July 2020
OFFICERS/BOARD
NEBRASKA PGA STAFF
President—Gil Russell, PGA
Executive Director/CEO—David Honnens, PGA
Vice President—Dawn Neujahr, PGA
Managing Director—Seth Scollard, PGA
Secretary—Mike Schuchart, PGA
Tournament Director—Vincent Bachteler, PGA
Honorary President—Nathan Kalin, PGA
Nebraska Junior Golf Director/PGA REACH Programming Assistant—Kurt Karcher, PGA
Board Member—Nick Wanderscheid, PGA
Operations Manager—Renee Tyson
Board Member—Joe Sutter, PGA
Development Officer—Bob Danenhauer Digital Media Specialist—Brett Renner
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Chris Thomson, PGA, a 28-year PGA Professional in the Nebraska Section and the Director of Golf at Wilderness Ridge Golf Club, in Lincoln, Nebraska, is the recipient of the 2020 PGA Youth Player Development Award, given annually to a PGA Golf Professional who has made extraordinary and exemplary contributions and achievements in the area of youth player development. Certified in Player Development and for PGA.Coach, Thomson is also a Certified US Kids Coach. He boasts an impressive track record of serving the PGA Member and growing the game, by serving as a Section leader, contributing to numerous committees and holding several officer positions, including Nebraska PGA Section President from 20072009. Thomson’s player development programs at Wilderness Ridge are revered in the Lincoln community, as they are widely considered the place to go to introduce kids to the game. He also has a passion for growing the game for golfers of all ages and skill levels, as displayed through the success of his player development programs, such as Get Golf Ready, junior camps and youth leagues. Thomson has received several awards from the Nebraska PGA Section, including 2006 and 2008 Golf Professional of the Year; 2011 and 2018 Youth Player Development Award; 2013 and 2017 Player Development Award; 2017 Bill Strausbaugh Award; 2019 Patriot Award; 2000 and 2009 Merchandiser of the Year Award; and 2002 and 2003 Horton Smith Award.* He was also recognized as a Golf Digest Best Teacher in Nebraska, and was awarded the NCGOA (National Golf Course Owners Association) National Player Development Award. PAGE 6 Nebraska PGA News July 2020
Broadcast and Streaming Coverage across CBS, ESPN and ESPN+ Totals Over 170 hours of Live and Exclusive Programming in First Year of New 11-Year Agreement CBS and ESPN to provide Primetime Coverage of the 102nd PGA Championship; ESPN+ to offer first ever opening tee shot to last putt coverage on Thursday and Friday, including featured groups and holes coverage; CBS to broadcast final putt Sunday night PGAChampionship.com will also deliver real time scoring and highlights of the year’s first major Below is the Comprehensive Television and Digital Schedule for Coverage of the 2020 PGA Championship across ESPN, ESPN+ and CBS: Saturday, Aug. 1 PGA Championship Preview Thursday, Aug. 6 1st Round Friday, Aug. 7 2nd Round Saturday, Aug. 8 3rd Round Sunday, Aug. 9 Final Round
1 p.m.-2 p.m. ET CBS 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. ET ESPN+ 4 p.m.-10 p.m. ET ESPN 10 a.m.– 4 p.m. ET ESPN+ 4 p.m.-10 p.m. ET ESPN 11 a.m.-1 p.m. ET ESPN+ 1 p.m.-4 p.m. ET ESPN 4 p.m.-10 p.m. ET CBS 10 a.m.-Noon ET ESPN+ Noon-3 p.m. ET ESPN 3 p.m.-9 p.m. ET CBS
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By: Parveen Panwar, Mr. Activated
Sandy Cross of PGA of America: “Why it is critical to have individuals from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds at every table, particularly executive tables” Yes, it does seem obvious, but it’s also clear that it needs to be consistently repeated because our country still has such a very long way to go in addressing the systemic racial inequities that exist. Businesses can play a huge role in bringing true equity, inclusion and belonging to our country. It is critical to have individuals from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds at every table, particularly executive tables. They bring a perspective, a background and a lived experience that others simply cannot bring. They reflect an important and valuable demographic of consumers that we all aspire to attract. They can help others look through a lens that they could not otherwise look through, or may not even think to look through, on their own. PAGE 8 Nebraska PGA News July 2020
