Newsletter

What’s Inside? Carol McPhee To Retire in June Honda Classic Walk with a Pro Dennis Walters Visits Local Middle School New Association Directory App for Smart Phones

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Volume 25 No. 2 - March/April 2014

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SOUTh FLORIDA SECTION186 ATLANTIS BOULEvARDATLANTIS, FL / 33462

PhONE / FAX561-729-0544 / 561-729-0914

EMAILsflorida@pgahq.com

WEBSITEwww.sfpgagolf.com

PRESIDENTWarren Bottke, PGA

vICE PRESIDENTMark VanDyck, PGA

SECRETARYDon Meadows, PGA

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENTBrian Peaper, PGA

SOUThERN ChAPTER PRESIDENTBob Mallek, PGA

SOUThEAST ChAPTER PRESIDENTNeil Lockie, PGA

SOUThWEST ChAPTER PRESIDENTDan Gawronski, PGA

ISLAND ChAPTER PRESIDENTAaron West, PGA

EXECUTIvE DIRECTORGeoff Lofstead

ADvISORY BOARDPaul Anderson

Rick Bayliss

Steve Sponder

Ken Kennerly

Matt Lambert

Peter Lund

Joe Steranka

CONTACT USNEW APPRENTICESThe South Florida PGA would like to welcome the following new apprentices to

the Section:

Jonathon Sprague B-1 Crystal Lake Golf Club

Alan Gaw B-8 Royal Palm Country Club

James Perko B-8 Imperial Golf Club

Andrew Richardson B-8 Golf Club at Magnolia Landing

Matthew Sakers B-8 Lost Tree Club

Zachary Bolland B-8 Orchid Island Golf & Bch ClubJason George B-8 Gasparilla Inn Golf CourseChristopher Mazur B-8 Naples National Golf Club

PRO’S ON ThE GOPROFESSIONAL TO FROM

Hugh Matthis, PGA Philadelphia Section A-1 - The Fox ClubGreg Pickett, PGA unattached A-1 - Greynolds Park Golf CrsDavid Bartoe, PGA A-1 - Hideaway CC A-6 - Hideaway CCScott DeLong, PGA A-1 - Deering Bay Yacht & CC A-13 - Palm Aire CCVincent Grillo, PGA A-13 - Forest Oaks GC A-24 - First Tee Palm BeachJohn Gudauskas, PGA Carolinas Section A-1 Deering Bay Yacht & CCKraig Feighery, PGA A-13 - Alico Family Golf Ctr A-20 - Connecticut SectionBill Moser, PGA Life Member The Indian River ClubTom Vuicich, PGA Life Member Florida Atlantic UniversityGary Thullen, PGA Life Member Bonita Bay Naples

IN REMEMBERANCEWe offer our deepest sympathis to the family and friends of South Florida PGA Member Mark Zachary. Mark was elected to membership in 1991 and was a past president of the Southern Chapter. Most recently Mark was employed as a Teaching Professional at Miami Beach Golf Club.

QUARTER CENTURY CLUBCongratulations to PGA Professionals Michael Clark, John Sileno, and Gary Thullen who

were elected to the Quarter Century Club of the PGA of America, an elite group of members

who have served the PGA with honor and pride for 25 years

hALF CENTURY CLUBCongratulations to A. Fred Vann who was elected to the Half Century Club of the PGA of

America, an elite group of members who have served the PGA with honor and pride for 50

years

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ChIP ShOTS52 PGA PROFESSIONALS WALK WITh ThE PROS

On Wednesday, February 26, fifty-two South Florida PGA Pro-

fessionals volunteered their time to walk in The Honda Classic

Gold Pro Am presented by Tire Kingdom serving as pace of

play ambassadors, interacting with PGA Tour Professionals

and the amateurs in each group. This year was the eighth year

that South Florida PGA and The Honda Classic offered this

opportunity to PGA Professionals.

The Honda Classic is the presenting partner of the South

Florida PGA Junior Championship and Challenge Tours.

