The Professional

Middle Atlantic PGA

Vol. II - Issue III

The Professional

In This Issue...

Section Champ.

APA Update DCP Feature The Professional

Bryson DeChambeau Billy Hurley III President’s Letter Page 1

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FROM THE PRESIDENT

MATTHEW SCHULZE, PGA SECTION PRESIDENT

I’m sure you are all in the middle of your busy season, so I will attempt to be as brief as I can in updating you on Section happenings.

From a staff perspective, Thomas Hutton left the MAPGA in early May as Assistant Executive Director to take the Executive Director position at the Iowa PGA. We thank Thomas for his service and wish him well in his new Section.

In the meantime, we have hired Kurt Knapper, who recently sold partnerships for the 2017 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Trump-DC. Kurt started in late July. You will find more about Kurt in another article in this magazine.

Also, Tournament Director Jeremy Greiner has informed us that he will leave the staff after the season to pursue an opportunity in sales. We will start that hiring process around Labor Day. We have also had some turnover with our regional PGA staff. Don Sweeting was promoted to Director of Employment Services. He will be managing the East Coast team of Career Consultants. Thus, he had to hire a new consultant to fill his previous role. Greg Stenzel was hired in late June for that role (will handle our Section and Tri-State Section) and our officers and key leaders got a chance to meet with him in early July. We are confident he will do a great job for our members. Finally, the PGA changed the focus of the Player Development Regional Managers to exclusively Junior League. Mike Aldrich has decided to not stay through that change (he is moving on to Looper and some private consulting). Thus, you have seen the posting for the PGA hiring a Regional League Manager (RLM) to manage Junior League Golf in 3-4 Sections.

Speaking of Junior League, and following up on last issue’s Junior golf focus, we are still seeing wonderful growth in the Junior Golf arena. Our Junior Tour grew by 75 members this year. Our MiniMulligans Tour had triple the rounds it had last year, and 158% more unique players. Junior League Golf grew from 214 teams to around 240 teams in our Section. And Drive, Chip and Putt continues to knock it out of the park in getting kids involved in golf. Our staff ran 10 local qualifiers in June/July with almost 2000 kids registered to play!

I hope to see many of you at the Section Professional Championship August 1416 at Farmington and Spring Creek in Charlottesville. I know life gets busy, but hope you all remember to make time for yourself to practice and play, it’s what sets us apart. We’ve seen a slight decline in tournament participation this year, so please set a goal to play in more tournaments this year and next!

As always, please feel free to contact me at mdspga@verizon.net or 804-8392013 if you have any questions or comments.

Layout & Design Ethan Brady Contributing Writers Ethan Brady, Brian Dix, Bob Heintz, Kurt Knapper, Matthew Schulze, Eric Southard

Please make sure to visit MAPGA.com for the latest MAPGA news and enjoy the rest of this edition of The Professional presented by Celtic Golf.

Matthew Schulze, PGA

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NEWS. EVENTS. FEATURES.

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L E N S

T E C H N O L O G Y

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CONTENTS

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PROFESSIONAL

06

Kurt Knapper Joins the Section

08

Tournament Department Update

10

The Professional Championship

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Zylstra Wins NCR Asst. Championship

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APA Update JUNIOR GOLF

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Drive. Chip. Putt @ Univ. of Maryland

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Billy Hurley III Junior Championship

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Bryson DeChambeau Clinic A Success

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WELCOME KURT KNAPPER ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dear MAPGA Members and Friends, Having now been in my new role as the Section’s Assistant Executive Director for two weeks, I am extremely excited to be onboard and am quickly coming up to speed on many different fronts.

For example, I have already had a chance to participate in a Drive, Chip, and Putt qualifier at the University of Maryland, as well as last week’s Assistants’ Championship at The Country Club at Woodmore. In both cases, it was obvious that each event’s competitors were not only passionate about the game of golf, but also very respectful of and thankful for the Section’s staff and volunteers’ time and assistance.

