Volume 25 No. 2 - March/April 2014
What’s Inside? Carol McPhee To Retire in June Honda Classic Walk with a Pro Dennis Walters Visits Local Middle School New Association Directory App for Smart Phones
Topics Newsletter
TOPICS NEWSLETTER CONTACT US
Chip shots New Apprentices The South Florida PGA would like to welcome the following new apprentices to the Section:
SOUTH FLORIDA SECTION 186 Atlantis Boulevard Atlantis, FL / 33462 PHONE / FAX
Jonathon Sprague Alan Gaw James Perko Andrew Richardson Matthew Sakers Zachary Bolland Jason George Christopher Mazur
B-1 B-8 B-8 B-8 B-8 B-8 B-8 B-8
Crystal Lake Golf Club Royal Palm Country Club Imperial Golf Club Golf Club at Magnolia Landing Lost Tree Club Orchid Island Golf & Bch Club Gasparilla Inn Golf Course Naples National Golf Club
561-729-0544 / 561-729-0914 EMAIL
sflorida@pgahq.com WEBSITE
www.sfpgagolf.com PRESIDENT
Warren Bottke, PGA
Pro’s on the Go PROFESSIONAL Hugh Matthis, PGA Greg Pickett, PGA David Bartoe, PGA Scott DeLong, PGA Vincent Grillo, PGA John Gudauskas, PGA Kraig Feighery, PGA Bill Moser, PGA Tom Vuicich, PGA Gary Thullen, PGA
VICE PRESIDENT
Mark VanDyck, PGA
TO
FROM
Philadelphia Section A-1 - The Fox Club unattached A-1 - Greynolds Park Golf Crs A-1 - Hideaway CC A-6 - Hideaway CC A-1 - Deering Bay Yacht & CC A-13 - Palm Aire CC A-13 - Forest Oaks GC A-24 - First Tee Palm Beach Carolinas Section A-1 Deering Bay Yacht & CC A-13 - Alico Family Golf Ctr A-20 - Connecticut Section Life Member The Indian River Club Life Member Florida Atlantic University Life Member Bonita Bay Naples
Quarter century Club
Congratulations to PGA Professionals Michael Clark, John Sileno, and Gary Thullen who were elected to the Quarter Century Club of the PGA of America, an elite group of members who have served the PGA with honor and pride for 25 years
SECRETARY
Don Meadows, PGA IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Brian Peaper, PGA SOUTHERN CHAPTER PRESIDENT
Bob Mallek, PGA SOUTHEAST CHAPTER PRESIDENT
Neil Lockie, PGA SOUTHWEST CHAPTER PRESIDENT
Dan Gawronski, PGA ISLAND CHAPTER PRESIDENT
Aaron West, PGA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
half CENTURY CLUB
Congratulations to A. Fred Vann who was elected to the Half Century Club of the PGA of America, an elite group of members who have served the PGA with honor and pride for 50 years
Geoff Lofstead ADVISORY BOARD
Paul Anderson Rick Bayliss Steve Sponder Ken Kennerly Matt Lambert Peter Lund We offer our deepest sympathis to the family and friends of South Florida PGA Member Mark Joe Steranka
In Rememberance
Zachary. Mark was elected to membership in 1991 and was a past president of the Southern Chapter. Most recently Mark was employed as a Teaching Professional at Miami Beach Golf Club.
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ChIP ShOTS
TOPICS NEWSLETTER
52 PGA PROFESSIONALS WALK WITh ThE PROS On Wednesday, February 26, fifty-two South Florida PGA Professionals volunteered their time to walk in The Honda Classic Gold Pro Am presented by Tire Kingdom serving as pace of play ambassadors, interacting with PGA Tour Professionals and the amateurs in each group. This year was the eighth year that South Florida PGA and The Honda Classic offered this opportunity to PGA Professionals. The Honda Classic is the presenting partner of the South Florida PGA Junior Championship and Challenge Tours. Thank you to all the PGA Professionals who volunteered their time for this event: Bill Balash, Kevin Battersby, Jason Beatty, Mark Beaulieu, Dana Bennett, Tom Bishop, Barry Bonifield, Warren Bottke, Mike Bove, Allen Brewer, Mark Cammarene, Steve Clawson, David Comstock, Christian Czaja, Chris David, Blake Dickenson, Tommy Durick, Greg Gardner, John Gore, Sean Gradomski, Jason Harris, Jose Hernandez, Malcolm Hood, Steve Jablonowski, Dan James, Roger James, Mike Jonges, Don Christian Czaja, PGA and Brendon de Jonge Law, Dick LeConche, Mike Mann, Terry McDowell, Brendan McHugh, Duncan McNabb, Brad Meekins, David Megliola, Bela Nagy, Bobby Petelinkar, Greg Pickett, Bob Purcell, Trent Reeves, Will Reilly, Charles Smid, Bill Smith, John Spiteri, Trent Stewart, Ryan Sundberg, Steve Tague, Mark Thomas, Duke Trombetti, Peter Tyree, Susan Vail, and Craig Watson.