I had the pleasure to interview Sandy Cross who was named the first-ever Chief People Officer in the PGA of America’s history on January 10th, 2019. In her role, Cross leads the PGA’s initiatives regarding its most important asset — its people. She is charged with enhancing a purpose-driven and values-based culture, as the PGA of America strives to be personally fulfilling and meaningful to a multi-generational team. She will focus on creating opportunities to stretch, lead, grow and have fun, by supporting learning and development, coaching, recognition and reward, and making a positive social impact in the communities where the PGA team works and lives. Cross will also oversee the Human Resources and Diversity & Inclusion Departments. A member of the PGA of America team for 23 years, Chief People Officer Sandy Cross has a breadth of experience that includes licensing and marketing, partnership sales and management, and women’s initiatives. In 2014, she successfully launched the PGA’s Diversity & Inclusion initiative. Among many notable accomplishments, Cross secured and cultivated some of the PGA’s most coveted and longstanding partnerships, including OMEGA, National Car Rental and PepsiCo. She was also on the front lines of launching Golf Retirement Plus and led the golf industry’s “Connecting With Her” strategic initiative — which helped build a foundation for the PGA’s inclusion programming that is making the game, industry workforce and supply chain more reflective of America. Cross earned her Certified Diversity Professional (CDP) credential from the Institute of Diversity Certification in 2016. She holds a Master’s in Sport Administration from Kent State University and a Bachelor’s in Legal Studies from the University of Buffalo, where she played NCAA Division I volleyball. Cross began her career with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, followed by the United States Water Fitness Association. She is a native of Buffalo, New York, and serves on the Advisory Boards of CaddieNow, Women’s Golf Journal and several golf industry task forces.
Thank you for joining us Sandy. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
IN 2012, while leading Business Development for the PGA of America, I was asked to take on a new role as Director of Women’s & New Marketing Initiatives and focus on developing and deploying the Connecting With Her strategic initiative within the golf industry. At the time, there were projected to be 38 million women in America who desired to play golf but had never been invited to do so or were too intimidated to try. We wanted to capitalize on that interest and invite as many women to experience the joys of the game as possible. Through education and training of our PGA Professionals, tailored marketing and communications, experiential events and programs, and alliance relationships, we began capturing women’s hearts and minds. That work, which involved closely studying gender differences, opened my eyes further to the dozens of dimensions of diversity beyond gender and I loved the opportunity I saw for our business and the sport of golf overall. Two years later, after our leadership had positioned inclusion and diversity as a foundational principle in our long -term strategic plan, I expressed my great interest to them in developing the inclusion and diversity practice for the PGA of America. I was thrilled when I was given the green light to do so. Nearly five years later, after laying a solid foundation in inclusion and diversity, our new CEO Seth Waugh gave me the opportunity to step into the newly created role of Chief People Officer. I am continuing to lead our inclusion and diversity strategy but have taken on the responsibility for our people across all levels of the enterprise. Fostering a values-based, best-in-class environment for innovation, creativity and collaboration among our people is critical to our growth and development into a peak performance organization. Continue Reading…
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From Suzy and Seth: Midsummer Strategic Plan Update PGA of America’s CEO Seth Waugh and our Association’s President Suzy Whaley connected with us for a midsummer strategic plan update. “It’s been a couple months since we last connected. Because so much has changed in that time across our nation, sport and association, we wanted to provide you with updates into a few recent decisions surrounding our game, business and people.” Watch full vide here.
Host a Patriot Golf Day Event Patriot Golf Day is changing lives through the game of golf. PGA Members can earn two MSR credits by hosting an event this year, all while helping support military families in their pursuit of education. Register or learn more here.
What Are Your Job Preferences? By updating your "Job Preferences" on pga.org, you'll start to see open positions similar to your preferences upon logging in. We are asking PGA Members and Associates to make these updates by clicking here, even if you aren't an active job seeker.
