FORECAST JAE PEA PERSAUD LEADS VIRTUAL INITIATIVES FOR VETERANS IN QUARANTINE
Highlights SCHEDULE BACK2GOLF JUNIOR RESULTS
Junior Tour
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS
2020 SECOND QUARTER
FROM THE MET PGA We have fortunately turned the corner on staying home and sheltering in place. As golf became increasingly available over the last few months, the local golfing community responded in a big way with Met PGA Professionals there to ensure that golfers were playing responsibly and adjusting to the changing guidelines. Similarly, our Section adapted and utilized previously untapped means of interaction and engagements with our members and those in our communities. The Met PGA leadership team of Carl Alexander, Chris Kenney, Theron Harvey, James Ondo, and Andrew Gruss conducted virtual Town Hall programming, in addition to our regular email and web site correspondence, to ensure that members were aware of state and local orders, CDC guidelines, issues, and changes in real time. The goal throughout was to ensure that PGA Professionals were informed and positioned to help their employers make difficult decisions during a very troubling time. The Section also took advantage of the opportunity to engage in educational opportunities and discussions during this time when so many members were stuck at home. Five Assistant Professionals, with highly accomplished playing resumes, came together to host, “The Majors Panel.” Alex Beach, Mike Ballo, Peter Ballo, Loretta Giovannettone, and Josh Rackley spoke to a group of over 70 professionals about their experiences, dedication, sacrifices, job balance, and fitness (among other things) as they prepared for and ultimately won major championships in the Section. We were also treated to a presentation by Brandon Gaydorus, a Golf Digest Top-50 Golf Fitness Trainer, who offered a program called “Simplifying Golf Fitness for You and Your Members.” Gaydorus discussed keys to warmingup for increased performance, how you can help your members move well and what you can do to keep your workouts going outside of the gym. The Section also took advantage of the down time and corresponding increased attention to social media showcasing PGA Professionals: Monique Thoresz, Nick Novak, Carly Peters, Joe Condomitti, and Brittany Testa in “takeovers” as a means cross promoting these individuals and the Section to each of the respective audiences. These “day in the life” testimonials included instructional tips focused on practicing from the comforts home. Since our PGA HOPE spring and summer classes were forced into postponement, it was important for us to find new ways to interact and communicate with our veterans and PGA HOPE family. Instead of heading out to teach at classes, Met PGA Professionals Nick Iacono, Heath Wassem, Nick Novak, Stephanie Molloy, Jeff Wibben, Joe Condomitti, Brittany Testa and Gabe Carr-Harris took to the internet and offered Facebook Live events. In addition to golf instruction, the events have been a tremendous opportunity for our veterans to socialize and laugh their way through otherwise very difficult times. Similarly, “Met PGA HOPE Hangouts” on Sunday evenings as a means of connection, especially for those who struggling through the quarantine.
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When we finally got Back 2 Golf, it was Nick Yaun and Brae Burn Country Club stepping up to provide our first competitive opportunity of 2020 shortly after the Fourth of July holiday. The camaraderie was palpable between PGA Professionals and among our Partner and Sponsor Company representatives. Danny Balin won the overall PGA Professional event, while Craig Thomas took the Senior division, Loretta Giovanettone won the Women’s division, and Mike Ballo claimed top honors among the PGA Associates. We then headed to Engineers Country Club where some local knowledge helped Jean Bartholomew win the Lincoln Women’s Met Open Championship. Our Foundation benefitted from “The Augie” Pro Am at the picturesque Hudson National Golf Club. PGA Professionals Theron Harvey, Mark Parisi, and their team crafted a Pro Am structure that was responsible without foregoing all the fun that tournament namesake Augie Hoerrner helps us create. We had to wait an extra five weeks from our regular schedule, but we were thrilled to have the best golfers in the state descend on Bethpage Black for the Lenox Advisors/NFP New York State Open Championship in late August. James Nicholas of Westchester CC used a string of five consecutive 3’s on The Black’s holes #13-17 to catapult himself into the lead and win the championship. As we move from summer to fall, we are excited to continue administering tournaments responsibly and giving the talented PGA Professionals of the Metropolitan Section opportunities to play and compete in capping off a year that was the hardest in memory for most of our professionals.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO A MESSAGE FROM MET PGA PRESIDENT, CARL ALEXANDER
Contents 1 3 5-6 7-8 9 10
MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CALENDAR UPDATE MET PGA BACK2GOLF KEEPING UP WITH THE PROS LINCOLN WOMEN’S MET OPEN SENIOR MET PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 11-12 NEW YORK STATE OPEN
13-16 POLO HEAD PRO & WOMEN’S CHAMP 17-18 FOUNDATION UPDATES 19-20 JAE PEA PERSAUD STORY 21-22 THE “AUGIE” PRO-AM 23-24 MICHAEL HEBRON JUNIOR CLASSIC 25-26 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS 27-30 JUNIOR TOUR RESULTS
2020 CALENDAR UPDATES THE LATEST REGARDING SCHEDULE CHANGES TO MET PGA EVENTS MET PGA WOMEN’s
POLO HEAD PRO
CHAMPIONSHIP - SEAWANE
championship - SEAWANE
AUG 31 - SEPT 1
AUG 31 - SEPT 1
National car rental MET ASSISTANT CHAMPIONSHIP - BETHPAGE RED
SEPTEMBER 8-9 MET PGA CHAMPIONSHIP & MET PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP CENTURY CC & FAIRVIEW CC
September 14-16
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HOFFHINE MEMORIAL
SQUIRE CUP
WESTCHESTER COUNTRY CLUB
HUDSON NATIONAL GOLF CLUB
OCTOBER 21
OCTOBER 27
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MET PGA BACK 2 GOLF by Mark Herrmann Twitter: @markpherrmann Months after they were scheduled to start their competitive season, Met PGA pros finally got to experience golf’s new and deeper meaning in 2020. As their members, students and friends had discovered, the game was a welcome step into a normal world. The Back2Golf event on July 13 was more than a tournament. It was a unique celebration and a breath of fresh (and familiar) air.