OLDE FLORIDA GOLF CLUB hOSTS PATRIOT GOLF DAY On Saturday, February 1, Olde Florida Golf Club hosted their Patriot Team Championship to raise money for the Folds of Honor Foundation. Through scholarships and other assistance, the foundation helps the spouses and children of fallen or disabled soldiers while serving the United States. Over 80 participants played in the event in a format that used a “Patriot Ball” and one other best ball. Each player in the foursome used the “Patriot Ball” 4 times throughout the round and then added one other best ball for a team score. The Professionals at the event played in the same format. The event raised $15,720 for the Folds of Honor Foundation, which almost doubled their total from last year. Thank you to everyone who supported the event and the Folds of Honor. Congratulations to PGA Director of Golf, Tom Wildenhaus on a successful event.
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TOPICS NEWSLETTER
CHIP SHOTS
Another successful day at the capitol
Golf Florida Alliance – a collaboration of leading organizations representing all segments of the state’s golf industry – celebrated “Florida Golf Day” on February 13 at the State Capitol. Executive Director Geoff Lofstead and Jim Butler, PGA, the Allied Association Representative for the CMAA and General Manager at Grey Oaks Country Club, were in attendance. Members of the Golf Florida Alliance met with the House of Representatives and Senate to discuss the industry’s economic impact, growth of youth development programs and enhanced sustainability procedures. Attendees included the Club Managers Association of America (Florida Chapter); Florida Division of Historical Resources; Florida Golf Course Superintendents Association; Florida State Golf Association; Florida State University PGA Golf Management Program; Florida Turfgrass Association; Golf Channel; Keiser University College of Golf and Sport Management; LPGA; National Golf Course Owners Association; PGA of America (North and South Florida sections); PGA TOUR; The First Tee; USGA Green Section; World Golf Foundation; and World Golf Hall of Fame. Based on a 2007 study commissioned by GOLF 20/20 and conducted by SRI International, the state’s direct golf economic impact is approximately $7.5 billion a year, supporting more than 167,000 jobs and $4.7 billion in annual wage income. Florida is home to more than 1,100 public and private golf course facilities, the most of any other state in America. In addition, Florida’s golf industry has a charitable impact of $312 million annually, raised through local outings and contributions from professional golf events. “Florida’s golf industry has a huge influence on the state’s overall economy,” says Steve Mona, CEO of the World Golf Foundation. “Our unified message today about the importance of the game resonates well with legislative decision-makers and we look forward to growing interest and participation in the sport.” Florida hosted the “PGA Merchandise Show” and “Golf Industry Show” in Orlando earlier this year with thousands of attendees and exhibitors. In total, the state will host 17 professional golf tournaments in 2014: six PGA TOUR, three Champions Tour, one Web.com Tour, one LPGA Tour, one Legends Tour and five Symetra Tour events.
Partner news
Annually countless organizations support the South Florida PGA through section tournaments, junior golf and foundation activities. Without the support of our partners programs would not be as successful as they are. We would like to thank all of our returning partners and welcome new partners: Ahead, Heritage Creations, Hertz, Inspired Style by Spanner, Insta-App, Johnson & Wales University, Natatlie’s Orchid Island Juice Company, and Travis Mathews We hope that you will look to these partners along with all of our returning partners when making buying decisions at your facility. For a complete list of partners click here.