Along those lines, I look forward to working with all of you and together continuing to “grow the game.” While I hope to add some immediate value, I also expect to learn a lot from each of you – the men and women who have spent many years playing, teaching, promoting, and selling the game – moving forward.

In doing so, I will invariably ask a lot of questions and, in some cases, I may even ask the same question twice. At the same time, please do not hesitate being proactive in terms of reaching out to me regarding anything on your mind. I am here to serve you, and one of my principal goals is to make things better, easier, more value-added, etc. for you.

Thanks in advance for your support. My direct extension is 540-784-4919 and email is KKnapper@pgahq.com.

Best always, Kurt

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TOURNAMENT DEPARTMENT

UPDATE UPCOMING EVENTS AUG. 14-16 THE PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AUG. 28-29 SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP SEPT. 18 NCR FALL PRO-NET SEPT. 25 CLUB CAR HEAD PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SEPT. 25 CLUB CAR TEACHING PRO CHAMPIONSHIP OCT. 16-17 ROCKY GAP PLAYERS CUP OCT. 30-31 MATT MISKELLY & COMPANIES TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP DEC. 5-10 MIDDLE ATLANTIC FOUR-BALL

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ERIC SOUTHARD TOURN. PROGRAM ADMIN.

After a busy start to the tournament season, the MAPGA is in the midst of its second half of the schedule, led by the 2017 MAPGA Professional Championship.

This year, we have 144 MAPGA Professionals registered for the tournament, an increase of two from last year. The Professional Championship will be played at Farmington Country Club and Spring Creek Golf Club in the Charlottesville area on Aug. 14-16.

The final round will be played at Farmington with the Top 40 percent and ties making the cut.

The Maryland Open was held on July 10-12 at Woodholme CC and was won by minitour player Brad Miller at 8-under par. John O’Leary, PGA and Dirk Schultz, PGA were the low PGA Professionals finishing T6 at even-par.

MAPGA Apprentice Ryan Zylstra from The Federal Club shot an impressive 10-under-par, including a final round 66, to win the Delta Dental State Open of Virginia. Zylstra also finished first in the 2017 National Car Rental Assistants Championship at Country Club at Woodmore.

Currently, Zylstra leads the Omega Open Player of the Year Points with a total of 1,064. Yong Joo follows in second with 650 points. In the Senior POY, Rick Schuller, who has 959 points, has a 48 point lead over Jim Estes. Joanna Coe of Baltimore CC leads the Womens POY with 160 points. There are still plenty of events left that have Player of the Year points involved so it should be a close race to finish the 2017 season.

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QUICK FACTS

Location

R1: Farmington CC | Spring Creek GC R2: Farmington CC | Spring Creek GC R3: Farmington CC Tee Distances

R1/R2 | Farmington CC

Men’s Tees: 6,756, | Women’s: 5,521

R1/R2 | Spring Creek GC

Men’s Tees: 6,782 | Women’s: 5,570

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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Mon. Aug. 14 Farmington CC & Spring Creek GC

One Tee Start (7:30 a.m. - 11:50 a.m)

Tues. Aug. 15

Farmington CC & Spring Creek GC

One Tee Start (7:30 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.)

Announced Cut (~5:30 p.m.)

Wed. Aug. 16 Hole No. 1 - Farmington (7:30 a.m.)

Leaders Tee Off No. 1 (9:30 a.m.)

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Spring Creek Golf Club Three days in the Charlottesville area will determine the 2017 MAPGA Professional Championship as 144 Professionals compete at Farmington Country Club and Spring Creek Golf Club Aug. 14-16.

Farmington and Spring Creek will co-host the first two rounds of play with the final 18 holes determined at Farmington next Wednesday. It is the first time either course has hosted the Professional Championship during the tournament’s 85 year history.

“We’re excited about the quality of both these facilities,” said Eric Southard, MAPGA Tournament Program Administrator.

“Farmington just renovated their practice facility and I think the pros are going to really enjoy it, and of course Spring Creek is always a great golf course to play.”

Farmington will play at roughly 6,700 yards for the men and 5,500 for the women as a par 70, while Spring Creek will be longer at 6,800 yards for the men and 5,600 for the women as a par 72.

