TOPICS NEWSLETTER VOLUME 21, NO. 3 - MAY 2011
2011 TOURNAMENT SEASON
Golfing Fore Autism Program with PGA Professional Gary Braeseke - page 6 -
Tournament Recaps - pages 7-9 -
WHAT’S INSIDE: Annual Meeting & Elections - page 5 -
MSR MSR Opportunities and Deadlines - page 6 -
Tournament Preparation New Junior Tour Events Pros on the Go Rules with Drew Chapter News ...and more!
chip shots
NEW MEMBERS
The South Florida PGA would like to welcome the following new members to the Section: Landon Comeau, PGA Shawn Costello, PGA Luke Frazier, PGA Shawn Hall, PGA John Herlong Jr., PGA David Leonard, PGA Scott Turner, PGA
A-8 A-8 A-8 A-8 A-18 A-8 A-8
Island Country Club Broken Sound Club - Old Course Turtle Creek Club Ballen Isles C C Herlong Golf Group/Webgolfclub Golf Club at Magnolia Landing McArthur Golf Club
NEW APPRENTICES
The South Florida PGA would like to welcome the following new apprentices to the Section: Daniel Augustine Jeffrey Gowell Sang Hwang Joshua Jeffers
B-8 B-8 B-8 B-8
APPRENTICE LEVELS
Bonita Bay Club East The Club @ Renaissance Ballen Isles C C Pelican Marsh Golf Club
PASSED
John Chambers Landon Comeau, PGA Adam DeArmond Nathan Dobbins Luke Frazier, PGA Shawn Hall, PGA Joseph Kern Daniel Lanman David Leonard, PGA Dean Marolf Scott Turner, PGA
Palmetto Pine Country Club Island Country Club The Forest Country Club Banyan Golf Club of Palm Beach Turtle Creek Club Ballen Isles C C The Indian River Club Okeechobee Golf & Country Club Golf Club at Magnolia Landing Grand Lacuna Golf & C.C McArthur Golf Club
R3 R3 R1 R1 R3 R3 R1 R2 R3 R3 R3
Erik Zinn
Sombrero Country Club
R2
IN MEMORY OF
Ray Montgomery, PGA passed away April 12, 2011 at the age of 86. Ray is survived by his wife Gertrud Montgomery. The South Florida PGA sends its condolences to the Montgomery family.
HALF CENTURY CLUB
Congratulations to PGA member Eddie Famula, who was just 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.
QUARTER CENTURY CLUB
Congratulations to PGA members Gary Axelrod, Donnie Green, Bob Lies, Leo McMahon, Barry Phillips, and Rick Wiebe, 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.
DO YOU HAVE A CHILD HEADED TO COLLEGE?
Annually the PGA of America grants financial assistance to children of PGA Members meeting the established criteria. Last year $300,000 was granted to over 170 students across the country. For more information click here.
RECEIVE UPDATES VIA TEXT
The South Florida PGA is rolling out a new service this Spring allowing PGA Professionals and Apprentices to receive tournament updates via text. Simply text “PGATourny” to 69050 to receive updates on event deadlines, partnership announcements, event updates, etc. In addition, event participants will be able to receive updates from every event they enter. For example, if you are entered in the Pro-Official, simply text “Pro-Official” to 69050 to receive updates on pairings, results, partners, rain delays, etc. Key words for each event will be e-mailed to each event registrant after the deadline. Please contact the Section office with any questions.
PURCHASE YOUR PLAYER’S CARD
South Florida PGA Professionals and Apprentices wishing to play in three or more Section proonly events are required to purchase a Tournament Player’s Card. The following events apply: Global Golf Sales Tournament Series #1, #2, #3, Southeast PGA Classic presented by Callaway Golf, E-Z-GO South Florida Open, Pro-Pro Championship presented by Polo and Section Championship presented by TaylorMade-adidas. It is important to note that you must purchase your Player’s Card prior to registering for any events or the system will not recognize that you
contact information SOUTH FLORIDA SECTION, PGA OF AMERICA 186 Atlantis Boulevard Atlantis, FL / 33462 PHONE / FAX 561-729-0544 / 561-729-0914 EMAIL sflorida@pgahq.com WEBSITE www.sfpgagolf.com PRESIDENT Stephen A. Cox, PGA VICE PRESIDENT Brian Peaper, PGA SECRETARY Warren Bottke, PGA IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Jeff Raimer, PGA SOUTHERN CHAPTER PRESIDENT Mark VanDyck, PGA SOUTHEAST CHAPTER PRESIDENT Rick Heard, PGA SOUTHWEST CHAPTER PRESIDENT Ben Bryant Jr., PGA ISLAND CHAPTER PRESIDENT Brian Shaver, PGA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Geoff Lofstead ADVISORY BOARD Paul Anderson Dean Baker Rick Bayliss Ed D’Alessandro, PGA Ira Kaplan Jim Maitland Jim O’Connor Craig Perna Steve Sponder Harry Tempkins Roger Woonton
2
chip shots section news
have purchased one. Please click here to purchase your Player’s Card online.