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CHIP SHOTS
TOPICS NEWSLETTER
Team golf will begin second season Team Golf is growing in South Florida! 2013 was the first year the SFPGA operated Team Golf and it was a huge success. 19 teams coached by PGA Professionals and apprentices participated in the program impacting the lives of more than 195 junior golfers, hooking them on the game of golf. Many ask what is Team Golf? Team Golf is a great way to introduce juniors to the game of golf in a team environment. The basic premise of Team Golf is to create a team atmosphere for young golfers, not much different than what you see in beginner soccer and baseball leagues. The program is designed for junior golfers ages 6-14 with beginning level golf experience. Team Golf offers an introduction to tournament play through 9-hole team stroke play competition, and serves as a fun, social, less stressful approach to tournament golf. Team Golf is designed to be a “stepping stone� into individual stroke play tournaments for those players who are learning the game. Teams are comprised of six players that compete in each match. Each team of six players will be further broken up into three (3) two-person teams based on age divisions (6-10, 11-12, 13-14). Teams can be coed, but this is not mandatory. Plus, each age division does not need to be represented by a particular team at each event (for example, teams can be comprised of six 11-year-olds). There are three sets of tees which range from 1400 yards to 2300 yards (depending on age and gender of the player). In addition to impacting countless junior golfers, this program provides PGA members and apprentices with a unique opportunity to grow the game throughout the south Florida community. With each team being coached by a professional and/or apprentice Team Golf provides an additional source of income and clientele. Additional revenue is generated by engaging not only the juniors participating in the program but also their families through team practices, individual lessons, and food beverage. This year the 2014 Team Golf season will kick off the week of June 9-13. Leagues will be broken up based on regions. 4-8 events will be scheduled in each region, with a season ending Team Golf Championship conducted as a section wide event. The last local event will be contested the week of August 11-15. PGA Professionals are encouraged to create teams and participate in this Section wide program. As mentioned above this a great opportunity to grow your junior program, showcase your facility, and expand overall revenue & clientele. For more information about Team Golf, please contact Tyler Wolford at 561-729-0544 or twolford@pgahq.com. More information about Team Golf can be found here.
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CHIP SHOTS
TOPICS NEWSLETTER
South Florida PGA Will Sponsor Third Habitat for Humanity Home Build This year, The South Florida PGA Foundation will sponsor its third Habitat for Humanity home build. The Foundation donated $50,000 to help build a home for a family in Broward County. The home this year is located in Oakland Park and construction will begin late May. Upon ground breaking a complete schedule with volunteer opportunities will be available, and we encourage SFPGA Members and members of the South Florida community to come volunteer their time to assist with the building efforts.
STUDENTS RECEIVE A MESSAGE OF INSPIRATION FROM HONORY PGA MEMBER, DENNIS WALTERS Clear skies and sunshine welcomed over 300 students and faculty at HL Watkins Middle School as they prepared to see Dennis Walters perform his show on Monday, March 10. The show began with a special performance by Dennis’ dog, Bucky. Dennis then took the stage to show students his ability to hit golf balls while sitting in his swivel chair. Students were enthusiastic after each shot and enjoyed Dennis’ trick shots. Outside of his impressive performance; it is Dennis’ message that is most important. His message of inspiration and perseverance is conveyed throughout his show; even though he does not have use of his legs, he can still do what he loves most, play golf! Immediately following the show Jersey Mike’s was on site providing free lunch to all those who attended the show. Special thanks to Dennis Walters and his team, students & faculty at HL Watkins Middle School, and Jersey Mike’s for a wonderful day.
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TOURNAMENT NEWS
TOPICS NEWSLETTER
LEE RINKER QUALIFIES FOR ThE ALLIANZ ChAMPIONShIP AND ThE ACE GROUP CLASSIC On Monday, February 3, the South Florida PGA held the Allianz Championship qualifier at the Fountains Country Club in Lake Worth. Lee Rinker, PGA Director of Golf at Emerald Dunes Golf Club, shot a 67 to move onto a playoff with four other players for the final spot in the championship. After five holes, Rinker shot 3-under including a birdie on the 5th hole to win the playoff over Chip Beck. Playing in his third Allianz Championship, Rinker shot one over par to finish in a tie for 59th place.