Thank you to all the PGA Professionals who volunteered their

time for this event:

Bill Balash, Kevin Battersby, Jason Beatty, Mark Beaulieu,

Dana Bennett, Tom Bishop, Barry Bonifield, Warren Bottke,

Mike Bove, Allen Brewer, Mark Cammarene, Steve Claw-

son, David Comstock, Christian Czaja, Chris David, Blake

Dickenson, Tommy Durick, Greg Gardner, John Gore, Sean

Gradomski, Jason Harris, Jose Hernandez, Malcolm Hood,

Steve Jablonowski, Dan James, Roger James, Mike Jonges, Don

Law, Dick LeConche, Mike Mann, Terry McDowell, Brendan

McHugh, Duncan McNabb, Brad Meekins, David Megliola, Bela Nagy, Bobby Petelinkar, Greg Pickett,

Bob Purcell, Trent Reeves, Will Reilly, Charles Smid, Bill Smith, John Spiteri, Trent Stewart, Ryan Sund-

berg, Steve Tague, Mark Thomas, Duke Trombetti, Peter Tyree, Susan Vail, and Craig Watson.

Christian Czaja, PGA and Brendon de Jonge

On Saturday, February 1, Olde Florida Golf Club hosted their Patriot Team Championship to raise money for the Folds of Honor Founda-tion. Through scholarships and other assistance, the foundation helps the spouses and children of fallen or disabled soldiers while serving the United States.

Over 80 participants played in the event in a format that used a “Patriot Ball” and one other best ball. Each player in the foursome used the “Patriot Ball” 4 times throughout the round and then added one other best ball for a team score. The Professionals at the event played in the same format. The event raised $15,720 for the Folds of Honor Foundation, which almost doubled their total from last year. Thank you to everyone who supported the event and the Folds of Honor. Congratulations to PGA Director of Golf, Tom Wildenhaus on a successful event.

OLDE FLORIDA GOLF CLUB hOSTS PATRIOT GOLF DAY

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Golf Florida Alliance – a collaboration of leading organizations representing all segments of the state’s golf industry – celebrated “Florida Golf Day” on February 13 at the State Capitol. Executive Director Geoff Lof-stead and Jim Butler, PGA, the Allied Association Representative for the CMAA and General Manager at Grey Oaks Country Club, were in attendance.

Members of the Golf Florida Alliance met with the House of Representatives and Senate to dis-cuss the industry’s economic impact, growth of youth development programs and enhanced sus-tainability procedures.

Attendees included the Club Managers Association of America (Florida Chapter); Florida Division of His-torical Resources; Florida Golf Course Superintendents Association; Florida State Golf Association; Florida State University PGA Golf Management Program; Florida Turfgrass Association; Golf Channel; Keiser Uni-versity College of Golf and Sport Management; LPGA; National Golf Course Owners Association; PGA of America (North and South Florida sections); PGA TOUR; The First Tee; USGA Green Section; World Golf Foundation; and World Golf Hall of Fame.

Based on a 2007 study commissioned by GOLF 20/20 and conducted by SRI International, the state’s direct golf economic impact is approximately $7.5 billion a year, supporting more than 167,000 jobs and $4.7 billion in annual wage income. Florida is home to more than 1,100 public and private golf course facilities, the most of any other state in America. In addition, Florida’s golf industry has a charitable impact of $312 million an-nually, raised through local outings and contributions from professional golf events.

“Florida’s golf industry has a huge influence on the state’s overall economy,” says Steve Mona, CEO of the World Golf Foundation. “Our unified message today about the importance of the game resonates well with legislative decision-makers and we look forward to growing interest and participation in the sport.” Florida hosted the “PGA Merchandise Show” and “Golf Industry Show” in Orlando earlier this year with thousands of attendees and exhibitors. In total, the state will host 17 professional golf tournaments in 2014: six PGA TOUR, three Champions Tour, one Web.com Tour, one LPGA Tour, one Legends Tour and five Symetra Tour events.

ANOThER SUCCESSFUL DAY AT ThE CAPITOL

Annually countless organizations support the South Florida PGA through section tourna-ments, junior golf and foundation activities. Without the support of our partners programs would not be as successful as they are. We would like to thank all of our returning partners and welcome new partners:

Ahead, Heritage Creations, Hertz, Inspired Style by Spanner, Insta-App, Johnson & Wales University, Natatlie’s Orchid Island Juice Company, and Travis Mathews

We hope that you will look to these partners along with all of our returning partners when making buying decisions at your facility. For a complete list of partners click here.