With an estimated purse of $65,000 and 144 players the 2017 Middle Atlantic PGA Professional Championship is the largest and most prestigious tournament of the season. Defending champion Jimmy Flippen will be joined by many former winners of the Tom Utterback Trophy , including multi-winners of the Professional Championship Rick Schuller, David Hutsell, Wayne DeFrancesco and Mark Evenson.

Farmington Country Club

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National Car Rental

Assistants Championship

J

ust after winning the State Open of Virginia, Ryan Zylstra has won the 2017 National Car Rental Assistants Championship at the Country Club at Woodmore.

contender Yong Joo. He has nine top-3 finishes including five wins this season and hasn’t shot over 70 in an MAPGA tournament since early May.

Zylstra, of Federal Club in Richmond, finished the day with a 69, giving him a two-day total 6-under-par 138.

He maintained a bogey-free round until the 17th hole, his first of the tournament.

The top-five finishers earned entry into the 2017 National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The event will feature the nation’s best Assistant Professionals this upcoming November.

Twice, Zylstra saved par from over 20 feet on holes 13 and 14. It wasn’t the only good news of the day as Zylstra learned the morning of the tournament his wife was expecting to give birth to their first child, Jaxson, that night.

“My wife told me to finish the round and then come to the hospital,” Zylstra said. “Now I’ve got a three-hour drive ahead of me and can’t wait to get going.”

Zylstra made sure to send updates and pictures of him with the trophy as he quickly left among his competitor’s congratulations for both his tournament win and expected child.

In the first round of the tournament, Zylstra trailed James Grem, of Eagle’s Nest Country Club, by one stroke and finished with a 69. Grem finished second with a two-day total 1-under-143 and led the field with nine birdies.

More than halfway through the tournament season, Zylstra leads the Omega Player of the Year Points with 1,064, more than 400 points ahead of second place

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The MAPGA’s five representatives will be Ryan Zylstra, James Grem, Josh Apple, Brian Anderson and Daniel Bengtson. Bengtson parred both holes 10 and 18 to win the last qualifying place over Kent Graham.

Results from the second day of the tournament decided the MAPGA Central and Northern Chapter Assistants Championships.  Josh Apple is the 2017 Central Chapter Assistants Champion with his even-par finish and two-hole playoff victory over Patrick Gogoel.

Apple had five birdies and 31 holes of par or better to earn his position in the playoff. He finished third in the overall NCR Assistants Championship.

Matt Summers finished 2-under on the final day to earn the 2017 Northern Chapter Assistants Championship. He placed T-15 in the NCR Assistants Championship. Summers has a streak of four-straight top-15 finishes at MAPGA tournaments.

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2017 MAPGA Teaching Summit Turf Valley Resort Nov. 6-7 Featuring Sean Foley & Michael Breed Register at MAPGA.com

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The APA Brian Dix, PGA APA President

It’s hard to believe that we are already in the month of August. Soon we will have the Professional Championship in our rear view mirror. With the heat and rush of the summer months it is very easy to forget to get out and play in many of the events that are available for you.

The APA still has three events left on the calendar, and one more event in the fall that is still being coordinated, we will provide more information once it is confirmed:

Aug. 10 - APA Member - Pro Invite - Argyle Country Club Aug. 24 - APA Member Event - Mt. Vernon Country Club Oct. 10 - APA Tour Championship - Lake Chesdin Golf Club

There is still time to increase your Player of the Year points for the opportunity to participate in the Independence Cup. The Independence Cup is a team event in which the APA plays a Ryder Cup style event against the Philadelphia Assistants Organization. There are 16 players on each team: four Captains, eight players from the Top-8 POY standings, and four Captain’s Picks. This year’s event will be held near Bethany Beach, Del. in early November. Player of the Year points are accumulated at every APA event and awarded for the Assistant Championship and Teaching Championship.

