MESSAGE FROM NEPGA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR It is hard to believe that July has arrived. Coming off one of the rainiest Junes in history we are all ready for it to as least feel like summer. The New England Sec- NEPGA Officers tion is running on all cylinders with Spring Chapter events, Section tournaments and educational programs seeing strong numbers, and our Junior Tour and Ama- Jim Noris, PGA teur Series are seeing record member numbers and great participation results. President [email protected] This past week 14 New England PGA Professionals headed west to Oregon for the playing of the 46th PGA Professional National Championship. We are very Larry Kelley, PGA proud of all the PGA Professionals that represented our Section so well, and I Vice President would like to congratulate Kirk Hanefeld, PGA and Jeff Martin, PGA for qualifying for the 2013 [email protected] PGA Championship at Oak Hill CC in August. Great job everyone! Susan Bond, PGA Last year we all heard about the New England Section’s commitment to Golf 2.0 and growing the Sec-Treasurer [email protected] game. Well, the commitment continues. PGA Professionals were on hand to give free lessons to the more than 20,000 spectators in attendance at the Boston Health and Fitness Expo, and NEPGA Professionals for the first time were at the CVS Charity Classic in Rhode Island to provide instruc- Steve Demmer, PGA th Honorary President tion. On June 25 PGA Professionals attended a Portland Sea Dogs Minor League baseball game [email protected] and grew the game by offering free instruction to those attending the game. Growing the game is not just limited to a driving range or a golf course. Our PGA Professionals are thinking outside the NEPGA Staff box. And I love it! Michael J. Higgins The clocks are counting down on the front page of www.nepga.com and as a reminder the dead- Executive Director [email protected] lines for this year’s Section Championships are quickly approaching. The NEPGA Championship Dave McAdams deadline is Tuesday, July 9th. The NEPGA Seniors Championship deadline is Tuesday, July 16th, Tournament Director and the NEPGA Assistant Championship deadline is Tuesday, July 23rd. Each event can be regis- [email protected] tered by logging into www.pgalinks.com or by calling the National office at 800-474-2776. Joan Stuart Accounting/Finance Director The New England Section is one of ten that have been chosen to conduct Drive Chip and Putt local [email protected] and sectional qualifiers. We have at least one local qualifier in each Chapter and we could really Ron Green, PGA use your help. Each event requires at least 10 volunteers to run a successful event. If your sched- Rules & Championships Director ule permits, we really could use your help. Please visit www.nepga.com/chipandputt and if your [email protected] schedule permits, please let the Section office know. Jacy Settles Junior Golf Operations Manager I know the off season feels light years away, but the Section is happy to announce some winter [email protected] playing opportunities for our Members and Apprentices. Our very successful Las Vegas Pro-Am Ben Vandal (which has grown in numbers for 11 straight years) is looking like a possible sell out in 2013. We Marketing & Communications are very excited to have scheduled the NEPGA Winter Pro-Pro the day following the PGA Mer- [email protected] chandise Show at the Reunion Resort in Orlando, Florida, and we hope to have a Florida Winter Chapter Tournament Managers travel Pro-Am and a Caribbean Winter Pro-Am. Be on the look-out for more details soon so you Dave Christy, PGA (VT) can plan some winter golf. [email protected] Tony Decker, PGA (ME) Our busy season is here, and the demand for your time has never been greater. Be sure to find [email protected] some time to play some golf with members, help grow the game, and spend as much time as you Mickey Herron, PGA (CC/RI) can with your family. [email protected] Please reach out to me if there is ever anything I can do, and I hope to see you soon. I hope every- Frank Swierz (NH) [email protected] one has a wonderful Independence Day and God Bless America! Respectfully yours, CONTENTS Member News 1-9 Michael Higgins Executive Director Ch. & Assoc. News 10-14 15 New England PGA Member Updates Follow us on Facebook & Twitter! 