PARTNER NEWS

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Team Golf is growing in South Florida! 2013 was the first year the SFPGA operated Team Golf and it was a huge success. 19 teams coached by PGA Professionals and apprentices participated in the program impact-ing the lives of more than 195 junior golfers, hooking them on the game of golf.

Many ask what is Team Golf? Team Golf is a great way to introduce juniors to the game of golf in a team environment. The basic premise of Team Golf is to create a team atmosphere for young golfers, not much different than what you see in beginner soccer and baseball leagues. The program is designed for junior golfers ages 6-14 with beginning level golf experience. Team Golf offers an introduction to tournament play

through 9-hole team stroke play competition, and serves as a fun, social, less stressful approach to tournament golf. Team Golf is designed to be a “stepping stone” into individual stroke play tour-naments for those players who are learning the game.

Teams are comprised of six players that compete in each match. Each team of six players will be further broken up into three (3) two-person teams based on age divisions (6-10, 11-12, 13-14). Teams can be coed, but this is not mandatory. Plus, each age division does not need to be represented by a particular team at each event (for example, teams can be comprised of six 11-year-olds). There are

three sets of tees which range from 1400 yards to 2300 yards (depending on age and gender of the player).

In addition to impacting countless junior golfers, this program provides PGA members and apprentices with a unique opportunity to grow the game throughout the south Florida community. With each team being coached by a professional and/or apprentice Team Golf provides an additional source of income and clientele. Additional revenue is generated by engaging not only the juniors participating in the program but also their families through team practices, individual lessons, and food beverage.

This year the 2014 Team Golf season will kick off the week of June 9-13. Leagues will be broken up based on regions. 4-8 events will be scheduled in each region, with a season ending Team Golf Championship conducted as a sec-tion wide event. The last local event will be contested the week of August 11-15.

PGA Professionals are encouraged to create teams and partici-pate in this Section wide program. As mentioned above this a great opportunity to grow your junior program, showcase your facility, and expand overall revenue & clientele. For more information about Team Golf, please contact Tyler Wolford at 561-729-0544 or twolford@pgahq.com. More information about Team Golf can be found here.

TEAM GOLF WILL BEGIN SECOND SEASON

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STUDENTS RECEIvE A MESSAGE OF INSPIRATION FROM hONORY PGA MEMBER, DENNIS WALTERSClear skies and sunshine welcomed over 300 students and faculty at HL Watkins Middle School as they prepared to see Dennis Walters perform his show on Monday, March 10.

The show began with a special performance by Dennis’ dog, Bucky. Dennis then took the stage to show stu-dents his ability to hit golf balls while sitting in his swivel chair. Students were enthusiastic after each shot and enjoyed Dennis’ trick shots.

Outside of his impressive performance; it is Dennis’ message that is most important. His message of inspi-ration and perseverance is conveyed throughout his show; even though he does not have use of his legs, he can still do what he loves most, play golf!

Immediately following the show Jersey Mike’s was on site providing free lunch to all those who attended the show. Special thanks to Dennis Walters and his team, students & faculty at HL Watkins Middle School, and Jersey Mike’s for a wonderful day.

This year, The South Florida PGA Foundation will sponsor its third

Habitat for Humanity home build. The Foundation donated $50,000 to

help build a home for a family in Broward County. The home this year

is located in Oakland Park and construction will begin late May. Upon

ground breaking a complete schedule with volunteer opportunities will be

available, and we encourage SFPGA Members and members of the South

Florida community to come volunteer their time to assist with the building efforts.

SOUTh FLORIDA PGA WILL SPONSOR ThIRD hABITAT FOR hUMANITY hOME BUILD

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TOURNAMENT NEWSLEE RINKER QUALIFIES FOR ThE ALLIANZ

ChAMPIONShIP AND ThE ACE GROUP CLASSICOn Monday, February 3, the South Florida PGA held the Allianz Championship

qualifier at the Fountains Country Club in Lake Worth. Lee Rinker, PGA Direc-

tor of Golf at Emerald Dunes Golf Club, shot a 67 to move onto a playoff with

four other players for the final spot in the championship. After five holes, Rinker

shot 3-under including a birdie on the 5th hole to win the playoff over Chip Beck.

