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PGA.org New Tools for You

I am sure many of you have noticed PGALinks has disappeared and PGA.org is your new go-to site for all things PGA. PGA.org has been designed to give you control of what you see based on what is important to you as well as other great customizable options which truly makes it your site! Some of the new features include:   

Filters allowing you to narrow down your search Profiles allowing you to connect with fellow PGA members and consumers Ability to “favorite” a page that interests you and have them posted on your custom dashboard for quick access

There are many cool new features but I wanted to highlight a few which I think will be very popular here in the Nebraska PGA Section. Self-Report PGA Member Service Requirements (MSRs) By visiting the Dashboard on PGA.org you can now report your activities and be awarded the appropriate MSRs. Any MSR that fits in the category of Get Golf Ready, PGA Sports Academy, Golf Coach, Media Article or Service to the Industry can be submitted directly to the PGA of America for distribution. Click Here to learn more or start posting MSRs today! Editable Marketing Materials Under the “Advance the Industry” tab you have access to professionally developed and customizable marketing materials which can save you time and money. You can find content for emails, web, print and more for general and PGA-branded programs. To access these marketing materials as well as other professional resources Click Here. Find PGA Professionals and Facilities Whether you are trying to connect with a friend, find a former colleague or find a facility for a trip; the improved search options makes it easier than ever. It is very accessible right on the top of your home page under “Find Pros & Facilities”. You can also access it by Clicking Here. These are just a few of the great features available on the new PGA.org. I encourage everyone to explore the new site, create their online profile and start customizing your own PGA.org experience. For a guide and videos featuring all the new benefits of PGA.org, please CLICK HERE. Joe Canny, PGA Junior Golf Tour Director Player Development Coordinator

Congratulations, Andrew Rauscher & Jose Vega Congratulations Andrew Rauscher of Peoria, Arizona, the winner of the 2015 Wells Fargo Nebraska Open. The low-amateur winner was Jose Vega of Bellevue, Nebraska. Rauscher finished the third round with a 7-under-par 64 to finish the tournament at 12-under-par. Vega finished with a 3-under par 68 to finish the tournament at 5-under par.

Click here for final results.

EMPLOYMENT CORNER Letter from Bruce Lubach, PGA Dear PGA Member/Apprentice and Friends, Some of you have now heard I will be making a move to the Phoenix, Arizona, area to be the PGA Employment Consultant for the Southwest, Sun Country and Colorado Sections. A new hire will be made to cover the Iowa, Midwest, Minnesota and Nebraska Sections in the near future. I will still be the Employment Consultant in the interim and plans are still being made as to when the move will occur for me to move to Arizona. I have truly been blessed to be a part of the Nebraska Section for close to thirty years. The many friendships and relationships I have built over these years are very meaningful to me. I am also indebted to the Section for taking a chance on me and allowing me to serve as your Executive Director for twenty-one years. I would not be writing this letter if I had not been given the opportunity to serve the Nebraska Section. The Nebraska Section has a special place in my heart. It has been very rewarding to see the positive direction the Section is moving with all the player development and junior golf programs being implemented. Congratulations to the leadership and staff for their hard work and effort in being at the forefront with these programs. For fear of leaving anyone out, please accept my heartfelt thanks to those of you who have been so kind to me and my family over these years spent with you. I still have some life left in this mind/body/soul and although I feel melancholy at times related to this move, it is replaced by the excitement of what my next journey has in store for me.

Blessings! Bruce Lubach, PGA

Denis Vontz, PGA and James Kinney, PGA Capture the Nebraska PGA Cup Series Championship Ashland, NE – 18 holes was not enough to settle the Nebraska PGA Cup Series Championship presented by Vinnie Krikac State Farm Insurance Agency today at Quarry Oaks Golf Club. The top five teams competing in the one best-ball of two on the front nine and two person-scramble on the back nine advanced to the four hole shootout to determine the 2015 Champions. The teams that advanced to this shootout were Mike Antonio, PGA of Happy Hollow Club and partner, Tom Johnson, PGA of Champions Run; Brian Kuta, PGA of Iron Horse G.C. and partner, Alex Janssen of Sioux City C.C.; Denis Vontz, PGA of Highlands G.C. and partner, James Kinney, PGA of GolfTEC – Omaha; Tyler Lane of Stone Creek and partner, Jacob Pribnow, PGA of The Country Club of Lincoln; Brian Steventon, PGA of Quarry Oaks G.C. and partner Nick Onken of Oakland GC rounded out the top five teams.