(David Nordmann, left, with PGA Professional Greg Bisconti)
“I thought the day was absolutely incredible,” said David Nordmann, sales representative for Ahead, a sponsor/partner of the Met section. “They quite honestly could have just taken the easy out and just said, ‘It’s impossible. Let’s just not do anything.’ But they recognize how important it is for the sponsors to interact and they figured it out. “In a time in which it is so difficult to get people together, the Met PGA managed to put together an event was first and foremost safe for everyone,” Nordmann said.
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The tournament at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase, NY followed protocols that the pros had been using at their clubs. It also conformed with the advice and direction of a national initiative called Back2Golf, designed by the major allied associations, to help the game regain its footing after Covid 19-related lockdowns. Metropolitan PGA executive director Jeff Voorheis said it was easy and appropriate to find a name for the season-opening competition. “Sensing the desire for our PGA professionals to compete, and for our incredibly loyal Met PGA partners to interact with our members, we decided to create a one-day event,” he said. “We called it Back2 Golf both as our first event of the year and as a hat tip to the guidance that helped us all navigate a crazy spring together.” It also was a thank-you to the pros. “For months, PGA Professionals had been providing tournament opportunities for their members and they sincerely enjoyed it being reciprocated to them,” the section’s top executive said. “In a way, the Met PGA is their ‘club.’ ” Voorheis offered a tip of the cap to everyone at Brae Burn for being the first to navigate the uncharted waters of 2020. Brae Burn pro Nick Yaun called the scheduling “kind of an accident” because the club had been committed to hosting a New York State Open qualifier on that date. With the State Open postponed to late August and the qualifier also pushed back, the day was open and Brae Burn effectively said, “Why not?”
“Everybody’s spirits were up,” the host pro said. “A lot of us hadn’t seen one another because there was no spring meeting or any gathering until the event here. So, just the camaraderie of pros getting together for the first time since 2019 got everybody excited. We have a small community, but we’re all close.”
not traveling, they’re not getting on planes, they’re not going on vacation, their kids are not going away to camps. So this has become the focal point. “Giving lessons, joking around with members on the golf course, seeing them enjoy themselves on the property—the mood among Nick Yaun everybody has been a little bit Head Pro, Brae Burn CC True, the pros had to learn to different this year,” he said. “I think warm up more quickly—social distancing we’re all a little bit more thankful for things protocol limited practice time to 30 minutes. we might have taken for granted in the past.” But they had a blast. “It wasn’t about beating everybody’s brains in,” Yaun said. “It “I think we’re all was more about PRO DIVISION getting everybody a little bit more DANNY BALIN together, having FRESH MEADOW CC thankful for things some laughs and some we might have taken getting competitive juices for granted flowing. It was all good. Things were in the past.” WOMENS DIVISION clean and clear.” LORETTA - Nick Yaun The golf was GIOVANNETTONE Head Pro, Brae Burn CC admirable, too. WOODWAY CC Danny Balin of Fresh Meadow, getting ready to compete in the PGA Championship, was the winner at 5 under. Loretta Giovannettone of Woodway SENIOR DIVISION won the Women’s division at 2 under and Craig CRAIG THOMAS Thomas of Metropolis shot 3 under to win the METROPOLIS CC Senior division.
RESULTS
Overall, the day affirmed golf’s distinctive place in the country’s recovery from the pandemic. For many people, golf is the only part of their ASSOCIATEV DIVIlives that has seemed normal. “Our country club this year is by far the busiest it has ever been,” Yaun said, “because it is really the only outlet for our members. They’re
MIKE BALLO WESTCHESTER CC
KEEPING UP WITH THE PROS
Met PGA Professionals making an impact on local and national levels
Laudien featured in pga magazine “With the shop being closed because of the coronavirus, we created displays in the golf shop windows so people can browse and buy without entering the shop. Once shoppers let the staff know what they would like to purchase, the item/items are placed by the shop door and an be paid for through a credit card swiper outside one of the windows... With all the golf stores like the PGA Tour Superstore being closed in nearby New Jersey, People are in need of golf equipment, apparel and other gear. It has certainly increased our golf shop sales, which were very slow prior to displaying the items in the window boxes.”