Playing in his third Allianz Championship, Rinker shot one over par to finish in

a tie for 59th place.

Lee Rinker continued his impressive play on Tuesday, February 11 by qualifying

for the ACE Group Classic by shooting a 70 at Old Corkscrew Golf Club. In the

event, Rinker finished tied for 23rd place by shooting 4-under par. Congratula-

tions to Lee on his great play in both events!Lee Rinker, PGA

MORIN COMPETED IN SEvENTh hONDA CLASSIC

WESTERLUND COMPETED IN FIRST PGA TOUR EvENT

Alan Morin,PGA, Assistant at the Falls Country Club, competed in his seventh Honda Classic on February 27-March 2 at PGA National Resort & Spa. Alan earned a spot in the event as a result of being named South Florida PGA 2013 Player of the Year.

Morin started out with a fi rst round 70 by making birdies on his fi nal two holes. He fi nished with a two-day total of 151 and missed the cut.

Congratulations to Alan on his success and we wish him luck in the upcoming season!

Winner of the 2014 South Florida PGA Section Championship, Jay Westerlund played in the Puerto Rico Open Championship presented by see puertorico.com on March 6-9 at Trump Inter-national Golf Club in Puerto Rico. Westerlund fi nished with a two-day total of 150 and missed the cut. Congratulations to Jay on competing in his fi rst PGA Tour event!

Alan Morin, PGA

Jay Westerlund, PGA

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On Saturday, March 22 the South Florida PGA conducted a suc-

cessful Play Golf America event during a Miami Marlins spring

training baseball game at Roger Dean Stadium. Although early

rain showers tried to disrupt play, mother nature provided blue

skies and sunshine for much of the afternoon. PGA members

were on-hand offering free lessons to fans prior to and during

the game. Over 40 individuals stopped by the hitting bay to

receive instruction during the three hour event.

We want to extend a special thanks to PGA Professionals who

volunteered their time and expertise: Bruce Brandt and Glenn

Hall.

PLAY GOLF AMERICA DAY AT ROGER DEAN STADIUM

GROWTh OF ThE GAMEPGA PROFESSIONALS

GIvE LESSONS ATALLIANZ ChAMPIONShIPDuring the Allianz Championship February 7-9,

PGA Professionals offered free 10-minute lessons

to the fans of the event. Over three days, our PGA

Professionals gave instruction to over 150 individ-

uals who ranged from beginners to more advanced

players. Special thanks to the PGA Professionals

who volunteered their time and expertise: Steve

Clawson, Glenn Hall, Paul Clivio, Christian Cza-

ja, Mike Bove, and Valerie Moore

STONEYBROOK GC OF ESTERO hOSTS PLAY GOLF AMERICA DAY

On Saturday, February 22, Stoneybrook Golf Course

of Estero hosted a Play Golf America Day. The day

started out with a trick shot exhibition from Kevin

Compare, PGA. In addition there was a junior golf

clinic, where instructors went through a stretching

routine with the kids and broke up into small groups

based on age. In small groups, the juniors worked on

putting, chipping, and their long game.

The day ended with a super-clinic to provide golf tips

to the audience. Jeff Nixon, PGA, Andy Scott, PGA,

and Mike Dopslaff, PGA all provided insight about

equipment, alignment, pre shot routines, and other

golf topics. Along with golf instruction, participants

also learned about the importance of physical fitness

in the golf game.

Lumpys, a sponsor of the event, along with Ecco,

Bridgestone, TaylorMade, Callaway, Nike, COBRA

PUMA, Adams and Cleveland were all onsite dur-

ing the day for demos and to display their products.

Thank you to all the PGA Professionals for their help

to make the day successful!

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GROWTh OF ThE GAME

FIRST LADY LEARNS ABOUT SNAG GOLFOn Friday, February 26, First Lady Michelle Obama made a visit to the after school program of Gwen Cherry Park in Mi-ami to celebrate the fourth year of her Let’s Move campaign. The after school program involves students playing SNAG Golf as a part of their Fit2Play program. The First Lady, along with actress Amy Poehler, played SNAG Golf with students at Gwen Cherry Park. They got to see how SNAG and the Jack Nicklaus Learning Leagues (JNLL) relate to the Let’s Move campaign.