NEW POLICY APPROVED FOR 2011 TOURNAMENT SEASON
The playing grace period for Members who become unemployed has been extended from 90 days to 12 months (from time member becomes unemployed). The Member must remain in an active classification during this grace period in order to keep tournament eligibility. Members will automatically lose eligibility for the grace period if they participate in (2) two or more SFPGA recognized Tour and/or mini-Tour events while not meeting Section employment eligibility guidelines. Please click here for all Tournament Policies.
SFPGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP DATE & SITE CHANGE
Since the Red/Green calendar was printed and mailed, there has been one change. The 2011 South Florida PGA Professional Championship will be contested at Mayacoo Lakes Country Club on September 28th – 29th instead of Bear Lakes Country Club which was previously advertised.
SFPGA TO CONDUCT FIRST EVER WOMEN’S ONLY PRO-PRO
The Polo Club of Boca Raton is set to host the 1st Annual Women’s Pro-Pro event supported by Global Golf Sales and Cutter & Buck to be contested on Friday, May 20th. Teams may be comprised of any two female SFPGA members or registered Apprentices. Following play, lunch will be provided and a cracker barrel session will take place with the Section officers. Please click here to register online.
PRO-ASSISTANT NOW A SECTION AFFAIR
The Pro-Assistant Championship presented by Cutter & Buck and supported by Golf Buddy, Mizuno and Global Golf Sales will no longer be contested as a statewide event but will instead be for just South Florida PGA Members and Apprentices. The event will remain a 36-hole four-ball stroke play competition with the same eligibility guidelines played over two days (June 6th & 7th) with a player luncheon taking place after round one. St Andrews Country Club in Boca will be hosting the event. Please click here to register online.
RECEIVE FASTER
TOURNAMENT
WINNINGS
All PGA Professionals and Apprentices participating in Section and Chapter activities will have the ability to have his/her winnings directly deposited into their checking or savings accounts. Please click here to download the form.
DO YOUR TOURNAMENT WINNINGS NEED TO BE PAID TO A CORPORATION? If your tournament winnings need to be paid to a corporation instead of to yourself:
1. It is important that you completely fill out all the corporation information correctly while registering online. If the information is not complete, then your corporation will not be paid. 2. You can even have your corporation paid when mailing in your entry - just make note of it on the paper entry form before mailing into the PGA of America. 3. Notify the Section office with all your corporation information. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the tournament office at (561) 7290544.
Schedule: 9:00AM-12PM: Section education program 12PM - 1:00PM: Lunch 1:00 - 4:00PM: Annual meeting 4:00-5:30PM: Cocktail reception
NEW SECTION WEBSITE
We are very excited to announce our new website www.sfpgagolf. com. This new website offers video capabilities, photo galleries, links to our social media sites and easy tournament registration. Check out the site for MSR opportunities, the latest news, or information on all Section Partners.
SENIOR EVENT UPDATES
NEW AGE DIVISIONS New age division separations (50-64 / 65-74 / 75+) have been created for the South Florida Open, Senior Section Championship and Florida State Senior Open. Each division will play from a different set of tees. Due to the separation of tees, a player wishing to compete for the overall championship who does not fall within the 50-64 age division, may at the time of entry declare their intention to play for the overall championship and compete from the back tees while also competing in his division. EXAMPLE: A player who is 65 years old who wishes to compete for the overall championship may do so by playing from the back tees but will also be competing against those in the 65-74 age division for prize money. SENIOR DIVISIONS ADDED A senior division has been added to the Southeast PGA Classic, Global Golf Sales Tournament Series #1 and Global Golf Sales Tournament Series #3. Players are permitted to compete in both the Senior and Championship divisions (double-dip) while competing from the back tees. Separate tees will be provided for those seniors wishing only to compete within the Senior division. The Senior division must have at least 15 participants in order to be contested.
CLASS F RESOLUTIONS
Class F Status Update The Delegates of the Special Meeting at the PGA Spring Conference of Leaders held March 30 in St. Louis, voted to approve changes to the Class “F” Recovery Process and the length of time a member may remain in Class “F”. The two Resolutions that were approved will officially become part of the PGA Constitution and Bylaws on July 1, 2011. The approval of the first Resolution allows members who are in Class “F” to transfer out of Class “F”, once the deficit MSR and an amount equal to the deficit in the new period is earned. The approval of the second Resolution allows members who are in Class “F” to remain in that classification status for only one period.
ANNUAL MEETING FAST APPROACHING
The Section’s Annual Meeting will be Monday, May 9th at the Marriott Heron Bay. The meeting will have officer, executive director and career consultant reports, candidate speaking opportunity, and officer election.