St. Andrew’s Golf Club’s Greg Bisconti Lifted by Eagle-2 to Soar To 85th Annual Emerson Resort & Spa Woodstock Open Title St. Andrew’s Golf Club head professional Gregory Bisconti eagled the par-4 17th at the Woodstock Golf Club en route to 6-under-par 64 to win the 85th Annual Emerson Resort & Spa Woodstock Open. “When I got to the hole, I didn’t know how things stood and if I should lay up or go for it,” said Bisconti recollecting his thoughts prior to playing the risk-reward 17th. “I was going back and forth, and I decided to go for it. I felt like it was the right thing to do. I hit a great shot that landed on the front of the green and made the 12-foot putt. CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY
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RICH JONES WINS NATIONAL PLAYER DEVELOPMENT AWARD Rich Jones, PGA, a 17-year PGA Member in the Metropolitan PGA Section, and Director of Instruction at Pine Ridge Golf Club in Coram, New York, and Golf Galaxy in Bay Shore, New York, is the 2020 PGA Player Development Award recipient. This honor bestows special recognition to a PGA Member who has displayed extraordinary and exemplary contributions and achievements in the area of player development. Jones boasts an extensive track record of success in developing and managing creative programs throughout Long Island that are focused on adults, juniors, seniors, disabled golfers and professional athletes. Known as a tremendous recruiter of newcomers to the game, Jones is committed to the Golfer Development Pathway model, a method to introduce and keep golfers engaged in the game. A First Tee Certified Coach in Suffolk County, Jones has expanded his junior programs to serve the diverse needs of individuals of all backgrounds within the community. His combined programming has enabled approximately 3,000 junior golfers access to the game, while many of his junior students have successfully moved on to play golf in high school, college and beyond. Among his initiatives are the Little Linksters program, In-School programs and gang prevention golf programs. He also has transformed football and baseball fields into miniature golf courses. Jones was honored with the Section’s 2019 Player Development Award and the 2010 Junior Golf Leader Award. He was named a US Kids Golf Top 50 instructor from 2009-’11 and is a 2018 PGA Lead graduate.
Crowell broadcasts pga championship from pro shop PGA Director of Golf, Brian Crowell, converts the Osiris CC Pro Shop into a broadcasting booth for the PGA Championship! He discusses this experience and why the PGA Championship was such a historic tournament in an interview with Ann Liguori of The Morning Read.
CLICK HERE to hear Brian’s thoughts
on the impact of the pandemic on broadcasters; the fallout from Brooks Koepka’s comments about Dustin Johnson and his admission that “I don’t know a lot of the other guys up there”; Tiger Woods; what makes Collin Morikawa so good; and how Crowell balances golf and broadcasting.
WOMEN’S MET OPEN Engineers Country Club and PGA Director of Golf Chris Carter played host to this year’s Lincoln Women’s Met Open Championship. The event saw two three-peats with Engineers’ own Jean Bartholomew joining Margaret Platt, Alicia Dibos, and Becky McDaid as the only players to win the event three or more times, and Alexis Hios of Westchester CC finishing runner up and accepting low amateur honors for the third time in the last five years. Bartholomew and Hios were followed by 2019 Met PGA Women’s Professional Player of the Year Jessica Carafiello of Innis Arden GC.
Jean Bartholomew Engineers CC
LEADERBOARD
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW
LOW AMATEUR
Alexis Hios 9
Westchester CC || 2nd Quarter 2020 || www.met.pga.com
SENIOR MET PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Congratulations to Frank Bensel of Century CC on his win at the 2020 Empire City Casino Metropolitan Senior PGA Professional Championship! Bensel finished 5-under par to clinch the victory at North Hills CC. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING PLAYERS WHO QUALIFIED FOR THE SENIOR PGA PNC: (* are Exempt)
*Frank Bensel, Century CC *Charlie Bolling, Salem GC *Mark Brown, Tam O’Shanter Club Scott Ford, Glen Oaks Club *Tom Joyce, Glen Oaks Club Tom Sutter, Tom Sutter Golf Aca. Craig Thomas, Metropolis CC Chris Toulson, Sunningdale CC Scott Wise, North Hills CC
Frank Bensel Century CC
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW HONORABLE MENTION Peter Procops of Lawrence Y&CC made a hole-in-one on Hole No. 16!
NEW YOR JAMES NICHOLAS WINS NEW YORK STATE OPEN WITH A LATE SURGE AT BETHPAGE by Mike Dougherty Rockland/Westchester Journal News FARMINGDALE – It was another casual round until a clutch shot down the stretch landed James Nicholas atop the leaderboard. The 23-year-old Scarsdale resident was looking to regain some rhythm after exiting the Korn Ferry Tour playoffs. He never allowed himself to get caught up in winning. And then a 2-iron into the 13th green at Bethpage Black settled eight feet under the cup. Nicholas dropped the eagle putt and was suddenly tied for the lead. “I’ve been on the road for six weeks in a row in unfamiliar territory so to come back on an unplanned week off and get in here, spend time at home with family and my girlfriend, it’s been great,” he said. “Coming in, my goal was to have fun on the course again, maybe get into a better rhythm before I get back to the Korn Ferry Tour. I showed up like seven minutes before my tee time every single day. I hit two putts and went to the tee and was like, ‘Let’s go play some golf.’ ” He came into the final round trailing 36-hole leader Jason Caron by two shots. Nicholas closed with a 3-under 68. He took sole possession of the lead with birdies on the 15th and 16th holes, which have been the undoing of many golfers in past years. A drive into the fescue on the last resulted in a nervous moment, but Nicholas escaped with a bogey. he increased pressure late in the round was never an issue. Over the last few weeks, Nicholas has had to play clutch golf to maintain enough status to get into Korn Ferry Tour events. “My number wasn’t good enough to get into the playoffs,” he said. “I didn’t know whether I was in week to week so I just had to play well. And in Portland, I had a T22 finish, my best of the year, and that got me into the first two playoff events. Dealing with that kind of pressure definitely helped me today. I knew I was a couple shots behind on the 13th hole and hit the best 2-iron of my life to eight feet under the hole and made it for eagle. I followed up with some really good par saves and birdies over the next couple of holes, but that experience was huge today.” Nicholas finished with a 6-under total of 207. Caron took a bogey on the 18th and finished tied for second with Josh Goldenberg, who played at Scarsdale High School with Nicholas and rolled in a lengthy birdie from the back edge of the 18th to close with a 1-under 70. It was the best finish of his pro career.