Update Your PGA.com Email Password In an ongoing effort to improve security, an email will be sent from the PGA of America Technology team to anyone with a PGA.com email address. Be on the lookout for instructions on how to update your password! PAGE 10 Nebraska PGA News July 2020
To help golf industry workers struggling through COVID-19 and to support the Golf Emergency Relief Fund, Vie, Inc. and PGA of America President Suzy Whaley are inviting PGA Professionals and others to participate in the “Chip Shot Challenge.” Click here to learn more. PAGE 11 Nebraska PGA News July 2020
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PRO/ASSISTANT CHAMP
PRESS RELEASE
GOLF FORE THE TROOPS
PRESS RELEASE
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JUSTIN HERRON ~ PRESS RELEASE
JIM WHITE, PGA MP ~ PRESS RELEASE PAGE 15 Nebraska PGA News July 2020
ELKHORN (July 23, 2020) - Grand Island’s Marcus Eriksen battled a loaded field to win the 2020 Boys All-State Invitational at The Club at Indian Creek in Elkhorn on Thursday. The Invitational, presented by Nebraska Junior Golf, The Club at Indian Creek, and supported by the Korn Ferry TOUR’s 2020 Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna, brought 72 of the state’s top high school golfers to the site of the Korn Ferry TOUR’s event next week. Eriksen shot a 3-under 69 to win by two strokes over La Vista’s Jack Davis. The pivotal stretch came for the Grand Island Northwest graduate when he made three straight birdies to close out a 2under front nine. Eriksen then shot 1-under for a back nine performance that included one eagle and two birdies. After a T-7 finish at the 2019 NSAA Class B Boys' Golf Championship, Eriksen emerged victorious in the event designed to give Nebraska’s best high school boys golfers an opportunity to showcase their talents for the season after competition was abruptly canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Several players finished close behind Eriksen, with Davis shooting a 71 (-1) to finish solo second. Davis made four birdies on the back nine after a 1-over front nine. The 2020 Nebraska Junior Match Play Runner-Up Josh Kramer of Omaha carded a 72 (E), placing third individually. A late charge for the Creighton Prep graduate propelled him into the top-five, thanks to two birdies and an eagle on the back nine. Continue Reading…...
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By Charles Dillahunt, PGA of America
The PGA WORKS Scholarship provides financial assistance to ten aspiring PGA Professionals at PGA Professional Golf Management (PGM) Universities nationwide. One of the 18 accredited PGM Schools, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), has had one winner each of the past two years. Beth Hildebrant was a recipient in 2019 and Breanna Reynolds won the award earlier this year. Both recently sat down with PGA WORKS Program Specialist Rachel Mabee and UNL PGM Instruction Coordinator Brad Goetsch to discuss what it’s like to become a member of the PGA WORKS family, and how winning the award has impacted their life. Beth and Breanna also performed separate interviews where they each described their UNL experiences a little more in-depth. Check them out below:
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The future of the PGA of America is beginning to take shape in Frisco, Texas, with progress being made on the East & West Championship Courses. In December 2018, the announcement was made to move the PGA of America headquarters from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, to Frisco, Texas. In addition to the headquarters and the two championship courses, the facility will also include a short course and practice areas. These championship courses will be the anchors of PGA Frisco, which will offer the best coaching, player development and education for PGA Golf Professionals, as well as play on both recreational and championship courses, alongside a magnificent Omni resort and interactive consumer golf experience. Photo galleries of the progress and aerial views of the East and West courses can be viewed below.
Frisco East
Frisco West
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On July 15th PGA REACH Nebraska officially launched the Clubs FORE Youth Program. This program provides high school aged girls access to clubs and resources needed to compete and experience the joys of the game of golf! Did you know 56% of Nebraska high school girl golfers either do NOT own their own clubs or share/borrow equipment? Also, 43% of the equipment used is borderline unusable or out dated. We are excited to launch this program and provide clubs, PGA Professional instruction, and access to golf for our young female athletes across the state! Get ready ladies! PAGE 20 ď ¨ Nebraska PGA News ď ¨ July 2020
Every year, since the inception of our foundation, the Nebraska PGA hosts a fundraising Pro-Am for PGA REACH Nebraska. PGA REACH Nebraska continues to be passionate about changing lives through the game of golf and we are striving to improve our efforts every year. In order to continue doing this, we need your support. As part of the Pro-Am, we incorporate a silent auction to help raise additional funds. We cannot do this without the help of our generous members and partners. We are looking for as many items as possible to put on our silent auction, so we are reaching out to you for help. Would you have anything you would like to contribute? It could be anything from golf equipment, rounds of golf, lessons, etc. Feel free to be creative! If you have anything to donate, please contact Renee Tyson at rtyson@pgahq.com or 402-489-7760 by Wednesday, August 12.