3
chip shots
PRO’S ON THE GO
PRO
TO
Jason Malcolm Malcolm Hood Guy Carroll Richard McGee
unattached A-13-Okeeheelee Golf Crs, West Palm Bch A-1 – Carolinas Section A-4 – West Palm Beach Golf Crs. WPB
FACEBOOK & TWITTER
Are you on Facebook? Do you tweet? Join the conversation with the South Florida PGA Section, the SFPGA Junior Tour presented by the Honda Classic, or even the SFPGA GolfPass!
SFPGA Section
Junior Tour
SFPGA GolfPass
FROM A-1 – Old Marsh GC, West Palm Bch A-13 – Carolinas Section A-1 – The Club Pelican Bay, Naples A-6 – Southwinds GC, Boca Raton
THIS YEAR’S PRO-AM
Are you interested in playing in a Pro-Am? Well, look no further than the South Florida Senior Open Pro-Am. Don’t let the name of the event fool you, it’s open to Professionals and Amateurs of ANY age. Your team entry fee of $340 covers your golf and player BBQ following play. Top finishing Professionals in each division (under 50, 50-59, 60-69, 70+) will receive cash prizes while the top finishing amateurs will receive golf shop gift certificates. Worried your game might be a little rusty after the long winter? Well for the team competition, par is partner for the professional, meaning the worst score a pro can get for his/her team is par. So, if you’re interested in bringing a team to Jonathan’s Landing on May 11th and treating your members to a tremendous day of golf, please click here to sign up online today or for a printable entry form, click here. We look forward to seeing you in Jupiter.
quote of the month
“If there is any larceny in a man, golf will bring it out.” Paul Gallico sports writer
4
education
REMINDER: the current MSR cycle ends June 15, 2011
MSR Opportunities - education -
Section: Monday, May 9 : 8am-12 Location: Marriott Coral Springs Subject: Ron Garl; noted golf course architect will share his knowledge of the industry and current opportunities for PGA members.
Annual Meeting Elections Election Information
South Florida PGA Section Annual Meeting Monday, May 9th Location: Marriott Coral Springs
* President: Brian Peaper running unopposed
Annual Meeting Schedule: 9:00AM-12PM: Section education program 12PM - 1:00PM: Lunch 1:00 - 4:00PM: Annual meeting 4:00-5:30PM: Cocktail reception Southern Chapter Monday, May 23rd – 9 – 11:45 AM – Heron Bay Golf Club Subject: TBD Registration and breakfast will begin at 8:30 AM, lunch and golf event immediately following
* Running for Secretary: Chad Kurmel, PGA
* Vice President: Warren Bottke running unopposed
* Running for Secretary: Jeff Nixon, PGA
Dear Fellow PGA Professional,
Dear Fellow PGA Professionals,
I would like to ask for your support and vote at the upcoming Annual Meeting of the Membership for the South Florida PGA Section. I am seeking the seat of Secretary. The meeting will be held on Monday, May 9th at the Marriott at Heron Bay in Coral Springs. As per Section guidelines, absentee ballots will be available for active PGA members in good standing that will not be able to attend the meeting. I am currently the Section Tournament Committee Chairperson and have held this position since June of 2009.
My name is Jeff Nixon and I have held the position of education chairmen in the Southwest Florida chapter since 2009. I am currently the section Growth of the Game Chairman and have held this position since March of 2006. While serving at this position, I have had the opportunity to listen to the concerns of the members in our section. I am also on the National Play Golf America Committee where I have witnessed governance at its highest level within the PGA.