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RK STATE OPEN “James is a fantastic player,” said Goldenberg, who also went head-to-head with Nicholas in college when his Penn team met up with Yale. “He’s been non-stop since junior year of college. He’s someone I’ve had to chase, someone who gets me to work harder on and off the course and someone whose friendship I value a lot. “Today’s round was much harder than the first two days. I was 3-over after three and went 4-under after that so I have to give a shout out to my caddie, my dad, who helped me there.” Westchester Country Club assistant Alex Beach and Engineers Country Club teaching professional Andrew Svoboda finished in a fourth-place tie with a 1-under total of 212. There was no over-sized check, but Nicholas earned $17,500 for the win. Spectators were not allowed due to COVID-19 concerns. The championship was very much in jeopardy this year until Lenox Advisors and NFP pledged financial support. Nicholas will be playing five upcoming Korn Ferry Tour events as well as the Houston Open and Bermuda Championship on the PGA Tour. The low amateur for a third consecutive year was Christian Cavaliere, a Katonah resident who recently graduated from Boston College. He shot a final-round 70 and was tied for 13th at 3-over. “I love this golf course. It’s such a test and I know that if you keep grinding out here and make a lot of pars you’ll be in a good place,” Cavaliere said. “Par is a good score on this course. Pars are like birdies on half these holes so you have to keep your head down and put the ball in the right spots.” After the pandemic wiped out the spring, Cavaliere was going to use his extra year of eligibility at Notre Dame, but the fall season was canceled. “I’ll see about the spring,” he said. “They usually don’t let people in at the semester break. I hope I’ll be able to play, but it’s all up in the air so I’ll stay amateur probably through next summer, but we’ll see.”
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE 2020 RECAP AND INTERVIEW
THE
SEAWANE CLUB
by Mark Herrmann Twitter: @markpherrmann When the Metropolitan PGA’s head professionals arrive at the Seawane Club for their championship tournament, they will be welcomed by 93 years of tradition, combined with new owners, a new pro, a new vision and new vitality. Also, there will be fast greens. All of those elements make Seawane one of the compelling stories in the section as the 2020 season gets underway. The shorefront links-style course in Long Island’s Hewlett Harbor withstood a pounding by Superstorm Sandy, then some (not unrelated) financial turbulence and has turned the page. Jared Brecher and Dan Klein, longtime friends and successful business people in their 30s, bought the club in November and immediately infused fresh hope. “There is definitely a new energy and a new positivity, I’d say,” said Alex Smith, a former assistant pro at Garden City Golf Club who was hired as Seawane’s head pro
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Host of the POLO Head Professional Championship and Met PGA Women’s Championship during the winter. “In this era, especially, when a lot of clubs are closing, Jared and Dan are investing.” Smith said that the new owners quickly started on capital improvements, working along with superintendent Brian Benedict and his crew on bunkering and a new practice facility. Those will be on proud display for the Polo Golf Met PGA Head Pro Championship and Met PGA Women’s Championship.
ALEX SMITH Head Professional
Hosting tournaments is a joyful occasion for a club that has had to struggle to stay alive and relevant. Superstorm Sandy inundated the layout, inflicting what Benedict estimated at the time to be $1 million in damage. The future looked bleak for years after that, but Brecher and Klein saw potential. Their intent is to make it a more family-oriented place. www.met.pga.com || 2nd Quarter 2020 ||
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“They both love the game, both respect the traditions. But they’re also embracing where golf is going,” Smith said. “There are so many different golfer profiles today than there were 20 or 30 years ago. They’ve definitely embraced a lot of new attitudes and perspectives on what the future will bring for golf while, at the same time, maintaining and upholding a lot of what has made the game great for hundreds of years.” Seawane’s legacy dates to 1927, when Devereux Emmet designed the course on the estate of John Auerbach, using Auerbach’s Victorian home as the clubhouse. More than a decade before that, Native American artifacts were found on the property. Among the items unearthed were copper beads known as “sewan.” Auerbach modified the term and called the estate Seawane. Since 1948, it has been the site of the Richardson Memorial, a prestigious amateur event conducted by the Long Island Golf Association. That heritage was worth preserving, the owners and members decided. “I definitely feel we’re on the right side of things and moving in the right direction now,” Smith said. “We’ve added tons of members in the offseason and we’re looking forward to having the Head Pro Championship here and showing off the course.” He added that the new bunkering by Benedict and staff will make tee shots and approaches more challenging on the course that always has been strengthened by the demands of wind.
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“It’s going to be a fair test. The grass is really strong,” the new pro said. He pointed out that the fairways are a fescue mix and the greens are 95 percent bent grass. “So, they’re going to be able to make them as tough as we want and they’re going to roll fantastically. The greens aren’t overly sloped, so you can make some putts. But you’ve got to be careful because you can certainly run them by the hole and have some work left.” Work has been plentiful for the new head man in the pro shop. So much so that Smith barely touched a club all winter. He still intends to be in the field for his first Head Pro Championship, though. “I hope to be able to get out and practice a little,” he said in early March, “so I can at least go out and put on a decent showing.” The “new” Seawane is more than ready to put on a show.
CLICK HERE FOR THE LEADERBOARD
www.met.pga.com || 2nd Quarter 2020 ||
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FOUNDATION The Met PGA Foundation has continued to impact the lives of others through golf every day by learning ways to adapt and overcome in this most challenging year. Our success wouldn’t be possible without the support of our PGA Professionals, area golf courses, and the dedication of our staff. Special thanks to Theron Harvey for hosting The Augie Met PGA Championship Pro-Am at Hudson National Golf Club in August. Somehow, through Covid-19 and a hurricane we were able to pull off an incredible fundraising event for the Foundation and continue to tell the story of the good work our Professionals are doing in the community. This might seem like a year where not much is doable, but here at the Met PGA Section Foundation we have been busy finding ways to continue to get it done.