Lee Rinker, PGA
Lee Rinker continued his impressive play on Tuesday, February 11 by qualifying for the ACE Group Classic by shooting a 70 at Old Corkscrew Golf Club. In the event, Rinker finished tied for 23rd place by shooting 4-under par. Congratulations to Lee on his great play in both events!
MORIN COMPETED IN SEvENTh hONDA CLASSIC Alan Morin,PGA, Assistant at the Falls Country Club, competed in his seventh Honda Classic on February 27-March 2 at PGA National Resort & Spa. Alan earned a spot in the event as a result of being named South Florida PGA 2013 Player of the Year. Morin started out with a first round 70 by making birdies on his final two holes. He finished with a twoday total of 151 and missed the cut. Congratulations to Alan on his success and we wish him luck in the upcoming season! Alan Morin, PGA
WESTERLUND COMPETED IN FIRST PGA TOUR EvENT Winner of the 2014 South Florida PGA Section Championship, Jay Westerlund played in the Puerto Rico Open Championship presented by see puertorico.com on March 6-9 at Trump International Golf Club in Puerto Rico. Westerlund finished with a two-day total of 150 and missed the cut. Congratulations to Jay on competing in his first PGA Tour event! Jay Westerlund, PGA
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GROWTh OF ThE GAME PGA PROFESSIONALS GIvE LESSONS AT ALLIANZ ChAMPIONShIP During the Allianz Championship February 7-9, PGA Professionals offered free 10-minute lessons to the fans of the event. Over three days, our PGA Professionals gave instruction to over 150 individuals who ranged from beginners to more advanced players. Special thanks to the PGA Professionals who volunteered their time and expertise: Steve Clawson, Glenn Hall, Paul Clivio, Christian Czaja, Mike Bove, and Valerie Moore
TOPICS NEWSLETTER
STONEYBROOK GC OF ESTERO hOSTS PLAY GOLF AMERICA DAY On Saturday, February 22, Stoneybrook Golf Course of Estero hosted a Play Golf America Day. The day started out with a trick shot exhibition from Kevin Compare, PGA. In addition there was a junior golf clinic, where instructors went through a stretching routine with the kids and broke up into small groups based on age. In small groups, the juniors worked on putting, chipping, and their long game. The day ended with a super-clinic to provide golf tips to the audience. Jeff Nixon, PGA, Andy Scott, PGA, and Mike Dopslaff, PGA all provided insight about equipment, alignment, pre shot routines, and other golf topics. Along with golf instruction, participants also learned about the importance of physical fitness in the golf game. Lumpys, a sponsor of the event, along with Ecco, Bridgestone, TaylorMade, Callaway, Nike, COBRA PUMA, Adams and Cleveland were all onsite during the day for demos and to display their products. Thank you to all the PGA Professionals for their help to make the day successful!
PLAY GOLF AMERICA DAY AT ROGER DEAN STADIUM On Saturday, March 22 the South Florida PGA conducted a successful Play Golf America event during a Miami Marlins spring training baseball game at Roger Dean Stadium. Although early rain showers tried to disrupt play, mother nature provided blue skies and sunshine for much of the afternoon. PGA members were on-hand offering free lessons to fans prior to and during the game. Over 40 individuals stopped by the hitting bay to receive instruction during the three hour event. We want to extend a special thanks to PGA Professionals who volunteered their time and expertise: Bruce Brandt and Glenn Hall.
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GROWTh OF ThE GAME
TOPICS NEWSLETTER
GOLF NIGhT AT FLORIDA PANThERS GAME On Sunday, March 9, the South Florida PGA conducted a successful Play Golf America Day during the Florida Panthers Game at BB&T Center. The Florida Panthers played host to the Boston Bruins, and PGA Section members offered free lessons to fans prior to the game. Fans passed through and were given instruction during the two hour event. SFPGA President, Warren Bottke, was also onsite taking a ceremonial slap shot at the game. Special thanks to PGA Professionals who volunteered their time and expertise: Larry Levow, Phil Argianas, and Bob Mallek.