Sitting on the Executive Board for the last couple of years, I have been able to listen to the concerns of the PGA Professionals in our Section. This has given me the opportunity to be part of the decision making process on policies that we have in our Section that affect all of our Members and Apprentices. You are the lifeblood of the organization. You thoughts and concerns are what matter the most. My goal is to take your concerns and act upon them. This organization can only get better from your input and I will listen and take action. Thank you for your consideration and it would be an honor to serve you as your Section Secretary. Respectfully, Chad Kurmel, PGA Certified PGA Professional - Golf Operations and Retail Don Law Golf Academy Cell Phone: 954-857-5698
* Running for Secretary:
If you would so honor me with your support and vote, I am seeking the seat of Secretary for the South Florida Section. The meeting will be held on Monday, May 9th at the Marriot at Heron Bay in Coral Springs. Absentee ballots will be available for active PGA members in good standing that will not be able to attend the meeting. It would be an honor to serve you and I look forward to your vote. Respectfully, Jeff Nixon, PGA Director of Golf Del Tura Country Club Work: (239) 731-7814 Cell: (239) 229-3623
Mark Vandyck, PGA My Fellow South Florida PGA Members and Apprentices, For those of you who do not know me, my name is Mark VanDyck and I am the PGA Director of Golf at the Fort Lauderdale Country Club. I have been employed at FLCC for over 15 years, with the last 11 as the Golf Professional. During this time, I have had the pleasure of meeting many of you at Section tournaments and meetings. With the encouragement of my family and the Fort Lauderdale Country Club, I am writing you today to ask for your support in this year’s election for Section Secretary. Below is a “snap shot” bio of my professional awards, positions, and formal education: • Southern Chapter PGA Golf Professional of the Year, 2009 • South Florida PGA Finance Chairman, 2009-present • Southern Chapter PGA Vice President, 2009-present • Southern Chapter PGA Bill Strausbaugh Award winner, 2008 • Southern Chapter PGA Tournament Chairman 2007-2009 • South Florida PGA Tournament Committee 2005, 20072009 • Titleist Customworks Club Specialist September 2007-present • Titleist Master Staff Member, 2004-present • Mizuno Certified Professional Club Fitter, November 2002-present • Titleist Custom Club Fitting Specialist, April, 1998 • PGA of America, Golf Professional Training Program Elected to PGA Membership, August 1998 • University of Central Florida, Bachelor of Science
Engineering
Technology,
December
1994
Volunteering my time and effort to the Southern Chapter and the Section has been very fulfilling and a privilege. I now look to put forth all my time and effort towards our great Section as an officer. However, in order for me to do this, I need your support and vote. The Southern Chapter has not had a Section Officer in over 10 years. Uortunately, during this time, tournament and event participation at the Section level has declined. Looking towards the future, I feel that if we as a Section can be governed by PGA officers encompassing all our Chapters, we will have the best chance to make the necessary decisions for all the PGA members and apprentices of the Section. If accomplished, I feel participation from all the Chapters will increase significantly for the Section as a whole, thus allowing the Membership to professionally network with one another. I hope to see you all at the Annual Meeting of the Membership at Heron Bay on May 9th. Sincerely, Mark VanDyck, PGA Director of Golf at Fort Lauderdale Country CluB
5
chip shots Golfing Fore Autism Golfing Fore Autism now runs two sessions, 6;30 till 7:30 and 7:30 till 8:30 on Friday nights at the range and putting green. Programs run on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month. The next session is Friday May 13, 2011. Hugh Keogh says:
“Having Gary as a part of our support community has been awesome. Now the kids and their families are coming on their own to his GB Center to improve their game, get some exercise and have family fun. The families are making friends, socializing, going out for ice cream after golf on Friday night, and learning the greatest game in the world. It has been fabulous. We have numerous positive comments from the parents.� The Golfing Fore Autism Program is a program for children with autism and autism related disabilities. SFPGA Professional Gary Braeseke has been one of the primary driving forces behind the success of the Golfing Fore Autism Program.
For more information, join Golfing Fore Autism on Facebook. For information on how you can help, please contact Hugh Keough at hkeolaw1@gmail.com.
Since last November Golfing Fore Autism hosted eight Friday night golfing events at Gary's GB Golf Center. The kids experiences have been nothing short of awesome. A parent and fellow Board Member, Ms. Stacey Houglund, whose sons take lessons from Gary, suggested that we start a golfing program for middle and high school kids who are on the autism spectrum to increase their socialization skills, improve their self esteem, and introduce them to a lifetime sport. Ms. Houglund believed Gary had the perfect temperament and positive attitude to take on such a challenge. Gary was approached with the idea of Friday nights at the range and he was 'all in.' The National Alliance for Accessible Golf agreed to fund the program and generously awarded a starter grant. The program first started with about 8 middle schoolers on a Friday night in November. By December Golfing Fore Autism was up to two sessions per Friday night serving a total of about 20 kids who have autism, plus their siblings and parents. It is really a total family affair. Quite often when kids with autism go to therapies, the siblings have to sit and wait till it is over. With golf, the sibs get to play and even some of the parents are stepping up to try the game.
6
chip shots A Note From China they have a Western restaurant as well as a Chinese restaurant, so I might be able to put on the 15 or so pounds that I have lost since I have been here. My office is on the second floor of the driving range and overlooks the practice tee. Debbie and my daughter (Erin) are planning to come and visit the second week in July which will be great to see them as I miss both of them. Also with this move it's one step closer to having Debbie and one of our dogs (Cassie the Great Dane) join me in China! Qingyuan is in Guangdong Province, it's an hour to Guangzhou which is the third largest city in China. This province has the most develop golf courses in China. Mission Hills which is the largest club in the world with 12 course is about 1 ½ hours away from here. Southeast China is more developed than Northeast China and is about 10 years ahead of Northeast China as far as Golf. SFPGA Professional Vic Carder with three of his best junior players in China!