SNAG Golf is growing in popularity in south Florida and across the country. The Jack Nicklaus Learning Leagues, powered by SNAG Golf, is a national initiative, in coop-eration with the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA), to increase access to and engagement in the game of golf for youth. Miami-Dade Parks has been chosen as one of several parks and recreation departments nationally to initi-ate the program. One of SNAG’s biggest supporters to help grow this program in South Florida is PGA Professional Larry Levow.

SNAG Golf is a proud supporter of the SFPGA. To learn more about SNAG Golf, visit www.snaggolf.com. To learn how you can get involved in South Florida, contact Larry Levow at LLPGA@yahoo.com.

GOLF NIGhT AT FLORIDA PANThERS GAMEOn Sunday, March 9, the South Flor-

ida PGA conducted a successful Play

Golf America Day during the Florida

Panthers Game at BB&T Center.

The Florida Panthers played host

to the Boston Bruins, and PGA Sec-

tion members offered free lessons to

fans prior to the game. Fans passed

through and were given instruction

during the two hour event. SFPGA

President, Warren Bottke, was also

onsite taking a ceremonial slap shot

at the game. Special thanks to PGA

Professionals who volunteered their

time and expertise: Larry Levow, Phil

Argianas, and Bob Mallek.

Phil Argianis, PGA

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

After 21 years of service to the South Florida PGA, Carol McPhee

will be retiring this June. Carol McPhee has served as the Office

Manager of the section since April 29, 1993.

During the past 21 years she has become the friendly voice you hear

on the other end of the phone when you call and had an impact on

every area of operation in the section office. Upon retirement Carol

is looking forward to spending more time with her four grandchil-

dren and getting out to play more golf.

We hope that you will join us in wishing her well as she embarks

upon the next journey in her life. Carol can be reached at cmcphee@

pgahq.com

CAROL MCPhEE TO RETIRE IN jUNE

Quote of the Month

“Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.”

-John Wooden

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

SOUTh FLORIDA PGA hIRES NEW TEAM GOLF/PLAYER DEvELOPMENT MANAGERTyler comes to the South Florida PGA after spending

the last ten years in golf administration. Tyler began

his career with the Northern Texas PGA where he

completed an internship in 2003 with their junior golf

programs. He returned the following year to complete

an internship with their section programs and tourna-

ments, before gaining employment as a tournament

coordinator with the Texas Legends Junior Golf Tour.

Most recently Tyler has spent the last seven years as

the Tour Director of the Adams Golf Pro Tour. In

this role Tyler managed all aspects of the professional

golf tour.

As Team Golf and Player Development Manager, Ty-

ler will be the primary staff person responsible for carrying out Golf 2.0 objectives in South Florida and

executing all section player development strategies. Tyler will also be responsible for coordinating and

expanding the South Florida PGA team golf program to all regions of the section. In addition, Tyler will

support section tournament activities and tour qualifiers when necessary. Tyler can be reached at

twolford@pgahq.com.

Tyler Wolford

STERANKA NAMED TO SFPGA ADvISORY BOARDJoe Steranka, Chief Global Strategist of Buff alo Communications, has been named the newest member of the South Florida PGA advisory board. In his current position with Buff alo Communications, Steranka’s role is to grow the company’s position in golf with his experience in the industry. From 2005-2012, Steranka was the CEO of the PGA of Ameri-ca. Prior to his position as CEO, he was the Managing Director of Com-munications and Broadcasting.

In regards to his new role on the advisory board, Steranka says, “I’m honored to be invited to help serve South Florida PGA Professionals, many whom I have known for 25 years. I look forward to sharing my per-spective and experiences in golf for the betterment of the Section.”

The South Florida PGA advisory board is a group of infl uential business leaders who advise and counsel the board on policies and future direction. The other members of the Advisory Board include: Paul Ander-son, CEO of Tampa Port Authority; Rick Bayliss, COO of Lost Tree Club; Steve Sponder, Sales Manager of Global Golf Sales; Ken Kennerly, Executive Director of The Honda Classic; Peter Lund; and Matt Lambert, General Manager of Country Club of Mirasol.