Ryan Vermeer Captures Foundation Pro-Am Omaha, Neb.– Ryan Vermeer of Tiburon G.C. got off to a hot start by birding three of his first five holes to kick-start his round and ultimately post a season best seven-under-par 64 to capture the Nebraska Section PGA Foundation Pro-Am presented by Laser Link Golf. Vermeer turned in four-under-par 31 and finished with a three-underpar 33 on his fine nine holes. Vermeer capped of his round with a closing birdie on #18 for his eighth birdie of the day. Reigning Nebraska Section PGA Player Of The Year, Shane Zywiec, PGA of Seward C.C. continued his solid play posting two-under-par 69. Pete Hagen, PGA of Johhny Goodman had his best round of the season with a one-under-par 71. Alex Carper of Hidden Valley G.C. rounded out the players under-par with a one-under-par 71. The team portion of the event featured a two-net best ball format and it was a shootout. Pete Hagen’s stellar played motivated his amateur partners, Matt Petersen, Jess Zeiss and Ronn Nolin to capture the team title at 20-under-par. Finishing two strokes back at 18-under-par was Ryan Vermeer of Tiburon G.C. and his amateur partners, Scott Tridle, Will Andersen and Paul Koskovich. Rounding out the top three at 16-under-par was Shane Zywiec, PGA of Seward C.C. and his amateur partners, Dan Ott, Jeff Baker and Drew Marr. Nebraska Section PGA | 610 J Street, Ste 10 | Lincoln, NE 68508 | Ph: (402) 489-7760 | Fx: (402) 489-1785 | www.nebraskapga.com

Wanderscheid Captures Harris Golf Cars Match Play Championship Lincoln, Neb.â€“ The season long Harris Golf Cars Match Play Championship concluded with arguably some of the best golf of the year played by the top players in the Section for 2015. In the morning Semi-final matches, the 2015 Nebraska Section PGA Professional Champion, Nick Wanderscheid, PGA of Green Valley G.C. faced a red-hot Ryan Vermeer of Tiburon G.C. and reigning Player of the Year, Shane Zyweic, PGA of Seward C.C. faced a past champion of this event, Jon Petersen, PGA of Tiburon G.C. Wanderscheid and Vermeer battled back and forth trading birdies for most of the round but Wanderscheidâ€™s putter was too solid as he made four birdies and no bogies to close out Vermeer 2 & 1. Zywiec built up a sizeable lead over Petersen over the front nine. However, Petersen fought back and closed the gap and managed to push Zywiec to the 18th hole but his bid for birdie was just off and Zywiec managed the 1 up victory.

Click here to view more.

Congratulations to Bob Walker, PGA & Ryan Vermeer, 2015 All Star Pro Golf Team Champions Congratulations to Bob Walker, PGA & Ryan Vermeer for capturing the 2015 All Star Pro Golf Team Championship. Thank you to Head Golf Professional, Nathan Kalin, PGA and the staff of Fremont Golf Club for their outstanding service and for hosting this event.

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Ryan Vermeer Tiburon GC Bob Walker Floyd Park Golf Course Jon Petersen Tiburon GC Jim White Firethorn GC Mike Antonio Happy Hollow James Kinney GolfTec - Omaha Ted DiGiacomo Council Bluffs Country Club Shane Zywiec Seward CC Greg Neujahr Champions Run Bryan Hughett Norfolk Country Club Jeff Perdew Awarii Dunes GC Chad Lydiatt Awarii Dunes GC Matt Nice The Ridge Golf Club Nick Wanderscheid Green Valley Golf Course Matt Meuret Plainview Country Club Kevin Drew Field Club of Omaha Don Germer The Players Club at Deer Bob Vermeer Shadow Ridge CC Jeff Porter ArborLinks Tony Pesavento Omaha CC Alex Janssen Sioux City Country Club Tyler Lane Stone Creek Nathan Kalin Fremont GC David Honnens Nebraska Section