Are you an apprentice and an APA member? There is a unique opportunity for you within our association. Each year the APA provides 12, $500 scholarships for those APA members that complete a level within a calendar year. You must complete one of your levels and be in the top 4 of that level against fellow APA members. There are a few other requirements that can all be found on the APA portion of the MAPGA website.

It is always a pleasure see many new faces within the APA and work with those that dedicate themselves to growing the APA and its events. I’d like to personally thank the directors of the APA that help me make the APA great. It is a pleasure to work with them and they continually dedicate themselves to hosting great events and helping the APA better itself and its members year in and year out.

Northern Chapter Director - Mike Wood- Baltimore Country Club Central Chapter Director - Mike Mauk - Belle Haven Country Club If I or your Chapter Directors can ever be of any of assistance, or you have comments or suggestions or would like to be involved in bettering the APA, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are always looking for new ways to help our association in its efforts to be well educated and valuable assets to our facilities.

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Drive.

Chip.

Putt. ~ ETHAN BRADY ~

T

eddy Seitz has practiced an entire year for this day.

Standing in the heat near the chipping green at the University of Maryland Golf Club in College Park, Md., Seitz meticulously hits chip after chip out of the thick rough, delicately landing the ball in a left to right roll toward its target.

“Chipping has always been the most difficult,” said Seitz, 12.“I’ve competed every year since Drive, Chip and Putt started. I’ve done well, but choked in chipping before. I think this might finally be the year.”

Teddy was joined by 204 fellow juniors chasing the same dream on this hot day in College Park.

“The field is bigger than I’ve ever seen before,” said Marvin Forbes, a parent of two children competing at the qualifier. “Today was great, but definitely difficult to advance.”

Twenty-four juniors qualified for the subregional from the University of Maryland, one of 10 local qualifying locations in the PGA’s Middle Atlantic Section.

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“I like the challenge because it builds skills and confidence,” said Lolita Forbes, a parent from Accokeek, Md.“Put those together and you might have a great little golfer with a great golf game on your hands.”

“We love hosting Drive, Chip and Putt at Maryland,” said Brian Dix, Assistant Professional at the University of Maryland Golf Club. “We want to bring more kids into golf, especially the ones who are just beginning.This competition compartmentalizes everything into nine shots, and it shows kids if they like golf and want to continue to play and get better, or maybe just do Drive, Chip and Putt every year.”

Jonah Robinson, 12, has been playing golf much of her life through the First Tee program, but the University of Maryland qualifier was her first real competitive experience in golf.

“I watched some videos online, and I was really interested and got my Dad to sign me up,” Robinson said. “I think it’s cool because everyone has a chance, and you can learn what you need to work on the rest Page 16

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of the year to get better for next time.”

After a slow start in the driving competition, Robinson went on to a strong chipping performance and led her division with 46 points at the putting station, securing her a first place overall finish by one point. Robinson thought the experience “was just great” and couldn’t believe her chipping score of 36, a skill she describes as “her absolute worst.”

For children like Jonah, finishing in the top three positions in their divisions means a trip to one of two Middle Atlantic PGA subregional competitions at River Bend Club and Salisbury Golf Club. It’s another step closer to reaching Augusta.

The Drive, Chip and Putt Championship wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of PGA Section employees and volunteers such as Kurt Knapper, the new Assistant Executive Director for the MAPGA experiencing his first event. Another dozen employees The Professional

and volunteers from the MAPGA Section and University of Maryland joined Knapper.

“The entire event showed so much high energy and enthusiasm from all parties involved,” Knapper said. “Our staff, the volunteers, participants and parents showed why they’re excited about this event. It is a long day, and it is warm, but you can see everyone is here for the kid’s development.”

It’s obvious why Drive, Chip and Putt is such a special event. Developing the next generation of golfers is no easy task, but the competition creates a fun and energizing environment for junior golf.

THIS ARTICLE ORIGNALLY APPEARD ON DRIVECHIPANDPUTT.COM

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Billy Hurley III Jr. Championship

By Bob Heintz

After the second day of competition at the U.S. Naval Academy, Amelia Root and West Shaw have won the Inaugural Billy Hurley III Junior Championship.