YOUTH The Met PGA Junior Tour has had a very busy summer running junior tournaments almost every day since the first week in July with all fields at full capacity. The endless planning that went in to ensure that we could provide our members with a safe and enjoyable tournament experiences during these trying times has proved nothing short of a complete success. The feedback from our members and their parents has been very positive, and they are appreciative of the efforts the Met PGA made to continue to provide playing opportunities this year. Tournaments will continue to run throughout the fall, and we thank all of the Professionals and courses that have hosted us this year.
MILITARY PGA HOPE programming has been postponed until 2021, but through the development of some creative platforms our veterans have remain engaged with our program and our PGA Professionals during this most critical time. Through the leadership of our PGA HOPE Ambassador, Jae Pea Persaud, we established a three-prong approach to remain connected which has been replicated at various sections across the country. Every Sunday night at 7:30 since March, PGA HOPE veterans and PGA Professionals have been attending our hangout via zoom reconnecting, laughing, and talking golf and life. On Wednesdays, we utilized Facebook Live to highlight one-hour lessons for our veterans offered by PGA Professionals. Our veterans have also started a Buddy Check system to check in on each other through the pandemic.
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Our veterans who are comfortable with playing golf right now have been setting up their own play dates and meeting at various locations throughout the section. We are hoping that come this fall we can potentially host some play days for the veterans. Special thanks to Brian Crowell, Paul Glut, and Jim Smoot for their dedication to the veterans during Covid-19.
CLICK BELOW TO WATCH OUR PGA HOPE HANGOUT PROMO
INCLUSION We are proud to welcome Stanley Garrant to our staff, our PGA Works Fellow, who is a long-standing participant in our Foundation. Stanley started playing golf with the Met PGA when he was 7 years old and played straight through high school until securing a college scholarship to play golf at Saint Peter’s University. During college, Stanley returned to the Met PGA as an intern on our Junior Tour for all four years. This next step for Stanley only seems natural, and we are so excited for what the future holds for him and proud to play a part in it.
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JAE PEA PERSAUD LEADS VIRTUAL INITIATIVES FOR VETERANS IN QUARANTINE BY MARK HERRMANN Twitter: @markpherrmann
Janus Persaud would have been happy if PGA HOPE had just given him a new hobby, new outlet and new friends. But it went far beyond that for him. The program that introduces golf to veterans has given him a new life. “I didn’t come from much, and now I see where I can go,” said the Yonkers man, an eight-year veteran of the U.S Marines, who is the Metropolitan Section’s Ambassador to the national organization that stands for Helping Our Patriots Everywhere. Persaud, known as “Jae Pea,” admits to having struggled with his transition to post-military life. He still is dealing with post traumatic stress disorder having been through treatment for alcohol dependence while enduring a divorce as well as estrangement from his teenage son. “Out of sheer desperation,” he recalls, “I gave up and went to California. I lived in my car on the beach for about three months.” He did rally enough to get back home and enter a substance abuse in-patient protocol at Montrose VA health facility five years ago. “And a bunch of the guys that were also there were going to the inaugural HOPE program. They came back with such energy and excitement,” he said. “They had a peace about them, it was like they had a renewed spirit. I’m like, `I need a part of this.’ ” He talked to the facility’s recreational coordinator, got enrolled for the very next PGA HOPE session and he was on his way. He took lessons from the Met Section pros who volunteer for the program and got hooked on the game he never had played before.
The change in his manner and outlook were striking, especially in the eyes of his son Jaylen. “He kept on visiting and he saw what this golf program has done for me,” Persaud said. “He liked my attitude, he liked my excitement. He wanted to live with me.” Kelli Clayton, the Metropolitan PGA Foundation director, said, “It gave them something to do together. Jaylen started playing golf.” Jaylen is preparing for college and Jae Pea is spreading the word and goodwill on behalf of PGA HOPE, with the strong endorsement with everyone involved with the program. “Number one, he’s a fellow Marine, so you can’t go wrong there,” said Paul Glut, head PGA professional at Woodside Club in Syosset and one of PGA HOPE’s pioneer instructors. “Jae Pea has had a tough go of it after the service. He is what PGA HOPE is. All of a sudden, guys get a new lease on life.