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S isyp hus, S ignifi cance, & S overeignty “Sisyphus, of course, was worried; he’d come to depend on his burden, he wasn’t sure who he was without it.” Sisyphus and the Sudden Lightness - Stephen Dunn In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was the evil and cunning king of Corinth, infamous for his trickery and for twice cheating death. He was punished by Zeus for his misdeeds in life by being condemned eternally to roll a heavy stone up a hill. As he neared the top, the stone would roll down again, so that his labor was everlasting and futile. Great philosophers, poets, and statesmen have weighed in on the modern-day applications of the legend of Sisyphus and his fruitless endeavor. Sisyphus has been painted as everything from a cautionary tale to a hero. I am however, drawn to the point of view of poet Stephen Dunn, who saw Sisyphus as a man so engrossed in his meaningless, never-ending task, that he embraced the burden; and found his identity within it. Quite simply, for Dunn, Sisyphus was a man who became dependent on the work in front of him to define who he was.
Just as Dunn saw Sisyphus as being characterized by his work (in fact, the term Sisyphean Task was created to describe a futile endeavor), so many of us are guilty of allowing our work to define us. After “What’s your name”, “What do you do?” might be the second-most frequently asked question. If it weren’t so customary, it might be perceived as odd or even rude. But it’s so common that most of us have a well-practiced elevator pitch of what we do for work. Given the emphasis that we place on our career choice, it’s no wonder that so many of us think that the significance of our title defines who we are; and how quickly the work that we do becomes the easiest way to describe who we are. But what if your answer to what you do was more than what services you provide in exchange for monetary reward? What if there was a different way of thinking about it? Jennifer Ritter tells a story about studying abroad in Italy. Her Italian was conversational at best when she arrived and when she would ask someone “What do you do?” she expected to hear about their job. What she got was their passions, hobbies, families, origin stories, and more. Those discussions opened an entirely new and fascinating perspective. Gregg Popovich, coach of the San Antonio Spurs summed it up perfectly when asked by a reporter “What will be your legacy?”
“What’s my legacy? Food and wine. This is just a job.” -Gregg Popovich What Jennifer and Gregg discovered is that you have sovereign power over how you see yourself. It doesn’t matter if you are a teacher, a manager, business owner, an employee, or even unemployed…you are more than that ‘title’. I am a Consultant, PGA Professional, Strategist, and Advocate, but those roles don’t define me or how I live my life. I am a Christian, husband, father, brother, son, and friend. And you? You are the way you treat other people. You are the way you cheer others on and build others up. You are the things that make you happy and the smile on your face. You are the beliefs you have and the goals you strive toward. You are the confidence you deserve to have about yourself. You are your hopes and dreams. You are the person you want to become.
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I come from a large family with 5 brothers and sisters in addition to my mom and dad. Everyone still lives in the Midwest with Deb and me being located the farthest away from the group in Omaha. My brothers and sisters are spread throughout in the cities of Minneapolis, Madison, Bettendorf and in Milwaukee where we all grew up as kids in the 60’s and 70’s. A week ago, and very, very last moment, Deb, our youngest, Colin, and I decided to make the 8-hour drive to Milwaukee to see a few of my siblings and my mom. (A quick 36-hour trip). We left on a Sunday morning and arrived in plenty of time to enjoy a relaxed early dinner with all. For three hours we laughed and giggled and reminisced about our childhood in Brookfield and Wauwatosa. (of course, we were in masks, socially distanced, and sat outside) Then the next morning, my youngest sister and I were going to spend some time just having coffee. She said to me, “How about driving by the house where you and I were born and raised from 1970 to 1979?” I thought this was a great idea keeping the momentum going with fond stories from the night before. Before I knew it, my little sister, sped up the driveway, jumped out of the car and was going to knock to see if we could get a tour from the current homeowners. Stopping her short of the door, I clarified that we just wanted to gain permission to walk around the back yard to see what has changed in almost 50 years. She agreed and the gracious homeowners granted our request. We spent the next 10 minutes pointing and smiling and laughing while standing in the middle of the hilly, grassy, flowerbed filled, backyard. “Right over there in the corner, dad shaved all of the boy’s hair each summer one after another with #1 Guard clippers”…….“Steven broke his leg trying to go off a homemade ski jump while wearing ski boots that were 7 sizes too big right here.”……...“Up on the hill is where we placed that old jumping trampoline that had no safety guiderails or nets. I cannot believe we are alive to tell this story.”……...“Over there in that window well is where Mark put 6 frogs as pets and the next morning, they were all gone when Dad released them without telling us.”
