August 2023
Pictured left to right: Steve Friesen, PGA; Jay Cottam, PGA; Winner: Andrew Storm, PGA; Justin Herron, PGA; Ryan Vermeer, PGA and Nick Wanderscheid, PGA
OFFICERS/BOARD
President Dawn Neujahr, PGA
Vice President Mike Schuchart, PGA
Secretary Phil Palmer, PGA
Honorary President Gil Russell, PGA
Board Member Nick Wanderscheid, PGA
Board Member Chris Cover, PGA
District 8 Director Greg Neujahr, PGA
NEBRASKA PGA STAFF
Executive Director/CEO David Honnens, PGA
Managing Director Seth Scollard, PGA
Tournament Director Daniel Palmer, PGA
Nebraska Junior Golf Director/PGA REACH
Programming Assistant—Kurt Karcher, PGA
Operations Manager Renee Tyson
Development Officer Bob Danenhauer
Digital Media Director Brett Renner
PGA REACH Prog. Coord.—Nic Latcham, PGA
Community Relations Coord. Margie Smith
Championship season continued for the Nebraska Section PGA as they teed off the 2023 Nebraska PGA Professional Championship, presented by Club Car (Nebraska Golf & Turf), Corebridge Financial and ROLEX. The annual Section Championship welcomed 63 players to Champions Run Omaha where their most prestigious trophy was up for grabs along with five qualifying spots into the 2024 PGA Professional Championship.
The format of the championship is 54-holes of individual stroke-play with the first 36 taking place on Monday and the final 18 being completed today. The event got off to a rough start with heavy rains across Omaha and tee times were delayed and later modified to a shotgun start. The pairings of Nebraska PGA Professionals began their quest for the title at 11:45am on Monday and the loaded field was off and running.
After the first 18-holes, Kalin, PGA of Fremont Golf Club opened the day with a round of 70 to share the lead with three others at 2-under. After only seven players managed to shoot red figures in the first round, the scoring pace picked up rapidly in the afternoon. Andrew Storm, PGA of Shadow Ridge Country Club shot the round of the day with a 66 (6-under) to join Nick Wanderscheid, PGA of Morningside University at the top of the leaderboard at 7-under total through 36 holes. Recent National Car Rental Nebraska Assistant PGA Champion Jay Cottam, PGA of Meadowlark Hills GC sat in solo-third at 5-under while Justin Herron, PGA of Oak Hills CC ended his opening day at 4-under. Continue Reading…..
The 2023 PGA National Club Championship will be hosted at Troon North Golf Club and The Westin Kierland Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, this December. The Women's divisions will compete December 12-14, 2023 and the Men's divisions will compete December 17-19, 2023.
The PGA National Club Championship features amateur club champions from facilities with a PGA Professional. Winners of any 2023 club championship nationwide will receive an invitation to the 2023 PGA National Club Championship from their PGA Professional.
Once you host your club championships and submit the applications for your club champions to compete, PGA Members will receive 1 MSR credit and your club champions will be invited to compete on the national stage!
The Home of the PGA Turns One!
The "Home of the PGA of America" celebrated its one-year anniversary yesterday, August 22. Since its inception, over 600 Associates have attended seminars within the new, state-of-the-art facility and PGA Members continue to engage within the space daily. Click here to learn more about the space and how to enjoy it yourself.
Stand by Your Fellow PGA Members in Their Greatest Time of Need
As catastrophic weather sweeps the nation, PGA Members face tough times that can strain their families financially. You can have a positive impact by contributing to the PGA Medical and Disaster Relief Fund. This crucial fund assists PGA Members during medical crises or natural disasters. Find out how you can contribute today.
PGA of America: How We're Different
Interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the interaction between the PGA of America and golf's governing bodies? Discover more about these dynamic relationships and access a downloadable Fact Sheet by clicking here. Feel free to share this valuable resource with your network today!
Now Available on PGA.org - Create QR Codes With Ease
Create your customizable PGA-branded QR code by clicking here! Download the QR code to share a webpage link, send a text message, or even use it to share WiFi credentials. You can also upload a personal photo for a unique touch.
Dear Nebraska Section PGA,
It’s Ryder Cup month and the team is looking forward to traveling across the pond to do battle with the Europeans and hopefully retain the cup! Zach Johnson our captain will be making his picks on August 29th at the Home of the PGA in Frisco, Texas. The top six are Scottie Scheffler, Wyndam Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele. It should be another great event and I’m looking forward to attending and being part of the action. The PGA National Board will also be playing a match against the European PGA Board on Wednesday of Ryder Cup week and the Junior Ryder cup matches are on Thursday. Opening ceremonies are Thursday night and play begins on Friday, September 29th with foursome matches in the morning. We are also working with our media and marketing team to create a message that will go out during the coverage of the Ryder Cup that tells the difference between our Association and the PGA Tour. We are aware there is some confusion in the public, so we want to make sure our story is told and deliver the message on how we grow the game.