“They’re hanging out, they’re saying, `Oh yeah, on Thursday, I played at Sunken Meadow…’ Now, that camaraderie they had in the service, they have that again,” Glut said. “Jae Pea just exudes that. “I’ve been in it since the beginning. Man, has it been a blessing to me. I’ve gotten as much out of it as the guys have,” the pro said. “I never thought I would hear somebody say, `Golf saved my life.’ They have found PGA HOPE and they found other guys and they found that they are important.” Clayton said Persaud was a natural for the role of ambassador and for representing the Met Section at the national HOPE gathering at Congressional Country Club in Washington D.C. “He’s a younger veteran, so he can relate very well to our younger veterans, and older veterans as well,” she said. “Jae Pea is willing to share his struggles and inspire other people.” Plus, he proved adaptable and resourceful when COVID-19 struck. Organizers had planned numerous events for the spring and Persaud was enthusiastic about helping. Then suddenly there were no programs. The ambassador responded by helping to organize Sunday night Zoom calls with his fellow PGA HOPE members. “He just figured it out. It was pretty cool to watch,” she said, adding that Persaud exemplifies the program’s goals. “Once you become a member, it’s forever. We’re here for whatever you want it to be. It really is an inspiration. It has changed many lives. They’ve created their own community, their own family.” Persaud has taken a job at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase, where he is learning every aspect of the golf business, right down to regripping clubs. He also has learned that post-service life, like golf, takes patience and perseverance. “PTSD kind of limits my attention span but I really admire what golf does and the way it gets me out of the house and out of my head. It’s just a good place,” he said. “I still battle with my ups and downs. PGA HOPE is one of the avenues that keeps me grounded and helps me fix that.” His golf game is coming around, too. He has broken 100 several times this year. Better yet was the news he shared in a call to Clayton recently. “Here’s someone who was homeless,” she said, “and he tells me he is buying a house.” www.met.pga.com || 2nd Quarter 2020 ||
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We were thankful to continue to put on our Foundation’s primary fundraising event of the year: “The Augie” Met PGA Championship Pro-Am. The event is named for Augie Hoerrner, chairman of the former Wall Street Charity Pro Am and board member for the Met PGA Foundation. The day was a great success as Amateurs and Professionals came together at Hudson National Golf Club to celebrate “Giving Back Through Golf”. This year’s event was dedicated to Dick Chapdelaine, a man who made the most of his 95 years through his service to this country and his generosity towards bettering the community. Chappy (as many called him) lived a life of great distinction and in his memory, benefits the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation. Thank you to Theron Harvey and his staff at Hudson National for their hard work and hospitality and to Lincoln, Summit Golf Brands and Vortex Weather Insurance for sponsoring the day. The support the Foundation received through donations, contributions and auction sales was overwhelmingly generous. As Augie always says, “There are many blessings in life, but none more gratifying than giving back to those in need.”
WATCH THE RECAP VIDEO HERE
LOW TEAM GROSS JOHN STOKLOSA | GARY MUNSON, JOEL KRANER, ROBERT COUGHLIN
LOW TEAM NET BOBBY BROWN | KEVIN DOLPH, JERRY ELICKS, SIYA MADIKANE
INDIVIDUAL PRO MATT NOEL, HUNTINGTON CC
RESULTS FOR THE AUGIE PRO AM RAFFLE AND AUCTION RESULTS VISIT THEAUGIE.COM FOR MORE INFO www.met.pga.com || 2nd Quarter 2020 ||
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Updates HONORING MICHAEL HEBRON ON THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY by Mark Herrmann Twitter: @markpherrmann
Michael Hebron was only a year or so into what would become a PGA Hall of Fame career as head pro at Smithtown Landing Golf Club when he attended his first Metropolitan PGA spring meeting. He made an observation that would affect him and the section for the next half-century. “I go up to the guy in charge of tournaments,” he recalled recently, “and I say, `You know, we don’t have a junior championship. I’d like in some way to get that started.’ He said, `You’ve got the job.’ ” He took that job in 1971 and ran with it. The result was the Met PGA Junior Classic, hosted every year since then by Hebron at Smithtown Landing. This year, the 50th in tournament history, the Met PGA gave it a new name with enriched status. It is now and forever will be the Michael Hebron Junior Classic. “What an honor,” Hebron said, adding that he tried to avoid the title change but was overruled by the Met PGA board. “This is perhaps the finest section in the country. One reason is, it’s a giver. And it has given a lot to Michael Hebron.” The classic’s new designation is the section’s acknowledgement by of how much Hebron has given to the game, particularly to young people who are interested in playing it. Many of those kids have formed lifelong memories and grown up to play their own major roles in golf. Joe Felder, who became a head pro and served as president of the Met PGA, recalls being in the first two Classics. “That was the tournament to play in,” he said. “I just loved the way everything was run. You felt like you were in a big tour event. “I remember I got paired with Joe Nieporte and we’re on the last hole. Mr. Nieporte was following us around,” Felder said, referring to Tom Nieporte, a winner on the PGA Tour and longtime head pro at Winged Food. “We’re on the last hole and I hit a drive in a divot. I get up to my ball and I throw a temper tantrum--`I can’t believe this can happen and blah-blahblah.’ I proceed to skull it over the green and make double bogey. After we were done,
Mr. Nieporte shook my hand and said, `Joe, you played very well. You’re going to learn that you’re going to get good lies and bad lies. Let me buy you a hot dog.’ ” Tod Pike, now the president of the Metropolitan Golf Association, recalls every detail about winning one of the early Classics: He was a junior at Rye High School, still without a driver’s license; his dad drove him to the two-day event in Smithtown; he birdied the 36th hole to force a playoff and then won it. The ensuing publicity and recognition boosted his stature and added momentum to his golf career at Bucknell University. “It certainly was a highlight of junior golf for me. It was a great addition to a golf resume” Pike said. “I do remember the tournament so well in part because of how special Mike Hebron made it. He was just a very warm and caring individual who took great interest in all the juniors. He did it and has done it as a labor of love and he has given so much to the game.” Hebron remembers the inaugural 1971 Classic as having been “more smalltownish,” with a par-3 contest, long-drive contest and participants’ dinner. The par-3 contest has remained a staple and a strong drawing card for 7- and 8-year-olds. “I get to see them every year as they grow up and start to play high school golf. Some keep in touch as they go on to play college golf,” he said. His inspiration for starting the event was the experience he had as a teenager in Queens, growing up with the Joyce brothers, Bob, Mike and Tom. They all played in junior tournaments sponsored by New York newspapers and the city
parks department. They all were motivated by those competitions and they all became pros. Quite a few participants in the Classic at Smithtown Landing have followed that same path. Len Mattiace, who later came within one stroke of winning the Masters, played in it. So did Butch Harmon, who went on to coach major champions, notably Tiger Woods. Jean Bartholomew of Garden City played in it, burnishing a career that still is going strong. The former LPGA tour pro won the Lincoln Women’s Met Open on Aug. 3, which was also the first day of the 2020 Michael Hebron Classic. When he was asked why he has maintained the tradition for 50 years, Hebron reprised the comment he made at his PGA Hall of Fame induction: “I was just being Michael.” Now, his favorite tournament goes by the same name.
