufre title.

Dave McNabb of Applebrook Golf Club in Malvern, Pa., officially captured the Philadelphia PGA Senior Stroke Average title, with an average of 70.93 over 15 rounds this season. The Section congratulates both Oakley and McNabb on their consistently good play this year!

The tournament also saw PGA Life Member J.R. Delich shoot his age (80) for the 321st time in his career. Congratulations, J.R…great playing!

The 2021 Jack Jolly & Son Championship is supported by Jack Jolly & Son Inc., Ohana Farm LLC, Jani-King, and the PGA Tour. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our partners, Moselem Springs G.C., its membership, management, and host PGA Professionals, and staff, as the event would not have been possible without their support.

To view the full 2021 Jack Jolly & Son 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

Buckingham, Pa. (September 20, 2021) — PGA Member Trevor Bensel of Overbrook Golf Club in Villanova, Pa., won the 2021 Philadelphia Players Championship at Lookaway Golf Club following his birdie on No. 18 to break a six-player tie.

As players from the morning wave finish their rounds, it became apparent that 4-under-par would be the number to beat; Brian Kelly, Bucknell G.C.; and Mark Sheftic, Lookaway G.C.; were first in, and were quickly followed by Andrew Turner, Berkshire C.C.; Eric Kennedy, Overbrook G.C.; and Zac Oakley, Bidermann G.C.

“I hit the ball great all day,” Bensel said of his round. “I was fortunate to have a couple of tap-in birdies; my putter has been pretty cold all year, so it was nice to get a few to drop today.

While Bensel has won several Section tournaments in previous years, this was his first individual win of 2021; he tied in this year’s storm-shortened Conestoga Classic, and teamed to win the Philadelphia PGA Spring Pro-Pro Championship with Brian Bergstol, Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort, and the Philadelphia PGA Pro-Scratch Championship with amateur James Furness.

Bensel went on to thank the Overbrook G.C. members for their constant support and encouragement, Lookaway G.C. for hosting, and Section partners Scott and Karen Hutchinson.

Rich Steinmetz, Spring Ford C.C.; Matt Episcopo, Pine Valley G.C.; and Rusty Harbold, Philadelphia Cricket Club; tied for seventh place at 3-under-par. Five players rounded out the top 10.

Eric Williams, Glenmaura National G.C., successfully defended his low amateur title with a 3-over-par 75.

Brian Kelly took top honors in the Senior Division at 4-under-par, followed by Dave Quinn, Laurel Creek G.C.; at 2-under-par in second place. Eddie Perrino, Eagle Rock Resort, and Dave McNabb, Applebrook G.C., finished tied for third place at 1-under.

To view the full 2021 Philadelphia Players Championship leaderboard, click here.

The Philadelphia Players Championship was simply an idea over casual conversations between two men who have a passion for golf and a love for Lookaway – Michael Little, PGA Head Professional at Lookaway, and Scott Hutchinson, Lookaway member, much the same way Lookaway was first envisioned. In addition to his commitment to developing this event, Hutchinson is the main sponsor of the event.

The 2021 Philadelphia Players Championship is supported by Scott and Karen Hutchinson. The event is also a Rolex Philadelphia PGA Player of the Year points event. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank Lookaway G.C., its membership, management, and staff, as well as our partners, 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 Members and Associates who are employed at over 590 golf facilities in our region.