February 2023 Newsletter

February 2023

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 Vincent Bachteler, 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

Dawn Neujahr, PGA, of Champions Run, was selected for the Section’s highest honor bestowed on a PGA Member as the 2022 Nebraska PGA Golf Professional of the Year. Neujahr was elected to membership into the PGA of America in April of 1996. Neujahr’s professional career began at Oak Hills Country Club under Director of Golf, Robert “Bob-Father” Vermeer, PGA in 1992. In 1997, both Dawn and her husband, Greg Neujahr would team up at Council Bluffs Country Club until December of 2001. In January of 2002, the Neujahr’s would move to Champions Run where Dawn has established one of the premier boutiques in the country. Under Dawn’s leadership, Champions Run is an eight-time Nebraska PGA Merchandiser of the Year – Private Award Winner.

In addition to being active at her club, Neujahr had been involved within the Section’s governance serving on Junior Golf, Public Relations, Player Development and Tournament committees. This passion to serve led Neujahr to run for Secretary and ultimately become the first woman to be elected as an Officer of the Nebraska PGA. “When I ran for office, my goal was not to just be the first woman, but I felt it was my time to give back to our Association that has afforded me a wonderful career and some amazing life experiences. I want to help continue the vision of the former leaders of our Section and keep us moving forward in the community and growing the game,” said Neujahr.

Neujahr’s leadership continues to reach far outside of the Section as she is serving her third consecutive term on the PGA Membership Committee under PGA of America President, John Lindert, PGA. Most recently, in November of 2022, Neujahr was instrumental in advocating for a resolution to add an inclusionary statement to the PGA of America’s Constitution where there once was an exclusionary statement. This resolution passed unanimously! “Dawn has played a vital role in our Section and Association becoming more inviting to join. She has become an advocate of change and making sure our game looks more like the world we live in today,” said David Honnens, PGA CEO of the Nebraska PGA. Neujahr embodies the PGA of America’s mission in establishing and elevating the standards of the profession and growing interest and participation in the game of golf and this latest achievement solidifies these accomplishments.

Team Kruse Goes Wire to Wire to Win the

Presented by Callaway Golf, Harris Golf Cars – Yamaha and Vinnie Krikac’s State Farm Insurance Agency, Nebraska PGA Professionals and their teams of Amateurs met at Rio Secco Golf Club for the final round of the 33rd Nebraska PGA Vegas Classic. After consecutive days of windy conditions, the 100-player field couldn’t have asked for better weather to cap off the destination Pro-Am. With scoring opportunities all over the golf course, we were setup for a day full of action that inevitably would bring drama to the final holes.

In the team division, Tim Kruse, PGA of Golf Galaxy – Omaha was joined by Jeff Wessel, Bob Klopnieski, Brock Peters and Aaron Knuth at this year’s edition of the Pro-Am. From the get-go, Team Kruse worked like an oiled machine in the Modified Stableford event. They opened the tournament with a total score of 111 to jump out to an early lead and they never looked back. On the week, Team Kruse made 50 netbirdies or better and their lowest nine-hole team total was 50 points. Team Kruse walked off their final green at Rio Secco Golf Club with a total score of 327 and they captured the 2023 Nebraska PGA Vegas Classic.

Leaderboards and Full Article: HERE

In the Professional-only division, more than 10 Nebraska PGA Professionals came into the final round with a chance to win. Lance Juelfs of Hillside Golf Course was in the mix from the start after an opening round of 66 (-6) while collecting 50 points. After scoring 34 points in the first round, the ageless Jim White, PGA MP of The Fairways at Lincoln scored 43 in the second round to climb to third place heading into the final round. Also deep in the mix, the duo of Steve Friesen, PGA and Mike Coatman out of Firethorn Golf Club came into the final round sitting in the top-5.

With two holes to play, Juelfs sat atop the leaderboard while Friesen and Coatman were right on his tail within four points. After Juelfs and Coatman stumbled, Steve Friesen stood on No. 5 tee facing one of the tougher holes on the golf course ahead of him. The only way Friesen could’ve walked away as a solo champion was with a birdie and that’s exactly what he did. After a strong 2022 tournament season, Friesen kicks off 2023 with Low-Professional honors at the 2023 Nebraska PGA Vegas Classic.

It is with heavy hearts that the family of “Captain/ Commander Kirk” Stanzel, PGA announce his passing onto greener fairways on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. Survived by wife, Kathy; brothers, Greg (Dee) and Mark Stanzel; brothers-in-law: Joe, Steve, Larry, and Jerry Seitz; sister -in-law: Mary Lou Marcuzzo (Joe); many nieces, nephews, cousins, other family members and friends.

Stanzel moved to Nebraska in April of 1985 where he worked at Fontenelle Hills Golf Club until February of 1988. In March of 1988, Stanzel was hired as our Section's first Executive Director until moving to the Iowa PGA to become their Executive Director in February of 1989 until his retirement in April of 2006.