www.met.pga.com || 2nd Quarter 2020 ||
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS
Maren Crowley Old Westbury Golf & Country Club
Growing up I never knew what a powerful impact the game of golf and being affiliated with the MET PGA (specifically the Junior Tour Series Events) would have on my life. Like many Class A PGA Professionals from our section I, too, competed in the junior events. During that time the game and participating in junior tournaments taught me how to be humble, patient, honest and that in life you need a work ethic if you want to be successful at anything in life. But unlike many other players, I began working for the MET PGA Junior Tour after I aged out of being able to compete. Those years are some of the best years of my life and where that leadership role helped me grow as a person as well as connect me to some of my best friends. The knowledge I gained from the staff during that decade of being an employee was incredible. Specifically from one of my personal mentors, Tommy Kuhn, who was and always will be the heart and soul of that tour. I also was a Division 1 Golfer during my tenor as a MET PGA Tour employee and continued to be when I became the Head Women’s Coach at Hofstra University for 8 years. While I am now retired from that coaching role, golf and growing the game is still at the center of my life. In fact, our whole family is still connected to this amazing section -- my husband is a Class A As amazing as my Coaches were, I didn’t Professional and my mom even works for the junior have female golf mentors to look up to who tour now! understood the struggle with confidence
Advice to Juniors
that many women have. This lack of selfconfidence starts at a young age and can continue into their 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond. I want to show young girls and women how to be brave, show them how smart they are, believe they are strong and that they can do anything they set their mind to. As a PGA Professional not only do I want to help juniors learn from these same lessons but I specifically want to help little girls {and even female adults} know that they’re made for more.
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Moving up the ranks as an assistant and teaching professional has allowed me to work at some of the best clubs in the section. These clubs are some that as a public golf course junior golfer I only ever had the opportunity to play while I was competing in MET PGA Junior golf tournaments.
Teaching golf, showing up on social media and running my online fitness & accountability groups are all the platforms I use to inspire others. But none of them would be happening if it weren’t for the opportunity to be a junior golfer in the MET section -- You’re guaranteed to see golf be a part of my life forever and always. nd || 2 Quarter 2020 || www.met.pga.com
Chris Gabriele
Sleepy Hollow Country Club
I am proud to call myself a member of the PGA of America and represent the Metropolitan Section. Growing up on Long Island, playing tournaments on the Met Junior Tour was everything to me as a kid. It is where I found my love for the game, met some great friends and learned more about myself than I ever could have imagined. There was no better feeling than knowing you were heading to the golf course, paired with three of your buddies, ready to see who could take home today’s crown.
Advice to Juniors
The Met Junior Tour was not only competitive but also inclusive as it allowed my peers and me to access courses that we may not have been able to otherwise. In fact, competing on the Met Junior Tour is what led me to want to play golf in College. I went on to play 1 year of college golf at Franklin & Marshall College before transferring to Clemson University and becoming a part of the PGA of America in the Professional Golf Management Program. I wanted golf to be a part of my life so why not make it my profession!
My advice to junior golfers is to be involved in the game and play as much golf as possible. I spent my time caddying and playing golf as a kid and wouldn’t do it any other way. People tell me all the time that they wished they started Without the access to golf that the Met playing the game earlier in their life. Take Section provided me, I would not be in the advantage of the opportunities that your local position I am today as a PGA Professional course offers. I was fortunate to have been back in the Met Section. I am so thankful introduced to this game at such a young age for what golf has provided me in my life and if you are junior golfer, enjoy this game as and I hope that I can continue to capture the opportunities presented to me. Today, I much as possible. Take lessons; ask questions am proud to work under Head Professional and most importantly have fun! I ask my junior David Young at historic Sleepy Hollow golfers this simple question every time we finish Country Club. a clinic: “Did you have fun today?” Ultimately, this is what matters most and will lead to enjoying this great game for a lifetime. www.met.pga.com || 2nd Quarter 2020 || 26
Players Tour Results Dunwoodie GC - July 9th
Edmond Hannigan (15-18) - 78 Luke O’Grady Rodgers (12-14) - 74 Kerry Kline (12-18) - 84 Mia Holbrook (12-18) - 84
The Bridge - July 15th
Cameron Besaw (15-18) - 71 Daniel Lax (12-14) - 81 Caroline Stanzione (12-18) - 95
Maple Moor GC - July 16th
Gideon Katz (15-18) - 81 Ayan Sheikh (12-14) - 77 Mia Holbrook (12-18) - 88
Garrison GC - July 22nd
Liam Miller (15-18) - 82 Holden Vintiadis (12-14) - 77 Nina Choe (12-18) - 79
Maidstone Club - July 23rd Liam Miller (15-18) - 70 Jack Breutsch (12-14) - 73 Harry Cohen (12-14) - 73 Eliza Dana (12-18) - 75