PGA Professional Vic Carder lives and works in China teaching golf, and recently accepted a new position with the Lion Lake Country Club. Read on for his latest update: “I am proud to announce that I have been named the Director of Golf of Lion Lake Country Club, a 27 hole resort / country club that soon will be 36 holes. It's Troon Golf first management contract in China and was named best new design course in 2009 and best club in 2010 in China. There will be a 350 room Sheraton Hotel that will open in November of this year that's on the property. If you look on the website you can see some great photos of it and they have an English version that you can click on. The Clubhouse is over 160,000 sq. ft. and has a two level driving range that's over 350 yards deep with a real grass tee to practice off of, which is something that most clubs don't have.
It’s a very exciting time to be here as golf is growing daily and there will be many opportunies for PGA Golf Professionals here in the coming years. Tiger Woods, was just here in this province just after the Masters, to help promote Nike Golf. One of the juniors that played a few holes with him is a member at Lion Lake and at 12 years old a very good player who won the 15 and under age group at the Aaron Baddeley Tournament last year. As you can tell I very excited about this new position!” To send Vic a note of congratulations, email him at viccarder@aol.com. If you are interested in opportunities abroad, please contact Phil Berry at pberry@ pgahq.com or (770) 592-2771.
We have 130 caddies and I will also have 30 other people working under me in the golf operation, they want me to spend about 40% of my time teaching, 30% in operations and 30% in retail. My last day in Northeast China will be May 15th and I will fly to Qingyuan the next day to start on the 16th. This Club hosts the Aaron Baddeley International Junior Tournament around Thanksgiving and will have some of the best juniors in the world playing. I very excited to again be on a course where I can smell the grass in the morning. It's something that I have really missed being at a driving range and I will be able to play golf again as I have only played 4 times since moving here in October. The climate is about the same as Naples (YEA!!!!!), no more teaching when the golf balls have ice on them. The course is wall to wall paspalum, and is groomed to American standards. I'll have a furnished apartment on the course so I can just drive a golf cart to and from work each day. The superintended is from Kerry Ireland, close to Ballybunion. I have been talking to him every few days and look forward to working with him. The club will feed me three meals a day and
The clubhouse at Lion Lake Country Club in China
7
tournament news Pro- Official
The team of Alan Morin, PGA of the Falls Country Club and his amateur partner Dean Baker shot a 15 under par 57 to capture the net division of the 2011 Pro-Official Championship presented by Club Car and Tee-Links Marketing & supported by Antigua and Mobile Pro Shop. Additionally, the team of John Mullen, PGA of the Polo Club of Boca Raton and his amateur partner Peter Koslow won the gross division in a scorecard playoff after firing a 7 under par 65. Finishing second in the gross division was the team of Jason Hrynkiw, PGA of Gleneagles Country Club and his amateur partner, Bruce Allman. The event consisted of 60 teams, comprised of one South Florida PGA Professional and one official from the Professional’s place of employment, playing in a best ball competition. Special thanks to PGA Members Tom Dyer and Kelli Kostick and PGA Apprentices Justin Onken, Eric Mabee and Travis Olson at Old Marsh Golf Club in West Palm Beach for hosting the event. For complete results from the Pro Official Championship presented by Club Car & Tee-Links Marketing, visit the SFPGA website at www.sfpgagolf.com.
L to R: Geoff Hoffman, Bill Gordon, Bill Shaver, Don Barthe, David Kelly
Nelson Cup Matches The host Southwest Chapter won the 17th annual South Florida PGA Nelson Cup Matches Presented by TaylorMade adidas Ashworth at LaPlaya Golf Course. It was the eighth time in the last 13 meetings that club professionals from the Southwest Chapter have triumphed. Special thanks to La Playa Golf Course for hosting the event and to Head PGA Professional Scott Richardson.
8
Junior-Senior Championship
Brian Peaper and Jason Hrynkiw combined for a 10 under par 61 to win the 10th annual South Florida PGA Section Senior-Junior Championship at The Links @ Boynton Beach, supported by Global Golf Sales, the PGA TOUR and The Links at Boynton Beach. Special thanks to The Links at Boynton Beach and Professionals Daniel Hager, Thomas Durick, Brian Gurzynksi, John Scott, Ron- L to R: Steve Sponder of Global Golf Sales, PGA Member Brian Peaper, Jason ald Tapper, David Winslow and Richard Hrynkiw and Dan Hager, PGA (EMPLOYEE) Novak for hosting a great event. Thanks to our supporting sponsors Global Golf Sales, the PGA TOUR and The Links at Boynton Beach.