Stanzel hired some wonderful people during his time with the Iowa PGA like current Assistant Executive Director, Tess Goudy, current Executive Director Kevin Helm (Michigan PGA), Executive Director Geoff Lofstead (South Florida PGA) and former Iowa PGA Executive Director Troy Christensen.

Stanzel was a pioneer in Player Development creating what is now Drive, Chip and Putt, the Iowa Junior Tour, Iowa Golf Pass, GHIN Handicap system and the Las Vegas Pro-Am to name a few programs that the Iowa PGA continues to this day. Captain was remembered as a tremendous mentor to many PGA Professionals across the entire Association.

“Kirk received his PGA Membership a little later in life than most but dedicated his professional life to the Nebraska and Iowa Sections. He was a loyal and caring person and had a tremendous enthusiasm for life. Kirk loved God and was dedicated to the love of his life, Kathy. He was a great man who touched many lives.”

“Kirk was instrumental in starting me in my career in association management and was an amazing mentor to me as a very young and inexperienced lover of golf trying to figure out how to make s career out of it. My wife and I were married during my three years working for Kirk and he and Kathy were so supportive They were great friends and role models for a young couple from Ohio beginning life together a long way from home in Iowa. RIP Kirk.”

Kevin Helm/Executive Director Michigan PGA

“Much like Kirk did with everyone, he immediately became my biggest fan and biggest supporter once he hired me. I was completely inexperienced, young and quick to make a mistake. None of that mattered to Kirk as he mentored me and supported my career growth. As I have said many times Kirk demonstrated to me how to treat people. Every person Kirk interacted with was the most important person in the world at that time. I learned a great deal in my three years with Kirk but how he treated others will be something I’ll carry for the rest of my life.”

Geoff Loftstead/Executive Director South Florida PGA

Tony Pesavento, PGA Omaha Country Club

Dear Nebraska PGA Members & Associates:

March is upon us, and Spring is around the corner! This is always an exciting time of the year as we work with our staffs to determine when the best time is to open the course. All the off-season planning invested in your programming and events is going to pay off as we open the doors to another busy golf season. It is important that your staff is prepared and educated on what is going on around your facility so they can provide the best customer service possible. I’m planning to play more golf this year with my membership/customers and hope you are too!

The new “Home of the PGA of America” is open down in Frisco, Texas and the entire property is getting close to opening in the next month. If you plan to be in the Dallas area, make it a priority to book a tour of our new home. The property is about 30 minutes from DFW airport and an easy UBER ride. They are prepared to provide PGA member tours anytime within office hours, scheduling in advance helps them provide a more personalized experience. The home of the PGA aspires to connect people, deliver memorable experiences, and amplify member and association stories. Learn and connect through impactful storytelling and the common thread of golf. Personalized tours can be made by contacting Sydney Jenkins at memberexperience@pgahq.com or by calling (214-308-6038.) Please plan to provide your PGA Member Identification Number prior to arrival and have your Member ID upon arrival so that the PGA Team can provide the best experience.

The PGA Championship criteria and eligibility of the field was released this past week and wanted to highlight a couple points as we get closer to the championship in May. Any player who qualifies through one of our PGA Championship exemptions – such as past PGA Championship winners and the winners of major championships the last five years will be eligible. The PGA of America also reserves the right to invite additional players not included in those categories in pursuit of our annual goal to deliver the strongest field in golf. The current division in the professional game is not good for the sport or the future of the game. We hope there might be some resolution soon but, in the meantime, as always, our focus will be on our mission to grow the game and improve our members’ lives.

Sincerely,

Greg Neujahr, PGA District 8 Director

New Year, New You

The start of the 2023 golf season is almost here. What does the start of the 2023 season mean? It means it’s time to update your compensation profiles and job seeker preferences on PGA.org. These two surveys / profiles are important tools to help both you the professional and the career consultants and need to be updated every season. Did I mention that you will get 1 hard earned PDR for updating your compensation survey? It takes less than 5 minutes to do and helps increase strategic funding for the Nebraska PGA Section.

Now is the time to start laying the groundwork for your review later this year. When preparing for your annual review with your Department Head, General Manager, or Board of Directors, the most important thing to do is be proactive. Create a document and start compiling pictures, documents, accomplishments in each month. This will make it much easier to put together your portfolio later in the year, whether you use it for a section award or to show your value to your facility.

*NEW* Deferred Compensation: What is it? How do I Sign up?

For many years the PGA of America has searched for a way to develop some kind of retirement plan for members. As we all know, there are tax rules that prevent the Association from directly giving money to members. But the basic principle is that we can reasonably compensate a member for performing services that advance our exempt purpose; specifically for growing the game of golf. Therefore we created a plan whereby members that participate in programs that meet specified performance objectives can earn a contribution towards a deferred compensation fund.

The aim is that over the years these investments will grow and provide a supplemental income for the member upon reaching the age of 65. Because of the power of compounding over time, clearly younger members will benefit most from the program, but everyone can participate.