South Florida PGA President, Warren Bottke believes Steranka “will bring a wealth of knowledge and ex-pertise of the golf business with him to the South Florida PGA advisory board and will greatly assist us as we continue to try to grow the game in South Florida.”

Tyler Wolford

Joe Steranka

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

NEW ASSOCIATION DIRECTORY APP BY INSTA-APPThe South Florida PGA is excited to announce that you can now obtain your 2014 Association Directory

through your mobile device. New this year the SFPGA has partnered with InstaApp to provide members,

apprentices and partners with an easy way to look up fellow professionals and partners. This app is sup-

ported by Cobra PUMA Golf.

To obtain the app on your mobile device you can type the URL listed below into your web browser on

your computer and then enter your cell phone number. The app will immediately come to your phone via

text message. You can also type the URL into your web browser on your smart phone and the app with

automatically load directly to your phone.

http://ab.flow.net/l/instaapp/2014pgadir

Once you have pulled up the app through your mobile device it will prompt you to sign in. Please use the

following information to login and save the app on your home screen.

Username: pgadir Password: sfpga2014

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Website:http://ab.flow.net/l/instaapp/2014pgadir

Username:pgadir

Password:sfpga2014

We hope you enjoy having the directory at your fingertips!

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SFPGA jUNIOR TOUR

On February 1-2, the SFPGA Junior Championship Tour presented by The Honda Classic held the first event of 2014 at Sandpiper Golf Club at Club Med in Port St. Lucie. Sixty-four of South Florida’s premier juniors teed it up in the first Championship Tour Event of 2014 and delivered the spectacular play that was expected.

36 holes were not enough to crown a champion in the Girls Overall 13-18 Divi-sion. Valeria Sofia Pacheco of Hallandale Beach, and Mary Janiga of Welling-ton, each shot a 147 two-day total to send the girls division to a playoff. Pa-checo was able to secure the win on the second playoff hole and take home her second straight SFPGA Junior Championship Tour win. Janiga would go on to claim first place in the Girls 16-18 division, while Valentia Haupt of Weston, would claim second with a 152 tournament total. Emily Falkner of Palm City, would capture first place in the Girls 13-15 age division, while Dana Williams of Boca Raton, would claim second place with a 162 tournament total.

The Boys Overall 13-18 Division provided some stellar play as defending cham-pion Alberto Martinez of Weston, set the pace with an opening round 2-under par 68. Despite a solid second round 74, it was not enough to hold of Sachin Kumar of Port St. Lucie, who fired a final round 68 to capture the Overall Boys Title over Martinez by one shot. Martinez would go on to claim first place in the Boys 13-15 Division, while Anthony Muttillo of Boca Raton, would claim second place with a 144 tournament total. Joshua August of Boynton Beach, claimed first place in the Boys 16-18 Division, while Anthony Gabriele of Wel-lington, would take the second place with a 143 tournament total.

KUMAR AND PAChECO START 2014 WITh WIN AT SANDPIPER GOLF CLUB

Don Law, PGA and Valeria Sofia Pacheco

Sachin Kumar and Don Law, PGA

The SFPGA Junior Challenge Tour presented by The Honda Classic held the first event of 2014 at Sandpiper Golf Club at Club Med in Port St. Lucie on February 15-16. A sold out field of 84 of South Florida’s premier up and coming golfers faced off in windy conditions to start off the 2014 season.

Ryder Sutcliffe of Jupiter, captured the Overall Boys 13-18 Division in a two hole playoff. Sutcliffe, who is the defending Champion from 2013, started off the final round 2 shots behind the leader after firing an opening round 77 in tough conditions. Sutcliffe fired off a final round 72 to force a playoff with day one leader Keith Messery of Fort Myers. Sutcliffe rolled in a great 6 foot par saving putt on the second hole to claim the overall title. Messery went on to claim the Boys 13-15 Division Title, while Spencer Stillman of Coconut Creek claimed the Boys 16-18 Division.

