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
Board Member—Greg Neujahr, PGA
NEBRASKA PGA STAFF
Executive Director/CEO David Honnens, PGA
Assist. Executive Director Seth Scollard, PGA
Managing Director—Renee Tyson
Tournament Director—Derek Carlson, PGA
Junior Golf Director Kurt Karcher, PGA
Digital Media Director Brett Renner
Development Officer—Bob Danenhauer
Community Relations Coord.—Margie Smith
DISTRICT 8 DIRECTOR
Phil Anderson, PGA
Administrative Assistant Tiffany White
PGA Works Fellow Amber Bogle
The Nebraska Section PGA has announced Jon Petersen, PGA of Tiburon Golf Club as their Wilson Sporting Goods Monthly Game Ball recipient for the month of June.
The mission statement of Wilson Sporting Goods Co. is to ignite the true potential in every athlete, and no one does it better than PGA Professionals when it comes to growing the game of golf. That mission is being put on display by Petersen alongside his students and their successes on the golf course through competitive golf tournaments.
For the past 13 years, Petersen has been the Director of Instruction at Tiburon GC in Omaha, NE. Over the course of his teaching career, Petersen has fostered genuine relationships with his students on the golf course and he’s measured his own success through the success of his students.
Why do I do it? Watching my students grow on and off the golf course, seeing them improve their game while winning golf tournaments and meeting their goals. That’s why I do it. It’s about their success and the process it takes to reach their maximum potential”, Petersen said when asked what he cherishes about his career.
His passion, dedication and love for teaching the game of golf is evident and he’s left a lasting impact on many young lives. Recently, his students have put on a display across the Section and even across the country. Check out Jon Petersen’s students successes over the past month...
FRISCO, Texas (June 3, 2024) - PGA of America Golf Professional Joe Canny, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln PGA Golf Management Program’s PGA Professional in Residence, has earned PGA Master Professional Status, the highest educational designation a PGA of America Member can obtain.
The Association comprises more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals, and Canny, a Member of the Nebraska PGA Section, joins a special group as the 443rd to earn Master Professional status. He achieved his designation in Executive Management.
The PGA Master Professional Program is available to those with at least 10 years of PGA Membership along with having achieved advanced certification through the PGA Certified Professional Program. The curriculum includes an extensive project based on the specific certification previously acquired by the PGA of America Golf Professional. PGA Master Professional status is earned upon successful completion of the presentation.
The program was established in 1969 to recognize PGA of America Members who make a significant effort to improve as golf professionals and maintain the highest degree of excellence for themselves and their operations. The curriculum is designed to ensure golf professionals are prepared to meet the growing demands of the marketplace within the Executive Management, Golf Operations and Teaching and Coaching Designations.
“In the Nebraska Section, we have a few PGA Master Professionals who have helped me grow in my career, they are all people I really look up to and I am extremely honored to be part of that group now,” said Canny. “I truly value my PGA of America Membership. It's a credential I can show employers and peers that not only did I obtain membership, but I went above and beyond. It's something I can be proud of. The biggest reason to do this was to show my students at Nebraska PGM the value of PGA education and career development. If I’m going to coach the next generation of PGA Professionals, I’d better be a Master.”
A PGA of America Member since 2010, Canny graduated from the Nebraska-Lincoln PGM Program in 2009. In 2010, he worked for the PGA of America in Florida as Player Development Coordinator, then the Nebraska PGA Section in 2013 in the same role. In 2017, he was hired by the City of Lincoln to oversee player-development programs for the city’s five municipal golf courses; in 2021, he returned to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
While in the Nebraska Section, Canny has received numerous awards including the Section’s Youth Player Development Award (2013), Bill Strausbaugh Award (2014), Facility of the Year Award (2019), Patriot Award (2021) and the PGA Professional Development Award (2024). Canny resides in Lincoln with his wife Stephanie, sons Calhoon and Redmond, and daughter Antonia.
Wild Horse Golf Club hosted 12 Nebraska PGA Professionals and their teams of amateurs for the 2024 308 Cup Pro-Am, presented by Chesterman Co. Coca-Cola. A picture perfect day with low winds and great temperatures welcomed the field and led to a scoring fest in Western Nebraska.