In addition to all our programs and other benefits this is now a very real and accessible vehicle to accumulate wealth towards a more comfortable retirement. We further hope that this can serve as a truly significant lure and recruiting tool to attract new talent to our great and growing industry.

Benefits include:

• Tax-deferred growth

• Ability to choose your investment allocation from a wide variety of funds

• Supplement your future retirement income

• Contributions come directly from the PGA

Deferred Compensation is IN ADDITION to Golf Retirement Plus. You can have both or either accounts. For more information on Deferred Compensation and how to sign up, click the links below. You can also email:

DeferredCompensation@pgahq.com.

Deferred Compensation Website on PGA.org

Deferred Compensation Sign-Up Form on PGA.org

Kevin Drew- Career Consultant Website

If you have questions or need a paper copy

please contact Renee Tyson at the Section office at 402-489-7760.

Complimentary Access to the 2023 Masters Tournament

As a courtesy extended by Augusta National Golf Club, Class A PGA Members, Life Members and Master Professional Members only may receive complimentary daily access to the 2023 Masters Tournament. Learn more here.

Craig Kessler Named COO of the PGA of America

The PGA of America announced that former Topgolf executive Craig Kessler has been named Chief Operating Officer. Kessler, who served as COO and Head of Emerging Concepts at Topgolf from 201621, will report to PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh. Learn more here.

PGA Members Enroll in Deferred Compensation Now

Beginning on April 1, PGA Members in good standing can potentially earn up to $1,500 a year to a deferred compensation plan by participating in a combination of 16 activities. Members can directly register by clicking here.

Exclusive Programs for PGA Members

As a member of the PGA of America, you are eligible for exclusive member benefits that include competitively priced insurance products and benefits designed to keep you and your family covered. Click here to learn more and enroll today.

PGA HOPE Graduation—Eagle Hills GRANT APPLICATION SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

This opportunity is FREE for you to attend. Just to remind you, if you would like to help with PGA HOPE this year or in the future, you MUST be certified in the PGA HOPE adaptive training. Let's be the first PGA Section to have a 100% of our PGA Professionals and Associates to be trained!

Those who have been trained in the past are encouraged to come to get a refresher if desired.

7 PDR Credits for attending!

The PGA REACH Collection, featuring some of the rarest pieces in American golf memorabilia, offers a cross section of nine PGA Championships, in an auction cycle from Friday, Feb. 24 through Sunday, March 5.

The cycle features rare contestant badges with connections to seven PGA Sections spanning 1939 through 1986.

1939 PGA Championship at Pomonok CC - Henry Picard Winner - Metropolitan

1941 PGA Championship at Cherry Hills CC - Vic Ghezzi Winner - Colorado

1944 PGA Championship at Manito G&CC - Bob Hamilton Winner - Pacific Northwest

1946 PGA Championship at Portland CC - Ben Hogan Winner – Pacific Northwest

1949 PGA Championship at Hermitage CC - Sam Snead Winner – Tri-State

1950 PGA Championship at Scioto CC - Chandler Harper Winner – Southern Ohio

1951 PGA Championship at Oakmont CC - Sam Snead Winner – Tri-State

1953 PGA Championship at Birmingham CC - Walter Burkemo Winner – Michigan

1986 PGA Championship at Inverness Club - Bob Tway Winner – Northern Ohio

Managed through The Golf Auction (TGA) of Tampa, Florida, all proceeds will benefit the initiatives of PGA Foundation Inc., d/b/a PGA REACH, the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America.

Public bidding is available by visiting www.thegolfauction.com. All items sold in the PGA REACH Collection will be accompanied by a letter of provenance. Interested bidders will be able to review images and online descriptions in a presentation by TGA, by visiting http:// thegolfauction.com/catalog.aspx

All winning bids for auction items will be deemed to be at fair market value. As a result, none of the items are eligible for a charitable tax deduction and no acknowledgement letters will be provided.

Create

your 2023 PGA Jr. League Programs

today! Players can start registering for published programs on February 1st.

m a 2022 PGA Jr. League Coach

Since you’ve already created your account and set your location, you’ll simply need to publish your 2023 programs.

I didn’t register as a Coach in 2022

Begin by signing up as a Coach through PGAJrLeague.com. From here, you’ll create a location and then publish your 2023 programs.

2023 Nebraska PGA Jr. League Section Qualifier

Fremont GC on Tuesday, July 25th

**If there are too many teams for one qualifier, there will be two qualifiers. The second location is Jackrabbit Run GC in Grand Island on Wednesday, July 26th. Teams will be split as evenly as possible based on geographic location if this additional qualifier is needed.

2023 Nebraska PGA Jr. League Section Championship

The Club at Indian Creek (Red Feather Course) on Saturday, August 12th

IMPORTANT: The top two teams in both the 13U and 17U divisions at the Section Championship will qualify for the regional event, which will be held at The Ridge GC in Sioux Center, IA on Sept. 1-3, 2023.

The 17U post season will have a National Championship starting this year, as opposed to stopping at the Regional Event in previous years.