Bergen Point GC - July 29th
Anthony Caputo (15-18) - 75 Leo Simon (12-14) - 74 Nina Choe (12-18) - 73
Blue Hill GC - July 30th
Gideon Katz (15-18) - 76 Leo Simon (12-14) - 74 Kate Burdick (12-18) - 81
Milbrook GC - August 10th Amos Choe (15-18) - 69
Westchester Hills GC - August 10th Thomas Ostberg (15-18) - 73 Gabriella Jolly (12-18) - 74
Silvermine GC - August 17th
Liam Miller (15-18) - 73 Sajiv Mehta (12-14) - 73 Theo Boris (12-14) - 73 Alexandra Phung (12-18) - 81
The Vineyards GC - August 20th Jack Blackmore (15-18) - 73 Jack Breutsch (12-14) - 72 Colby Baran (12-14) - 72 Julia Bearden (12-18) - 81
Bethpage Yellow - August 21st Max Silverman (15-18) - 75 Amos Choe (12-14) - 69 Nina Choe (12-18) - 76
Timber Point GC - August 26th James Fabrikant (15-18) - 75 Jack Breutsch (12-14) - 71 Julia Bearden (12-18) - 765
P.J. Rotella Memorial GC - August 27th Martin Donohue III (15-18) - 82 Kristian O’Grady (15-18) - 82 Theo Boris (12-14) - 76 Yvette O’Brien (12-18) - 77
Future Series Results Met Junior PGA Championship Hampshire CC July 6th-7th Colin McCullagh - 146 Josephine Genereux- 108
Eisenhower White GC July 13th-14th
Michael Ostrower - 143 Sophia Li- 146
Spook Rock GC July 20th-21st
Elias Kennon - 145 Laetitia Roegner- 147
Eisenhower Red GC July 27th-28th
Colin McCullagh - 140 Mia Sessa- 144
Michael Hebron Junior Classic Smithtown Landing CC August 3rd Ryan Millevoi - 73 Laetitia Roegner- 76
GC of Middle Bay August 13th
Colin McCullagh - 71 Renna Chang- 74
Wind Watch G & CC August 18th
Steven Lee - 69 Caroline Oakley- 73
Tour Championship Ardsley CC August 24th-25th Colin McCullagh - 149 Maryanne Grace- 154
Match Play Championship Glen Oaks Club August 27th-28th CJ Merritt Sophia Li
www.met.pga.com || 2nd Quarter 2020 ||
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A return to competition was the focus at the Metropolitan Junior PGA Championship by Mike Dougherty Rockland/Westchester Journal News LARCHMONT - The congratulations were enthusiastic, but there was no hardware for Colin McCullagh and Josephine Genereux to hoist in celebration. Crystal is a touch point. McCullagh and Genereux will eventually receive a trophy in the mail for winning the Metropolitan Junior PGA Championship on Tuesday at Hampshire Country Club, but after waiting for months to compete again, collecting prizes was not high on the priority list for most in the field. The socially-distanced tournament was as close to normal as competition will get this summer. “I was super excited,” said McCullagh, a 16-year-old Locust Valley resident whose 4-over total of 146 was four shots clear of the boys field . “I’ve been playing a lot of golf and practicing at my home club, so I was raring to get back and play some tournament golf. Just getting out here today and playing against some tough competition was a great thing.” Genereux rolled in three birdies on the back nine and closed with a 70 to post a threeshot victory. The rising junior at Sacred Heart Greenwich and Golf Club of Purchase member posted a 2-over total of 108. The girls championship was shortened to 27 holes when storms hit the area Monday.
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Colin McCullagh teeing off on the 18th of Hampshire CC
“I played in two events last week, one in Connecticut and one in New Jersey,” said Jacqueline Lu, a rising junior at Scarsdale, who shot a final-round 72 and finished second with a 5-over total of 111. “I really missed golf in the spring when everything was canceled. It was nice to have a break and relax for a bit, but I’ve really been looking forward to getting back out here. Things are a little different, but it’s good just to be competing again.” Normally, the champions would get an invite to play in the national PGA Junior Championships, but the tournament was canceled due to the pandemic. The field was limited to 88 players. “We had 40 kids on the wait list for this that unfortunately did not get in, but since it was
|| 2nd Quarter 2020 || www.met.pga.com
our first event, we really wanted to make sure it was more controlled,” said Met PGA director of junior golf Dan Frankel. All of the organization’s 36-hole Futures Series events and 18-hole Players Tour events scheduled in July are sold out. The Met PGA’s nine-hole events for younger players are on hold. “We’re looking to do some of those in August, but a few things need to happen before we make that decision,” Frankel said. “Our total wait-list number right now is more than 500. I think the kids are thrilled. So many have come up to say thank you and we so appreciate that because they can see the hard work that we’ve put in to making these events happen. It’s as hard as it’s ever been. Safety has always been important, but this year, it has a new meaning and we’re doing everything in our power to make sure everyone is healthy and safe and enjoying themselves out there.” Normally, the most competitive juniors would play tournaments up and down the East Coast, but travel is too big of a risk for some. “I’m going to play a lot of golf this summer. I’m going to practice every single day,” said Emma Lee, an eighth-grader from Scarsdale, who finished tied for 12th. “I’m going to play more golf than last year, but less tournaments because of the coronavirus. I had to get used to all the social-distancing rules, but it’s fun to play no matter what.”
Josephine Genereux teeing off on the 18th of Hampshire
Mike Dougherty covers boys soccer, boys lacrosse, girls basketball and golf for The Journal News/lohud. He can be reached at mdougher@lohud.com, or on Twitter @hoopsmbd, @lohudlacrosse, @ lohudhoopsmbd and @lohudgolf.
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