In the Professional-only division, the format was Stableford with eagles, birdies, pars and bogeys all being worth a different amount of points. The team format was similar, but two net best balls were counted towards the team score using the same modified Stableford scoring format. For example, a double eagle was worth 10 points, an eagle was 7 points and a birdie was 4 points and so on. The event began at 10:00am via a shotgun start.
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Bent Tree Golf Club hosted our 2024 Harris Golf Cars Pro-Am with 25 teams of Nebraska PGA Professionals and their amateur teammates competing. The format for this event was a ‘Royal Rumble’ which allows amateurs to choose what hole(s) they use for their handicap strokes while the Professionals played their own ball like normal. Beautiful weather and perfect scoring conditions welcomed the field and allowed for a birdie fest on Monday.
In the Professional-only division, eight players managed to shoot even par or better with six in red figures. Ryan Vermeer, PGA of Happy Hollow Club came in sixth place with a round of 70 (2-under) while Justin Herron, PGA of Oak Hills CC and Matt Eilrich of The Fairways at Lincoln tied for fourth with a 69 (3-under). Finishing in solo third was Shane Zywiec, PGA of The Highlands GC with a round of 68 (4-under) and Tony Baranowski, PGA of Platteview GC shot an impressive 67 (5-under) for a solo second finish.
The Nebraska Golf Association and the Nebraska PGA Section provided 12 players each to compete in the 52nd edition of the annual Nebraska Cup Matches. The event annually pits the state’s best amateur golfers versus the state’s top PGA Professionals in both Four-Ball and Singles matches.
The 52nd Nebraska Cup Matches ended in a tie, 36-all, for just the fourth time in the event’s history, with the Nebraska Section PGA retaining the Cup, Tuesday at Lost Rail Golf Club in Gretna. With the win, the Nebraska PGA now leads the series 30-22. CONTINUE READING
Wilderness Ridge CC played host to Nebraska PGA’s Nelnet/Husker Auto Group Golf FORE
The Troops Pro-Am, featuring 30 teams of NEPGA Professionals partnered with three amateurs from around the state. The tournament design is focused on two key initiatives in providing Nebraska PGA Professionals with a highly competitive stroke play competition while also raising funds for college scholarships that are awarded annually to family members of active military personnel in Nebraska. In the event’s 18th year, the Nelnet/Husker Auto Group Golf FORE The Troops Pro-Am has raised more than $215,000 for military families.
In the Professional-only division, several Nebraska PGA Professionals posted great scores but one player stayed hot on the season to collect another victory. Firethorn Golf Club’s Brady Schnell remained locked in with an impressive round of 67 (4-under) to win LowProfessional honors for the second straight season. Finishing in solo-second was PGA Life Member Chris Wiemers with a round of 69 (2-under). Rounding out the top-5, Brad Bailey, PGA, Steve Friesen, PGA and Justin Herron, PGA all shot rounds of 70 (1-under) to tie for third. Five more NEPGA Professionals walked away with even par rounds and it was an impressive showing from the Pros. CONTINUE READING
The PGA of America announced on April 29, 2024 new board member Phil Anderson, PGA as the new District 8 Director. Phil will serve the Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota Sections.
Phil Anderson, PGA
Phil Anderson, PGA is Hazeltine National Golf Club’s General Manager. Anderson has led the club’s operations for the past two years after five years as the General Manager at North Oaks Golf Club in North Oaks, Minn. Phil is just the second General Manager in Hazeltine’s celebrated 60-year history.
Anderson came to Hazeltine with past leadership experiences at The Palms Golf Club, Eldorado Country Club, Southview Country Club, and North Oaks Golf Club. A New Mexico State University graduate with a marketing management degree from the Professional Golf Management program, Anderson is an exceptional leader with a passion for excellence and someone who dedicated his entire career to all aspects of championship golf.
Anderson’s career in golf began as a caddie at North Oaks Golf Club and then progressed into roles at several clubs as an assistant and head golf professional and ultimately in club management. Anderson is currently the President of the Minnesota PGA Section. Phil sees a tremendous responsibility to help lead this organization into the future. Hazeltine National is the host of the 2024 U.S. Amateur, 2024 & 2025 Drive Chip and Putt Regional Finals, 2026 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, and will become the first club in the United States to host the Ryder Cup for a second time in 2029.
Please help us in welcoming Phil as the new District 8 Director for our Section! You can reach Phil at panderson@hngc.com, Office: (952) 556-5425 or Cell: (651) 398-8371