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During the opening round of the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, on the second hole, Zach Johnson found his ball in a fairway bunker. Zach asked for assistance from a Rules Official because he wanted to remove an object near his ball that appeared to be a stone. Normally, there would no issue with a stone in a bunker. In stroke play, if a player touches or moves a loose impediment, such as a stone, in a bunker when his ball is situated in the same bunker, the player is penalized two strokes per Rule 13-4 [Ball in Hazard; Prohibited Actions]. That Rule advises, in part, “Except as provided in the Rules, before making a stroke at a ball that is in a hazard (whether a bunker or a water hazard), the player must not touch or move a loose impediment lying in or touching the hazard.” So, why did Zach seek a ruling? Because, the following Local Rule was in effect for this event: “Stones in bunkers are movable obstructions (Rule 24-1 applies).” Rule 24-1 [Movable Obstruction] points out that “A player may take relief, without penalty, from a movable obstruction as follows: a. If the ball does not lie in or on the obstruction, the obstruction may be removed. If the ball moves, it must be replaced, and there is no penalty, provided that the movement of the ball is directly attributable to the removal of the obstruction.” Zach was not sure if the object near his ball was a stone or just a small clump of sand that looked like a stone. That uncertainty put him between the proverbial “rock and a hard place.” If he risked picking up the object and it turned out to be a stone, then he would not be penalized because the stone was, by Local Rule, a movable obstruction. However, if the object turned out to be a clump of sand, then he would incur a two-stroke penalty for touching a loose impediment in a hazard. See Decision 23/12 [Aeration Plugs] which points out that plugs of compacted soil are loose impediments. After the Rules Official clarified the two possible outcomes, Zach elected to play the ball as it lay, rather than taking the chance of picking up the object and watching it crumble in his hands. In that particular situation, Zach risked incurring a penalty if he wanted to check the object to determine if it was a stone or a loose impediment. In many other situations, the Rules give the player the opportunity to check his ball or its position on the course to determine if relief is available. For example, Rule 5-3 [Ball Unfit for Play] provides a procedure for the player to follow to check to see if his ball is unfit for play. Rule 12-2 [Lifting Ball for Identification] provides a procedure for the player to check his ball for identifying marks anywhere on the course so he can avoid incurring a penalty for playing a wrong ball. The Rules allow the player to check to see if his ball is embedded in its own pitch-mark. Similarly, the Rules allow the player to check to see if his ball is situated in a burrowing animal hole. See Decision 20-1/0.7 [Lifting Ball to Determine Application of Rule] which states, in part: “In equity (Rule 1-4), if a player has reason to believe he is entitled to relief from a condition, the player may lift his ball, without penalty, provided he announces his intention in advance, marks the position of the ball before lifting it, does not clean the ball and gives his opponent or fellow-competitor an opportunity to observe the lifting. If the ball lies in a position that entitles the player to relief, he may take relief under the applicable Rule. If the ball does not lie in a position from which the player is entitled to relief, the ball must be replaced...”

2015 PGA PAK

PGA Tournament Series presented by GolfAdvisor

The mailing of the 2015 PGA Pak with the 2016 Appointment Calendar is scheduled for early to mid November. As in the past, the appointment calendar is the main component which drives the actual mailing date. Other departments and sponsors/licensees can participate in the PAK mailing which allows important information to be distributed to members only, apprentices only, members and apprentices or one per facility (to the highest ranking professional).

Entries will be accepted beginning October 21. Six competitive events will be held in November and December at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, FL with $10,000 sponsor dollars added to each event's purse. See the schedule. PGA Hole-In-One Printable Certificates on PGA.org

99th PGA Annual Meeting Opening Session

The 99th PGA Annual Meeting will be taking place November 8-14 at PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. The Opening Session will be held on Wednesday, November 11th. To review the synopsis of the proposed resolutions as well as scheduling information, visit PGA.org.

Access the Marketing Resources Center on PGA.org, where PGA Members and Apprentices can print out the Hole-InOne certificate to meet the needs of those individuals who were fortunate to make a hole in one. To access the printable Hole-In-One Certificate please follow these steps: 1. Log on to: https://www.pga.org/ 2. Click View Dashboard 3. Under Tools; please click Marketing Resources Center. 4. On the right side of the page, click the golf ball image.