Do you know about the Medical and Disaster Relief Fund that is a member benefit? Through the generosity of PGA Members, the PGA Medical and Disaster Relief Fund aids members who are faced with temporary financial problems due to serious medical emergencies or the impact of natural disasters. It provides relief for documented out-of-pocket expenses in critical circumstances, to help members and their families get back on their fee faster. The fund has distributed $2.3 Million in relief since 2000. The board just approved raising the maximum pay out from $7,000 to $9,000 at the last board meeting in August and hopeful that this increase will help those members in need. If you would like to apply for this member benefit, please go to PGA.org under member benefits and fill out the program application.
Enjoy the start of the Fall season and I look forward to seeing everyone at the Fall meeting in October. As a write this note, our newly hired COO Craig Kessler will be making a visit to the Nebraska Section for the meeting and it will be a great chance to hear from him and how his first 6 months on the job are going.
Sincerely,
Greg Neujahr, PGA District 8 Director
Auditioning for the RolePeople Hear what they See
Often, consultants are contacted by golf professionals inquiring about the big time jobs that are open and they think they are qualified to get the position. My response is often, “do you think that you are qualified for that position?” What have you accomplished at your current facility that would convince the employer to think that you are a must hire?
You must take the mind- set that you are auditioning for the next job each day of your current job. A lot of truth goes into that statement! Look at yourself, are you dressed for the part? Is your shop equal or at least merchandised to the level of your dream job? Do you dress the part? Do you dress very casually wearing shorts and tennis shoes at work each day because their membership is okay with that code? What happens when a member brings a guest from a high- profile club and views both your appearance and the shop’s appearance? Do you think he can really envision you as the golf professional at his facility? The answer probably lies with it being acceptable by my membership and that is what they expect. However, that is not the expectation at the better facilities.
To Improve Performance, Dress How You Want To Act-
Besides looking more reliable, it turns out dressing more formally could make you act that way too. When research subjects wore lab coats they acted
more attentive and careful. The results of these studies shouldn't surprise us. We all (consciously or not), know that people hear what they see. How we choose to dress is normally viewed as a reflection of who we are. For example, for decades, people have been advised in their careers to, "Dress for the job you want, not the one you have." The idea being people need to visualize you in the role in order to make the decision to give it to you - and the clothes will help them see you as a fit.
Credibility is large in our profession, the three initials of the PGA carries a lot of respect and expectations from our members and customers. Credibility is why airlines want their pilots to dress in admiral style apparel, a jacket with gold decorated stripes and trim to display confidence. This is why doctors on television commercials promoting health products always wear a white lab coat to display credibility.
Presentation is everything, so is perception! How a golf professional conducts himself away from his /her facility carries volume as well. How do you present yourself at events such as the State Open or a section pro-am where you are mingling with the top amateurs in the area? Often, they may be decision makers on a selection committee. Are you constantly partying while away from your facility, staying out late each night, barely making your scheduled tee time? How did you present yourself at the last job interview? Remember, you must prepare yourself for the next opportunity, and there is no better way than dressing the part and demonstrating that you can carry the torch.
DONATE HERE
We kicked off our Clubs FORE Youth clinic at the Pinnacle Bank Championship with Korn Ferry Tour Professionals
Scott Gutschewski and Patrick Welch!
The surprise came when Nebraska PGA President, Dawn Neujahr made the BIG announcement. Thanks to Ryan
French’s Foundation “Drive FORE the Future” for helping
make this possible. All four High School Girls Golf Team received new golf clubs, golf bags and push carts through PGA REACH Nebraska’s Clubs FORE Youth program.
Fall Junior Series Registration is OPEN!
Presented by University of Nebraska-Lincoln's PGA Golf Management Program, NJG high school boys are eligible to compete in three events that will feature both an individual & team competition!
Must have 12.0 Handicap Index or lower.
For more information and to register visit our info page.
We had a great season and couldn’t have done it without these fine people. Look for many of these students to be staying in the golf business and running our facilities in the not so distant future.
Help us in thanking them and wishing them the best of luck in their future endeavors!
Pictured left to right: Kylie Vanschoiack, Isaiah Nunnally, Nathan Lockman, Tyler Show, Trent Shell, Zach Ringler, Kurt Karcher, PGA, Brett Renner and Guor Chuol.