1 Front Nine Member News 2013 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS CHAMPIONSHIP REGISTRATION Congratulations to the 2013 PGA NEPGA Professional Championship (PNC) of America Financial Assistance Wannamoisett CC & Ledgemont CC Fund Scholarship recipients for the Mon-Wed, Aug 19-21, 2013 New England Section: Deadline: Tues. July 9, 2013 5PM Click HERE to view roster. Nicole A. Callahan - Westford, Mass. New England NEPGA Senior Professional Championship Marissa K. Cooper - Cumber- (SR PNC) land, R.I. New England Woodstock CC Jacqueline N. Del Bonis - North Wed-Thurs, Aug 7-8, 2013 Attleboro, Mass. New England Deadline: Tues. July 16, 2013 5PM Connor J. Green - Marblehead, Mass. New England Click HERE to view roster. Colin B. Hamilton - Harwich, Mass. New England Allison M. Wilkins - Laconia, N.H. New England NEPGA Assistant Championship Spring Valley CC Congratulations to Brendan Hall, the grand- Wed-Thurs, Sept 25-26, 2013 son of Jim O'Leary, PGA Head Professional at Deadline: Tues. July 23, 2013 5PM Oak Hill Country Club, who is the 2013 recip- Click HERE to view roster. ient of the Tom Murphy Scholarship. He will be entering his freshman year at Providence College in September. We wish him contin- PGA ANNUAL DUES REMINDER ued success as he begins his college experi- ence. The PGA of America annual dues deadline is Monday, July 1st! The fastest way to pay is to log on to PGALinks.com and The 2013 Ted O'Rourke Scholarship recipient choose “Click here to view, print and/or pay your dues in- is Ryan Fields, son of PGA Professional John voice” on the right sidebar. For any questions, please contact Fields who is the Director of Golf at Belmont the PGA Membership Services Department at (800) 474-2776. Country Club. Congratulations to Ryan who will be entering his freshman year at UMass Amherst in September. Click HERE to download the 2013 New DRIVE CHIP & PUTT VOLUNTEERS England Open The National Drive, Chip and Putt Competition Entry Form qualifiers are coming to a course near you, and we need volunteers! PGA Professionals will earn MSRs for their time. Please contact Ben Vandal at [email protected] if you are able to volunteer. Volunteers are needed on the following dates: THANK YOU TO OUR June 29 - 12PM-7M July 21 - 12PM-7PM 2013 JULY SPONSORS Windham CC (NH) Links at Lang Farm (VT) July 1 - 8AM-2PM July 22 - 11AM-5PM Blissful Meadows GC (MA) Val Halla Golf & Rec (ME) July 10 - 11AM-5PM July 28 - 11AM-5PM Granite Links GC (MA) Lebaron Hills CC July 16 - 10AM-4PM July 29 - 12PM-7PM The Bay Club (MA) Black Rock CC July 18 - 8AM-3PM Championship Triggs Municipal (RI) August 12 - Time: TBA Pinehills GC 2 NEPGA TOURNAMENT NEWS DEADLINE REMINDER: Entry deadlines So that’s the future, this is what happened last month. for the PNC, Senior Professional Champion- ship and Assistant Championship are immi- We made room on the Section schedule in June for several nent. Remember, you MUST enter these events conducted outside the New England PGA’s jurisdic- events through The PGA of America; if you tion. miss the deadline, the Section Office CAN Our contingent of qualifiers, including 2012 New England NOT help you. If you are planning on enter- Section Professional Champion Eddie Kirby, PGA and past ing any of these events, PLEASE, DO IT NOW! PNC winner Ron Philo, PGA head to the great Northwest for the 46th PGA Professional National Championship as it Deadlines are as follows: returns for a third time to the Sunriver Resort near Bend, NEPGA Professional Championship (PNC): Oregon on June 23-26. We will report the results next Deadline: Tuesday, July 9 at 5 PM month. NEPGA Senior Professional Championship: Additionally, a couple of the New England State Associations Deadline: Tuesday, July 16 at 5 PM conducted their Open Championships. The Massachusetts NEPGA Assistant Championship: Open, conducted by our friends at the Mass Golf Association, Deadline: Tuesday, July 23 at 5 PM took place at Woodland Country Club. Evan Harmeling won the Championship (donating his entire winning check to the While the Section tournament schedule was lighter than usual One Fund Boston) over Chris Fitzpatrick in a play-off. NEP- in June (see recap below) the month of July is going to get GA member Eddie Kirby, PGA finished in a tie for fourth busy. Let’s get you up to date on what is happening, and while Shawn Warren, PGA and Kirk Hanefeld, PGA were tied hopefully some, if not all of the dates can fit into your busy for tenth; they lead a group of eight New England PGA mem- schedules. bers who survived the cut. We start with one of the iconic events on the NEPGA sched- The following week at the Vermont Open at Lake Morey ule, the Pro-Pro Stroke Play Championship at Mount Pleasant Resort, Michael Welch came out on top in a three-man Country Club. The Harris Cup is on the line, Monday July 1. playoff to claim the title. Shawn Warren, PGA was the top Thank you to our returning sponsor Jeff DiBona. NEPGA finisher tying for eighth place.