Nebraska Section PGA | 610 J Street, Ste 10 | Lincoln, NE 68508 | Ph: (402)

Alison Lee learned a valuable lesson at the 2015 Solheim Cup: ln match play, pick up your ball only when you are sure that your next stroke has been conceded! The four-ball contest between Americans Alison Lee and Brittany Lincicome and Europeans Suzann Pettersen and Charley Hull ended on a rather sour note with the Europeans winning the match. Lee missed a hole-winning putt at the 17th green when the match was all square. She then picked up her ball thinking that the Europeans had conceded her next stroke. By walking off the green, the Europeans gave the impression that they had conceded the 18-inch putt, but they had not. When Lee picked up her ball, she incurred a one-stroke penalty under Rule 18-2 [Ball at Rest Moved by Player, Partner, Caddie or Equipment] which effectively resulted in loss of hole. When the Europeans walked off the 17th green, their actions were not consistent with the Etiquette Section of the Rules which states, in part, "Players should remain on or close to the putting green until all other players in the group have holed out." [Emphasis added] Note that this courtesy to your fellow players is a recommended action, but not a requirement. There were some reports that Lee thought she heard her opponents say, "That's good." However, the Rules Official refereeing the match checked with the Europeans who confirmed that they had made no statement conceding the putt. What Lee had heard was quite possibly a spectator commenting on the situation, and she should have confirmed, rather than presumed, the concession with her opponents. The applicable Rule is Rule 2-4 [Concession of Match, Hole or Next Stroke] which states, in part, "A player may concede a hole at any time prior to the start or conclusion of that hole. A player may concede his opponent's next stroke at any time, provided the opponent's ball is at rest." Decision 2-4/3.5 [Player Lifts Ball in Mistaken Belief That Next Stroke Cancelled] points out that if your opponent makes a statement that could reasonably lead you to think that your next stroke has been conceded, in equity, you should replace your ball as near as possible to where it lay, without penalty. However, the key word here is "statement." The act of walking away is not a statement and cannot be construed to be a concession of the next stroke. Here is a succinct and unbiased comment by Brian Haworth of Tring, England as posted on The Leith Society Rules website regarding this incident: "There is no obligation whatsoever to concede eminently missable putts and it is NOT ..., in any way unsporting to fail to do so. On the contrary, it is perfectly sensible in a match context, on the 17th hole, to exert every last ounce of legitimate pressure on the opponents by asking them to hole out. But, IF you are going to exercise your absolute right to do so, then please simply stand still and wait appropriately rather than, arguably, sowing the seeds of confusion whilst at the same time stimulating crowd movement toward the next teeing ground, etc., by acting instead as if you are yourself moving directly and immediately to the next teeing ground." Nebraska Section PGA | 610 J Street, Ste 10 | Lincoln, NE 68508 | Ph: (402) 489-7760 | Fx: (402) 489-1785 | www.nebraskapga.com

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Mark Stava, PGA Scott Gutschewski, PGA Seth Ray, PGA Cory Fletcher, PGA Tom Johnson, PGA Bruce Lubach, PGA Chris Thomson, PGA Ross Barnes, PGA Damon Brower Greg Wiemers, PGA Sam Jonell, PGA Adam Person, PGA Derek Francois, PGA Joel Wiest, PGA Mark Steskal

10/13 10/15 10/16 10/19 10/21 10/21 10/21 10/21 10/25 10/27 10/28 10/30 10/31

Bob Schuchart, PGA Jim Etter, PGA Nicholas Inutsuka, PGA Stephen Vieyra, PGA Joe Wiegand, PGA Jon Mielke, PGA Jon Robins, PGA Mike Fauver, PGA Dominick Mitchum, PGA Bryan Hughett, PGA Bob Vermeer, PGA Tim McAndrew, PGA Bobby O'Keefe, PGA

STAFF David Honnens, PGA Executive Director dhonnens@pgahq.com

Sean Oâ€™Neill, PGA Tournament Director soneill@pgahq.com

Joe Canny, PGA Junior Golf Director/ Player Development Coordinator jcanny@pgahq.com

Renee Tyson Operations Manager rtyson@pgahq.com