More Pics from April’s Tournaments
9
tournament news Junior Tour #2 & #3 Presented by:
Supported by:
The South Florida PGA Junior Tour presented by the Honda Classic hosted Event #2 at Santa Lucia River Club in Port St. Lucie. The championship golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus provided a true test of golf ability for all competitors. The Overall Boys Champion came down to a sudden death playoff in which Hunter O’Mahony of Tequesta, edged out Michael Anderson of Parkland in an exciting finish. Both finished with a twoday score of 152. Coming in third, only 1 shot behind, was Christian Tepley of Palm City. Alexandra Papell of Boca Raton was victorious as the Overall Girls Champion with a final score of 162. Papell snuck by Saturday’s leader, Epiphany Prophet of Haileah, by 1 stroke. Radi Sauro of Lake Worth, finishing third, was nothing but consistent scoring 83-83.
L to R: Alexandra Papell, PGA Professional Mike McLellan, Head Professional at Santa Lucia Golf Club, Hunter O’Mahony
The Boys 12-13 Age Division was not short on great play as Andrew Kozan of Palm Beach Gardens finished on top of the leaderboard with a two-day score of 155. Ford Malmin of West Palm Beach, Saturday’s leader, fought hard until the finish for second place. Ty Strafaci of Davie, finished third with a 163. In the Girls 12-13 Age Division, the winner came down to a match of cards, between Story Shaw of West Palm Beach and Emily Faulkner of Palm City. Shaw came out victorious after a Sunday round of 83. Zora Gittens finished third with a twoday score of 177.
The South Florida PGA Junior Tour is proudly presented by The Honda Classic and supported by Allianz Championship, Club Med Golf Academy, Don Law Golf Academy, Palm Beach County Sports Commission, The Men’s Fun Group at Mirasol, and Titleist. The South Florida PGA Junior Tour presented by the Honda Classic hosted Event #3 at Indian Spring Country Club in Boynton Beach this weekend. The event featured 104 golfers playing 36 holes on the East course. The Overall Girl’s Champion came down to a sudden death playoff in which Claudia De Antonio of Weston edged out Annie Dulman of Palm Beach Gardens on the third playoff hole. Both finished with a two-day score of 149 and provided a nail biting end to a great weekend. Coming in third was last event’s winner, Alexandra Papell of Boca Raton, finishing with a 151. Derron Peyton of Boynton Beach won the Boy’s Overall Champion with a 138, the low round for the entire tournament. Drew Maglio of Palm Beach Gardens and Sean Smothers of Coconut Creek both finished with a 143, bringing our 2nd and 3rd place down to a match of cards in which Maglio’s back nine score won him 2nd place. The Boys 12-13 Age Division was not short on great play as Andrew Kozan of Palm Beach Gardens made a par putt to finish 1 stroke ahead of Saturday’s leader, Charlie Kennerly of Jupiter. Kozan’s 147 secured his second victory in a row on the South Florida PGA Junior Tour. L to R: Claudia DeAntonio, Bill Smith (General Manager), Mike In the Girls 12-13 Age Division, Emily Faulker shot a 73 on Sunday to take a five stroke lead over her competitors for a final 2-day score of 155. Alexa McLellan (Head Professional), Derron Peyton Popowitz of Boca Raton, and Story Shaw of West Palm Beach finished strong with rounds of 160 and 162 respectively.
10
chapter news On Monday, April 25 the Southwest Florida Chapter PGA held their Spring Meeting at Pelican’s Nest Golf Club. Following their business meeting awards were presented to the Golf Professionals and monies raised during their 31st Annual Tournament of Charities were distributed. This year the Tournament of Charities raised $55,571 for charity. The following amounts were given: $8,000 Southwest Florida Addiction Services (SWFAS) $8,000 Florida Gulf Coast University Men’s & Women’s Golf Teams $8,000 Florida Gulf Coast University Professional Golf Management Program $4,000 Southwest Florida Junior Golf $4,000 Collier Junior Golf 13, $1,000 Scholarships were given to high school seniors in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties - Isabella Cavallo Lehigh Senior HS, Mariel Rickert - Bishop Verot HS, Taylor Surprenant - Saint John Neumann HS, Kelsey Fallisch - Mariner HS, Andrea Groch - Barron Collier HS, Katie McLaughlin - HomeSchool, Steven Reynolds - Bishop Verot HS, John Hernandez - Bishop Verot HS, Matthew Taylor - Barron Collier HS, Nikolas Clodfelter - Riverdale HS, Austin Lee - Bishop Verot HS, Eric Duda - Riverdale HS The following awards were presented to the PGA Professionals: Bill Strausbaugh (Club Relations) – Charlie Vetter, Kelly Greens G& CC Merchandiser of the Year – Private – Philip Arrowsmith, Club at Grandezza Merchandiser of the Year – Public – Mike Dopslaff, Arrowhead Golf Club Merchandiser of the Year – Resort – Jim Feipel, Tiburon Golf Club Assistant of the Year – Patrick Doyle, The Quarry Jr. Golf Leader - Tom O’Brien, Rick Smith Golf Acedemy Teacher of the Year- Andy Scott, Kelly Greens Golf & Country Club Vince Smith (Low Stroke Average) – Gene Feiger, Hideout Golf Club Henry B Watkins – Phil Olive, Callaway Golf Horton Smith (Education) – Marty Hall, FGCU Player of the Year – John Lee, Imperial Golf Professional of the Year – Peter Beringer, Wildcat Run Golf and Country Club Also announced were the results from the election. The Southwest Chapter PGA Board of Directors is as follows: President, Ben Bryant Vice President, Dan Gawronski Secretary, Christian Sheehan Treasurer, Kevin Kuehl
11
education rules with drew
Line of Play