SUTCLIFFE AND hILLER WIN FIRST ChALLENGE EvENT OF 2014

Ryder Sutcliffe and Don Law, PGA

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SFPGA jUNIOR TOUR

PAChECO AND GABRIELE TAKE TOP hONORS AT ThE COUNTRY CLUB OF CORAL SPRINGS

The SFPGA Junior Championship Tour presented by The Hon-da Classic held event #2 at the Country Club of Coral Springs on March 8-9. The sold out field featuring some of the top junior golf-ers in South Florida did not disappoint.

Joshua August of Boynton Beach, fired a lights out 6-under-par 65 on day one which included 7 birdies and 1 bogey. August entered day 2 with a three shot lead over Anthony Gabriele of Wellington. Gabriele had an astonishing 9 birdies on day one, but a few costly holes put him in the club house with a 68. Gabriele started the final round with four straight pars before recording his first birdie on number five.

Bill Friesing, PGA and Anthony Gabriele

(CONT’D) Mary Kate Hiller of Vero Beach, shot a final round 82 to secure her first SFPGA Junior Challenge title. Hiller was able to grind out a solid back 9 to capture the overall title by one shot over Jordan Brown of Port St Lucie, who went on to claim the Girls 16-18 Divi-sion Title. The Girls 13-15 Division Title went to Mackenzie Dieter of Jupiter.

Phoebe Beber-Frankel of Miami shot back to back 80’s to capture the Girls 11-12 age division title over Tamysn Butler of Lake Worth. Jake Beber-Frankel of Miami started off round 1 with a remarkable 73 in harsh conditions to enter the final round of the Boys 11-12 Division with a 5 shot lead. Beber-Frankel went on to fire a final round 80 to capture the title.

Don Law, PGA and Mary Kate Hiller

With some momentum gaining, Gabriele stepped on the 200 yard par 3 9th and hit the shot of the tournament. Gabriele’s tee shot landed 5 feet short of the hole and rolled in for his first career hole-in-one. Gabriele would go on to add one more birdie on the back nine and card a bogey free 67 to take the Overall Boys Title by one shot over August. Sachin Kumar of Port St Lucie continued his stellar play and managed to take the Boys 13-15 age division title, while Joshua August would go on to claim the Boys 16-18 age division.

Valeria Sofia Pacheco managed to pull out back to back Championship Tour titles. Pacheco, who won Championship Event #1, struggled in round one carding a 9-over-par 80. The Hallandale Beach native came out firing in day 2 and recorded a 1-under-par 70 to force a sudden death playoff with Jenna

Tuccio of Marco Island. Pacheco would need only one hole to claim the Overall Girls Title. Tuccio’s great play was enough to claim the Girls 16-18 division title, while youngster Dana Williams of Boca Raton would go on to the claim the Girls 13-15 division title.

Valeria Sofia Pacheco

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SFPGA jUNIOR TOUR

GABRIELE AND jANIGA ARE vICTORIOUS AT SANDRIDGE GOLF CLUB

March 22-23, the SFPGA Junior Championship Tour presented by The Honda Classic held event #3 at the San-dridge Golf Club in Vero Beach. This was the first time that Sandridge Golf Club has hosted the SFPGA Junior Tour. The 48 player field featured some of the best players the Championship Tour has to offer.

Anthony Gabriele of Wellington, continued his stellar season by winning the Overall Boys Division by 13 strokes. Gabriele, who was victorious at Championship Event #2, started off round one with a 1-under par 71 in stout wind conditions. Gabrielle finished off the tournament with a stellar bogey free 3-under par 69 on day two to capture the overall title.

Mary Janiga of Wellington, captured her first victory of the 2014 season with an impressive 3 shot victory in the girls division. Janiga shot a 4-over par 76 during day one and followed it up with a 5-over par 77 to capture the title. Julia Durkin of Miramar, had a remarkable highlight during day 2. On the par three 150 yard 17th, Durkin hit a beautiful seven iron that rolled into the hole for her second career hole in one.

Robert Beck Fox of Vero Beach, shot a 75-83 for a 158 tournament total to cap-ture the boys 13-15 age division. Jake Leffew of Vero Beach, shot a 77-16 for a 153 tournament total to capture the boys 16-18 division. Emma Bradley of Naples, shot a 78-79 for a 157 tournament total to capture the girls 13-15 age division while Claudia De Antonio of Weston, shot a 85-71 to capture the girls 16-18 age division. De Antonia is a senior that has committed to LSU.