Phil Argianis, PGA
FIRST LADY LEARNS ABOUT SNAG GOLF On Friday, February 26, First Lady Michelle Obama made a visit to the after school program of Gwen Cherry Park in Miami to celebrate the fourth year of her Let’s Move campaign. The after school program involves students playing SNAG Golf as a part of their Fit2Play program. The First Lady, along with actress Amy Poehler, played SNAG Golf with students at Gwen Cherry Park. They got to see how SNAG and the Jack Nicklaus Learning Leagues (JNLL) relate to the Let’s Move campaign. SNAG Golf is growing in popularity in south Florida and across the country. The Jack Nicklaus Learning Leagues, powered by SNAG Golf, is a national initiative, in cooperation with the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA), to increase access to and engagement in the game of golf for youth. Miami-Dade Parks has been chosen as one of several parks and recreation departments nationally to initiate the program. One of SNAG’s biggest supporters to help grow this program in South Florida is PGA Professional Larry Levow. SNAG Golf is a proud supporter of the SFPGA. To learn more about SNAG Golf, visit www.snaggolf.com. To learn how you can get involved in South Florida, contact Larry Levow at LLPGA@yahoo.com.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
TOPICS NEWSLETTER
carol mcphee to retire in june After 21 years of service to the South Florida PGA, Carol McPhee will be retiring this June. Carol McPhee has served as the Office Manager of the section since April 29, 1993. During the past 21 years she has become the friendly voice you hear on the other end of the phone when you call and had an impact on every area of operation in the section office. Upon retirement Carol is looking forward to spending more time with her four grandchildren and getting out to play more golf. We hope that you will join us in wishing her well as she embarks upon the next journey in her life. Carol can be reached at cmcphee@ pgahq.com
Quote of the Month “Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.� -John Wooden 10
ANNOUNCEMENTS
TOPICS NEWSLETTER
STERANKA NAMED TO SFPGA ADvISORY BOARD
Joe Steranka, Chief Global Strategist of Buffalo Communications, has been named the newest member of the South Florida PGA advisory board. In his current position with Buffalo Communications, Steranka’s role is to grow the company’s position in golf with his experience in the industry. From 2005-2012, Steranka was the CEO of the PGA of America. Prior to his position as CEO, he was the Managing Director of Communications and Broadcasting.
Joe Steranka
In regards to his new role on the advisory board, Steranka says, “I’m honored to be invited to help serve South Florida PGA Professionals, many whom I have known for 25 years. I look forward to sharing my perspective and experiences in golf for the betterment of the Section.” The South Florida PGA advisory board is a group of influential business leaders who advise and counsel the board on policies and future direction. The other members of the Advisory Board include: Paul Anderson, CEO of Tampa Port Authority; Rick Bayliss, COO of Lost Tree Club; Steve Sponder, Sales Manager of Global Golf Sales; Ken Kennerly, Executive Director of The Honda Classic; Peter Lund; and Matt Lambert, General Manager of Country Club of Mirasol. South Florida PGA President, Warren Bottke believes Steranka “will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise of the golf business with him to the South Florida PGA advisory board and will greatly assist us as we continue to try to grow the game in South Florida.”
SOUTh FLORIDA PGA hIRES NEW TEAM GOLF/PLAYER DEvELOPMENT MANAGER Tyler comes to the South Florida PGA after spending the last ten years in golf administration. Tyler began his career with the Northern Texas PGA where he completed an internship in 2003 with their junior golf programs. He returned the following year to complete an internship with their section programs and tournaments, before gaining employment as a tournament coordinator with the Texas Legends Junior Golf Tour. Most recently Tyler has spent the last seven years as the Tour Director of the Adams Golf Pro Tour. In this role Tyler managed all aspects of the professional golf tour.
Tyler Wolford
As Team Golf and Player Development Manager, Tyler will be the primary staff person responsible for carrying out Golf 2.0 objectives in South Florida and executing all section player development strategies. Tyler will also be responsible for coordinating and expanding the South Florida PGA team golf program to all regions of the section. In addition, Tyler will support section tournament activities and tour qualifiers when necessary. Tyler can be reached at twolford@pgahq.com.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
TOPICS NEWSLETTER
NEW ASSOCIATION DIRECTORY APP BY INSTA-APP The South Florida PGA is excited to announce that you can now obtain your 2014 Association Directory through your mobile device. New this year the SFPGA has partnered with InstaApp to provide members, apprentices and partners with an easy way to look up fellow professionals and partners. This app is supported by Cobra PUMA Golf. To obtain the app on your mobile device you can type the URL listed below into your web browser on your computer and then enter your cell phone number. The app will immediately come to your phone via text message. You can also type the URL into your web browser on your smart phone and the app with automatically load directly to your phone. http://ab.flow.net/l/instaapp/2014pgadir Once you have pulled up the app through your mobile device it will prompt you to sign in. Please use the following information to login and save the app on your home screen. Username: pgadir
Password: sfpga2014
DOWNLOAD NOW! Website: http://ab.flow.net/l/instaapp/2014pgadir
Username: pgadir Password: sfpga2014 We hope you enjoy having the directory at your fingertips!