So I drive over to the group just as they are walking off the green of the par three and even though they were still out of position I thank them for increasing their pace. Then I approach the two players whose caddies I saw standing behind them while they were making a stroke. I inform them that it is against the rules to allow your caddie to stand behind you while a stroke is being made. Both players had a look of confusion on their face when I told them this and then one of the caddies said, “Yes you are.” I said, “No, unfortunately the rules do not permit that action.” The caddie responds, “Yes you can. And you can stand in front of the player during a stroke too.” He said it so matter of factly that I have to admit, the comment did made me smirk a little. That would have to be one brave caddie who positions himself in front of his player while a stroke is being made. All kidding aside, it appeared they were not going to take my word for it and I was going to have to show them the rule in the book. Unfortunately I had left my rules book in my car, so I told them to continue playing while I retrieved the book.
SFPGA TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR ANDREW MILLER
Last week I administered a Player Ability Test at Spring Run Golf Club in Bonita Springs. While working the event I was presented with some interesting rulings. A player took a swing at his ball but missed and wondered if the stroke still counted because he hadn’t grounded his club. Another player had his ball go into a storm sewer which was out of bounds and the player asked if he needed to proceed under Rule 27-1. There were even some players who failed to discontinue play after a siren was signaled for inclement weather. But there was one particular ruling that shined above them all which is why I chose to highlight it in this month’s rules segment. The incident happened immediately after I had spoken with a group about their slow play. I told the group they were out of position and if they didn’t pick up the pace I would be forced to put them on the clock. I drove away and positioned my cart several hundred yards away where I could still see the group and monitor their pace but far enough away as to not be a distraction. While I was watching I saw something that made me frown my brow and wonder if my eyes were playing tricks on me. A player walked up onto the tee of a par 3 and his caddie took position behind him to help line him up. The player took his stance and the caddie didn’t move. The player took several waggles and the caddie still didn’t move. Normally, I try to help players avoid penalties but I wasn’t about to scream across two fairways to stop this apparent rules infraction. The player made his swing without the caddie moving an inch. As there wasn’t a whole lot I could do from my current location I continued to watch and to my amazement I watched another competitor and his caddie do the exactly the same thing. I have come to learn that rules breaches are contagious. If one player assumes an action is legit, the rest of the group does too and inevitably they all end up breaching the same rule.
I was able to catch up with them on the next green and show them Rule 14-2b which states, “In making a stroke, a player must not allow his caddie, his partner or his partners caddie to position himself on or close to an extension of the line of play or the line of putt behind the ball.” The caddie handed the book back to me and said, “Yea, but that is not what we were doing.” Now, I was the one with the look of confusion on my face. I asked, “Did you not just say 10 minutes ago that a players caddie is allowed to stand behind him while a stroke is being made?” He admitted making the comment but reiterated that that is not what they were doing. The caddie stated that he was standing to the side and not behind when the stroke was made. I said from my vantage point it appeared that you were standing behind your player while he made a stroke. I asked again, “Were you standing behind your player while he made a stroke?” The caddie shrugged his shoulders. I told him you either did or didn’t. He again shrugged his shoulders. I reminded the players that golf is a game of honor and integrity. As you can tell from my choice of words I was getting frustrated with the whole situation. Seeing that the players were not going to budge and they were falling further behind, I told them to continue playing and we would discuss it further in the scoring area. There are a couple of things I would like to point out in Rule 14-2b. First, you will notice that the rule does not say directly behind the line of play or line of putt. It just says, behind. So the defense of, “I wasn’t standing directly behind,” holds no water. Next, for further clarification let’s take a look in the definitions section under line of play. The line of play, “is the direction that the player wishes his ball to take after a stroke, plus a reasonable distance on either side of the intended direction.” So basically, if the caddie, partner or partners caddie has positioned himself anywhere in the general area behind the player while a stroke is being made, the player is in breach of the rule. It is the caddie’s responsibility to eliminate the appearance
12
rules cont. of evil. Meaning, he needs to be nowhere near the area behind the player while a stroke is being made. When the caddie fails to do this, situations like the one described above result. My reason for giving you the play by play of this particular situation was not to damage the reputation of a couple of players but to reiterate that 90% of the time rules officials are not there to play judge or jury but merely to inform and educate the players on the rules. From my vantage point, I was in no position to be absolutely certain that the caddie was positioned behind the player. But as an official, it is my duty to bring an apparent breach to the attention of the players. Will we ever know if the caddie was standing behind his player during the stroke? Probably not. But, I can promise you these players walked away from this situation having a better understanding and respect for Rule 14-2b.