Shaw, of Alexandria, Va, shot 72 the second day for a two-day total of 143 to win the Overall Boys Division by one stroke over Round 1 leader Ben Kruper, of Woodbridge, Va. Shaw made a 15ft. par putt on the last hole to finally pull ahead of Kruper.

The low round of the day came from 14-year old Kelly Chinn, of Great Falls, Va., who shot a 1-under-70.

Chinn birdied holes 3 and 4 to shoot a front-nine 34.

Amelia Root, of Jacksonville, Fla., cruised to a nine shot victory in the Overall Girls Division. Root used a first round 76 to open up a commanding lead and never looked back, firing a second round 78. Coming in second place was Elizabeth Coffren, of Owings, Md., who shot a second day 78 and a two-day total of 163.

Special thanks to US Navy Golf Club for hosting the inaugural Billy Hurley III Junior Championship.

Also a huge thank you for Billy Hurley III for hosting the event and attending both days of the competition. The juniors were provided with a shirt, hat, sunglasses, and also a 2016 signed Quicken Loans flag from BHIII.

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The Denny McCarthy Invitational September 9-10, 2017 Argyle Country Club | Silver Spring, Md.

Tournament Info.

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Bryson DeChambeau Clinic A Success

By Ethan Brady The Middle Atlantic PGA gave more than 30 of its Junior Tour members a memorable day at Washington Golf & Country Club with PGA Tour Professional Bryson DeChambeau. In partnership with Tin Cup, DeChambeau spent more than an hour showcasing short game control and giving tips as juniors and their parents excitedly engaged with questions and requests.

“It was a great afternoon for our JuniorTour Members,” MAPGA Junior Golf Director Bob Heintz said.“Tin Cup and DeChambeau ran a fun and engaging clinic and I think our juniors really enjoyed the opportunity to interact with a PGA Tour Professional.”

While parents were focused on asking questions about DeChambeau’s mental preparation, life on the Tour and his recent experiences, the juniors wanted to see him in action.

Requests for trick shots, near impossible bunker flop shots and skilled chips filled the majority of the clinic’s interactive portion. DeChambeau handled them easily.

DeChambeau taught his approach to reading greens by finding the balanced center of the green and determining the break from its location based on where his ball was. Many younger junior golfers only read putts from directly behind the ball, but after multiple juniors tested the technique in front of the clinic it was clear DeChambeau’s lessons made an impact.

After the demonstrations on the 18th green, DeChambeau walked with the clinic group to the first tee where, to the amazement Continued p. 14 of the kids, drove the green on the The Professional

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Bryso Foos the c the discu impo

300yd. par 4.

Among the impressive display of skills, a pitching competition between DeChambeau and four Junior Tour members took plae. Prizes were provided by Tin Cup and its President, Cabell Fooshe. Signed hats, Tin Cup ball markers and more were given to the competition participants and many other junior golfers throughout the day.

Fooshe, a member at Washington Golf & Country Club, helped emcee the event and partnered with DeChambeau in June of 2016.

“We have closely followed Bryson’s career since his win at the U.S Amateur and are thrilled to be partnering with him,” Fooshe said in a release. “Bryson is an exceptional young man with many talents and is already creating a buzz around the PGA Tour. His unique approach to the game, which has many calling him the “Golfing Scientist,” is attracting attention around the world.”

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MAPGA Junior Tour Members get to experience some of the best golf in the Middle Atlantic region throughout the summer. Competitive tournaments are just the beginning of the Junior Tour’s benefits. Members are given priority to MAPGA two-day invitationals, exclusive events like the DeChambeau Clinic and MAPGA scholarships.

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on DeChambeau and Cabell se, President of Tin Cup, begin clinic with a Q&A session for junior golfers. DeChambeau ussed the mental aspect of golf and ortance of consistent practice.

Bryson DeChambeau showed the juniors some of his driving skills on the first hole at Washington Golf and Country Club. DeChambeau easily drove the 300+ yard par 4.

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If you are interested in contributing to The Professional, contact Ethan Brady at ebrady@pgahq.com

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