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SFPGA JUNIOR TOUR
TOPICS NEWSLETTER
KUMAR AND PACHECO START 2014 WITH WIN AT SANDPIPER GOLF CLUB
On February 1-2, the SFPGA Junior Championship Tour presented by The Honda Classic held the first event of 2014 at Sandpiper Golf Club at Club Med in Port St. Lucie. Sixty-four of South Florida’s premier juniors teed it up in the first Championship Tour Event of 2014 and delivered the spectacular play that was expected. 36 holes were not enough to crown a champion in the Girls Overall 13-18 Division. Valeria Sofia Pacheco of Hallandale Beach, and Mary Janiga of Wellington, each shot a 147 two-day total to send the girls division to a playoff. Pacheco was able to secure the win on the second playoff hole and take home her second straight SFPGA Junior Championship Tour win. Janiga would go on to claim first place in the Girls 16-18 division, while Valentia Haupt of Weston, would claim second with a 152 tournament total. Emily Falkner of Palm City, would capture first place in the Girls 13-15 age division, while Dana Williams of Boca Raton, would claim second place with a 162 tournament total.
Sachin Kumar and Don Law, PGA
Don Law, PGA and Valeria Sofia Pacheco
The Boys Overall 13-18 Division provided some stellar play as defending champion Alberto Martinez of Weston, set the pace with an opening round 2-under par 68. Despite a solid second round 74, it was not enough to hold of Sachin Kumar of Port St. Lucie, who fired a final round 68 to capture the Overall Boys Title over Martinez by one shot. Martinez would go on to claim first place in the Boys 13-15 Division, while Anthony Muttillo of Boca Raton, would claim second place with a 144 tournament total. Joshua August of Boynton Beach, claimed first place in the Boys 16-18 Division, while Anthony Gabriele of Wellington, would take the second place with a 143 tournament total.
Sutcliffe and Hiller Win First Challenge Event of 2014 The SFPGA Junior Challenge Tour presented by The Honda Classic held the first event of 2014 at Sandpiper Golf Club at Club Med in Port St. Lucie on February 15-16. A sold out field of 84 of South Florida’s premier up and coming golfers faced off in windy conditions to start off the 2014 season. Ryder Sutcliffe of Jupiter, captured the Overall Boys 13-18 Division in a two hole playoff. Sutcliffe, who is the defending Champion from 2013, started off the final round 2 shots behind the leader after firing an opening round 77 in tough conditions. Sutcliffe fired off a final round 72 to force a playoff with Ryder Sutcliffe and Don Law, PGA day one leader Keith Messery of Fort Myers. Sutcliffe rolled in a great 6 foot par saving putt on the second hole to claim the overall title. Messery went on to claim the Boys 13-15 Division Title, while Spencer Stillman of Coconut Creek claimed the Boys 16-18 Division.
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SFPGA JUNIOR TOUR
TOPICS NEWSLETTER
(CONT’D) Mary Kate Hiller of Vero Beach, shot a final round 82 to secure her first SFPGA Junior Challenge title. Hiller was able to grind out a solid back 9 to capture the overall title by one shot over Jordan Brown of Port St Lucie, who went on to claim the Girls 16-18 Division Title. The Girls 13-15 Division Title went to Mackenzie Dieter of Jupiter.
Don Law, PGA and Mary Kate Hiller
Phoebe Beber-Frankel of Miami shot back to back 80’s to capture the Girls 11-12 age division title over Tamysn Butler of Lake Worth. Jake Beber-Frankel of Miami started off round 1 with a remarkable 73 in harsh conditions to enter the final round of the Boys 11-12 Division with a 5 shot lead. Beber-Frankel went on to fire a final round 80 to capture the title.