Due to the increase in membership of the Junior Tour and speed in which our current events are filling up, the Board of Directors has approved an additional 4 events for the 2011 season. Registration for these events opened May 2nd at 9am. We anticipate these events to sell out, and sell out quickly. All events will be 84 field events, and open to specific age divisions.
Junior Tour Event # 14 June 29-30 @ Old Marsh Golf Club Boys 14-18 Junior Tour Event # 15 July 13-14 @ Ft Lauderdale Country Club Girls 12-18 and Boys 12-13 Junior Tour Event # 16 July 28-29 @ Atlantis Golf Club Boys 14-18 Junior Tour Event # 17 August 13-14 @ The Polo Club of Boca Raton Girls 12-18 and Boys 12-13
upcoming events Wednesday, May 4 Global Golf Sales Series #1 at Quail Valley Golf Club Thur - Fri, May 5-6 2010 SFPGA Professional Championship at Quail Valley Golf Club Presented by Titleist, FootJoy, Club Car & Mercedes-Benz Supported by The PGA TOUR Wednesday, May 11 South Florida Senior Open Pro Am at Jonathan’s Landing - Fazio Thur - Fri, May 12-13 South Florida Senior Open Presented by Powerchute Software TM at Jonathan’s Landing - Fazio Sat - Sun, May 14-15 Junior Tour #4 at The Vineyards Country club Presented by The Honda Classic Supported by Titleist, Don Law Golf Academy, Club Med Golf Academy, Palm Beach Sports Commission, Allianz Championship and The Fun Group at Mirasol Mon - Tues, May 16-17 Southeast PGA Classic at The Club at Emerald Hills Presented by Callaway Golf Supported by The PGA TOUR, Powerchute Software TM & Hilda Allen Real Estate Friday, May 20 Women’s Pro-Pro at The Polo Club Supported by THe PGA TOUR, Global Golf Sales, Cutter & Buck and Powerchute Software TM
13
a message from our partner KBS Shafts
Introducing the All New KBS Tour C-Taper Shaft Today KBS Tour™ is announcing the planned release for its brand new KBS C-Taper shaft, complete with a unique satin finish, for May 9th, 2011. The all-new C-Taper shaft, designed to complement the KBS Tour Series, optimizes the flexural rigidity through the taper and tip sections to promote lower launch and lesser spin without sacrificing the signature KBS feel. Inspired by feedback taken from Tour professionals worldwide, the KBS Tour C-Taper shaft will be available in limited shaft flexes at launch with additional options available in the near future. - - - - -
KBS TOUR C-TAPER HIGHLIGHTS: Constant taper design with unrestricted energy transfer Optimized taper and tip section for low launch and low spin performance Offered in S, S+, and XS flexes at launch with additional flexes in the near future Unique and highly durable satin finish texture Available starting Monday May 9th, 2011 via KBS Tour’s premiere network of dealers
According to renowned shaft designer Kim Braly, “The all-new C-Taper shaft design is based on feedback taken from Tour professionals worldwide. In order to complement our product offering for the world’s best golfers, the C-Taper is constructed for lower shot trajectory and less spin without sacrificing our signature KBS feel. The shaft will be very playable for quicker players though custom features will support a much wider audience.” Following the announcement, Rob Cheng, Director of Global Operations for FST chimed in saying, “The new C-Taper shaft is a natural complement for the KBS Tour series. Based on feedback from Tour professionals and core golfers, the all-new C-Taper shaft delivers the feel and performance a large segment of golfers are demanding from KBS. We firmly believe it will be a great complement to the KBS Tour shaft and a successful product.” Since being introduced in 2008 worldwide, KBS Tour™ shafts continue blazing a trail on Tour trusted by numerous players within the world's top 100. This season, KBS Tour™ shafts have now delivered 3 victories worldwide and several runner up finishes. Last year, KBS Tour™ shafts completed an outstanding year with 15 tournament victories, eight achieved on the PGA Tour. Formalized in 2007, KBS Tour shafts are the premiere brand of steel golf shafts designed and manufactured by FEMCO Steel Technology (FST) headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. Since 1949, FEMCO has remained committed to providing the highest quality steel products and services worldwide. Website: www.KBSshafts.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/KBSshafts Twitter: www.twitter.com/KBSshafts -Contact: Eric Hubbell - KBS Tour shafts erichubbell@FSTshafts.com (303) 444.2226 x12
14