Story after story poured out where all of them produced huge smiles and laughs. We could only imagine what the current homeowners were thinking as they peered out of the window watching this all unfold. We waved thank you and goodbye and went off to have our coffee. The point to this story is that even with my optimistic outlook on life, and constant “glass is half full mentality” each day I wake up, COVID is pressing me. It has and continues to challenge me during these hard times either personally at home, at the club, or with my extended HHC family. This short trip to see my family and recall all those precious, precious, memories from almost 50 years ago immediately reignited my spark and placed a smile on my face. If you feel like you are getting a touch more challenged than normal, if something like this works for me…..maybe it will work for you. Give it a try during these trying times. PGA professionals have never been more pressed than we are right now. We have no playbook and are all trying to “get to the other side” of this pandemic. Find your “thing” that will assist your attitude and outlook to keep the passion going in this great game and industry. We will come out the other side stronger than we ever could have imagined. Let’s lean on each other.
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Why We Do What We Do - A Tribute to Don Kruse, PGA What’s your “why”? Why work seven days a week as a PGA Professional when other careers in this world aren’t as demanding? None of us will continue to do it much longer without maintaining the passion for it, and finding enjoyment in the job. Along with that job satisfaction, we all do it because we find purpose, in seeing how much of a positive impact we are making in the lives of those who frequent our facility. We are in an entertainment industry and provide fun experiences, especially during this challenging year of few other recreational activities being available. We all wear many hats and do far more than our customers/members realize we do, to provide great experiences for them when they visit and to grow their interest and enjoyment in the game. At some point in time, you’ve been asked why you haven’t moved on to a different job opportunity after several years at the same facility? Sometimes a better opportunity presents itself, but it’s very difficult to move on because we pour our heart and soul into the community and golf course where we’ve been working. We know what we have accomplished, developed and improved at that facility. There isn’t a better example to give of this long-term dedication to a facility and its improvements than the career of my mentor and friend, Don Kruse, PGA.
Don has worked at Jackrabbit Run Municipal Golf Course since the course’s opening day, in the spring of 1977. After 43 years of service, Don will retire this fall. Many of us golf professionals are too busy to have any idea what happens at other facilities, but I had the opportunity to see what Don has done for the game of golf in Grand Island, NE. The best I can do to honor him is to publicly acknowledge the great job I’ve witnessed him do for the game of golf and to say thank you! Thank you for getting me hooked on the great game of golf as a young nine year old participant in your junior golf program. Thank you for hiring me as a 16 year old kid and for patiently mentoring me in the pro shop through my high school and college years. Congratulations to both Don & Char Kruse on your retirement! Adam Coates, PGA PAGE 24 Nebraska PGA News July 2020
Bradley Bailey, PGA
3
Patrick Kilbride, PGA
18
Dale Giebler, PGA
3
Zachary Gleysteen, PGA
18
Steve Diehm, PGA
5
Don Dravland, PGA
21
Mike Antonio, PGA
6
Dann Husmann
21
Alphonse Peterson III, PGA
7
Jeffrey Henry, PGA
21
David Johnson, PGA
8
Derrick Thompson, PGA
22
Connor Farrell, PGA
8
Anthony Driscoll, PGA
23
Greg Neujahr, PGA
10
Todd Wade, PGA
23
Kyle Matson, PGA
10
Zac Morley, PGA
23
Rodd Slater, PGA
11
Thomas Hearn, PGA
25
Jaxon Clouse
11
Marc Cruse, PGA
26
Nick Colabello, PGA
11
Chris Glaser
26
Sarah Pravecek, PGA
14
Cody McCann, PGA
29
Lisa Johnson, PGA
18
Jared Keenan, PGA
31
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