PACHECO AND GABRIELE TAKE TOP HONORS AT THE COUNTRY CLUB OF CORAL SPRINGS The SFPGA Junior Championship Tour presented by The Honda Classic held event #2 at the Country Club of Coral Springs on March 8-9. The sold out field featuring some of the top junior golfers in South Florida did not disappoint. Joshua August of Boynton Beach, fired a lights out 6-under-par 65 on day one which included 7 birdies and 1 bogey. August entered day 2 with a three shot lead over Anthony Gabriele of Wellington. Gabriele had an astonishing 9 birdies on day one, but a few costly holes put him in the club house with a 68. Gabriele started the final round with four straight pars before recording his first birdie on number five.
Bill Friesing, PGA and Anthony Gabriele
With some momentum gaining, Gabriele stepped on the 200 yard par 3 9th and hit the shot of the tournament. Gabriele’s tee shot landed 5 feet short of the hole and rolled in for his first career hole-in-one. Gabriele would go on to add one more birdie on the back nine and card a bogey free 67 to take the Overall Boys Title by one shot over August. Sachin Kumar of Port St Lucie continued his stellar play and managed to take the Boys 13-15 age division title, while Joshua August would go on to claim the Boys 16-18 age division. Valeria Sofia Pacheco managed to pull out back to back Championship Tour titles. Pacheco, who won Championship Event #1, struggled in round one carding a 9-over-par 80. The Hallandale Beach native came out firing in day Valeria Sofia Pacheco 2 and recorded a 1-under-par 70 to force a sudden death playoff with Jenna Tuccio of Marco Island. Pacheco would need only one hole to claim the Overall Girls Title. Tuccio’s great play was enough to claim the Girls 16-18 division title, while youngster Dana Williams of Boca Raton would go on to the claim the Girls 13-15 division title.
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TOPICS NEWSLETTER
SFPGA JUNIOR TOUR
Gabriele and Janiga are Victorious at Sandridge Golf Club
March 22-23, the SFPGA Junior Championship Tour presented by The Honda Classic held event #3 at the Sandridge Golf Club in Vero Beach. This was the first time that Sandridge Golf Club has hosted the SFPGA Junior Tour. The 48 player field featured some of the best players the Championship Tour has to offer. Anthony Gabriele of Wellington, continued his stellar season by winning the Overall Boys Division by 13 strokes. Gabriele, who was victorious at Championship Event #2, started off round one with a 1-under par 71 in stout wind conditions. Gabrielle finished off the tournament with a stellar bogey free 3-under par 69 on day two to capture the overall title. Mary Janiga of Wellington, captured her first victory of the 2014 season with an impressive 3 shot victory in the girls division. Janiga shot a 4-over par 76 during day one and followed it up with a 5-over par 77 to capture the title. Julia Durkin of Miramar, had a remarkable highlight during day 2. On the par three 150 yard 17th, Durkin hit a beautiful seven iron that rolled into the hole for her second career hole in one. Robert Beck Fox of Vero Beach, shot a 75-83 for a 158 tournament total to capJulia Durkin ture the boys 13-15 age division. Jake Leffew of Vero Beach, shot a 77-16 for a 153 tournament total to capture the boys 16-18 division. Emma Bradley of Naples, shot a 78-79 for a 157 tournament total to capture the girls 13-15 age division while Claudia De Antonio of Weston, shot a 85-71 to capture the girls 16-18 age division. De Antonia is a senior that has committed to LSU. Mary Janiga, Bela Nagy, PGA, Anthony Gabriele
For complete results from all 2014 junior tour events, click here.
Presented by:
SUPPORTED by:
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RULES WITh DREW
TOPICS NEWSLETTER
WRONG BALL
Last month the South Florida PGA administered open qualifying for the Honda Classic. Over the Pre and Monday qualifying stages we had a few interesting rulings, however none were as interesting as what took place on the tenth hole at Mayacoo Lakes during the Monday qualifier. A player hit his drive into the trees down the left side. Not knowing that the left side was marked as a lateral hazard, he played a provisional ball under Rule 27-2. After arriving in the area where his original ball came to rest, the player realized the area was marked as lateral hazard and it was known or virtually certain his original ball was in the hazard. The player determined the spot where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard, measured two club lengths and dropped a ball. The player proceeded to hit his next shot back into the lateral hazard. Clearly frustrated by his last two swings and seeing his provisional ball lying perfectly in the middle of the fairway, the player walked over to his provisional ball and hit it onto the green. As the players walked to the green they discussed if the player had proceeded in accordance with the Rules. The player then called for a ruling. We have a few things going on in this situation and it is probably best to take it step by step in order to get the proper ruling. First, the player played his original ball into an area marked as a lateral hazard however the player did not know that the area in question was in fact a lateral hazard. Rule 27-2 allows the player to play a provisional ball for a ball lost outside a water hazard or out of bounds. As the player believed his ball was lost outside a water hazard, he was permitted to play a provisional ball (see also Decision 27-2a/2.5). Next, when the player arrived in the area where his original ball came to rest, he noticed the area was marked as a lateral hazard and it was known or virtually certain his ball was located within the lateral hazard. Rule 27-2c states, “If it is known or virtually certain that the original ball is in a water hazard, the player may proceed in accordance with Rule 26-1.” So when the player took relief under Rule 26-1 and dropped a ball and played it he was still proceeding in accordance with Rules. After hitting his next shot back into the lateral hazard, the player made a stroke at his provisional ball. The next sentence in Rule 27-2c states, “if the player makes any further strokes at the provisional ball, he is playing a wrong ball and the provisions of Rule 15-3 apply.” By making a stroke at the provisional ball, the player incurred a two stroke penalty under 15-3 for making a stroke at a wrong ball. Rule 15-3 tells us that the player must then abandon the wrong ball and continue with the correct ball, which was the ball he hit back into the lateral hazard. After assessing all the penalties, what stroke would the player be playing next? The player’s first stroke was the one he hit from the teeing ground. His next stroke was at a provisional ball however this stroke does not count in the player’s score because that ball never became the ball in play. Next, the player incurred a penalty stroke under Rule 26-1 after taking relief from the lateral hazard. His next stroke that counted was the one he made at the ball he dropped under Rule 26-1. He hooked this shot back into the lateral hazard. The player then incurred a two stroke penalty under 15-3 for making a stroke at the provisional ball which was a wrong ball. Rule 15-3 states that the stroke(s) made at a wrong ball does not count in the player’s score however we still need to count the two penalty strokes. Since the ball he hooked deep into the lateral hazard was not playable, the player would again have to take relief under Rule 26-1 by dropping a ball within two club lengths of the spot where it last crossed the margin of the hazard. The player’s next stroke would be his seventh. Making a chart to keep track of actual strokes vs penalty strokes makes it easier to determine what the player lies.
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NEW & UPCOMING upcoming section events
TOPICS NEWSLETTER
upcoming chapter events
Jr. Tour Challenge #2 Martin Downs GC April 5-6
East vs. West TBD April 6
Pro-Am Highland Woods April 11
Women’s Pro-Pro Bonita Bay Club April 6
Pro-Am #2 Plantation Club April 16
Tournament of Charities Pelican Preserve April 21
Player Ability Test CC of Coral Springs April 7
Spring Meeting Jonathan’s Landing Golf Club April 22 @ 6:30PM
Jr. Tour Championship #4 Indian Spring CC April 12-13
Chapter Pro-Am Pelican Marsh Club April 24
Pro-Official Plantation Preserve GC April 14 Executive Committee Meeting Grey Oaks CC April 24 Nelson Cup Matches Club at Pelican Bay April 28
Pro-Only #1 Pembroke Lakes April 21
Looking for ways to earn more MSR credits? Volunteer your time with the SFPGA Junior Championship and Challenge Tours. PGA Members and Apprentices earn 1 MSR credit/hour they are able to volunteer. On course responsibilities include monitoring pace of play, assisting with rulings, and starting. To volunteer please call Jake Weir at the section office at 561.729.0544 or email jweir@pgahq.com. Upcoming voluteer opportunities include: Jr Challenge Tour Event - Martin Downs GC - April 5-6 Jr Championship Tour Event - Indian Spring CC - April 12-13 Jr Challenge Tour Event - The Vineyards CC - May 3-4
Player Ability Test San Carlos Golf Club April 29
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