For complete results from all 2014 junior tour events, click here.

PRESENTED BY: SUPPORTED BY:

Julia Durkin

Mary Janiga, Bela Nagy, PGA, Anthony Gabriele

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RULES WITh DREWWRONG BALL

Last month the South Florida PGA administered open qualifying for the Honda Classic. Over the Pre and Monday qualifying stages we had a few interesting rulings, however none were as interesting as what took place on the tenth hole at Mayacoo Lakes during the Monday qualifi er. A player hit his drive into the trees down the left side. Not knowing that the left side was marked as a lateral hazard, he played a provisional ball under Rule 27-2. Aft er arriving in the area where his original ball came to rest, the player realized the area was marked as lateral hazard and it was known or virtually certain his original ball was in the hazard. Th e player determined the spot where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard, measured two club lengths and dropped a ball. Th e player proceeded to hit his next shot back into the lateral hazard. Clearly frustrated by his last two swings and seeing his provisional ball lying perfectly in the middle of the fairway, the player walked over to his provisional ball and hit it onto the green. As the players walked to the green they dis-cussed if the player had proceeded in accordance with the Rules. Th e player then called for a ruling.

We have a few things going on in this situation and it is probably best to take it step by step in order to get the proper ruling. First, the player played his original ball into an area marked as a lateral hazard however the player did not know that the area in question was in fact a lateral hazard. Rule 27-2 allows the player to play a provisional ball for a ball lost outside a water hazard or out of bounds. As the player believed his ball was lost outside a water hazard, he was permitted to play a provisional ball (see also Decision 27-2a/2.5). Next, when the player arrived in the area where his original ball came to rest, he noticed the area was marked as a

lateral hazard and it was known or virtually certain his ball was located within the lateral hazard. Rule 27-2c states, “If it is known or virtually certain that the original ball is in a water hazard, the player may proceed in accordance with Rule 26-1.” So when the player took relief under Rule 26-1 and dropped a ball and played it he was still proceeding in accordance with Rules. Aft er hitting his next shot back into the lateral hazard, the player made a stroke at his provisional ball. Th e next sentence in Rule 27-2c states, “if the player makes any further strokes at the provisional ball, he is playing a wrong ball and the provisions of Rule 15-3 apply.” By making a stroke at the provisional ball, the player incurred a two stroke penalty under 15-3 for making a stroke at a wrong ball. Rule 15-3 tells us that the player must then abandon the wrong ball and continue with the correct ball, which was the ball he hit back into the lateral hazard.

Aft er assessing all the penalties, what stroke would the player be playing next? Th e player’s fi rst stroke was the one he hit from the teeing ground. His next stroke was at a provisional ball however this stroke does not count in the player’s score because that ball never became the ball in play. Next, the player incurred a penalty stroke under Rule 26-1 aft er taking relief from the lateral hazard. His next stroke that counted was the one he made at the ball he dropped under Rule 26-1. He hooked this shot back into the lateral hazard. Th e player then incurred a two stroke penalty under 15-3 for making a stroke at the provisional ball which was a wrong ball. Rule 15-3 states that the stroke(s) made at a wrong ball does not count in the player’s score however we still need to count the two penalty strokes. Since the ball he hooked deep into the lateral hazard was not play-able, the player would again have to take relief under Rule 26-1 by dropping a ball within two club lengths of the spot where it last crossed the margin of the hazard. Th e player’s next stroke would be his seventh. Mak-ing a chart to keep track of actual strokes vs penalty strokes makes it easier to determine what the player lies.

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17

RULES WITh DREWRULES WITh DREWWRONG BALL

Last month the South Florida PGA administered open qualifying for the Honda Classic. Over the Pre and Monday qualifying stages we had a few interesting rulings, however none were as interesting as what took place on the tenth hole at Mayacoo Lakes during the Monday qualifi er. A player hit his drive into the trees down the left side. Not knowing that the left side was marked as a lateral hazard, he played a provisional ball under Rule 27-2. Aft er arriving in the area where his original ball came to rest, the player realized the area was marked as lateral hazard and it was known or virtually certain his original ball was in the hazard. Th e player determined the spot where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard, measured two club lengths and dropped a ball. Th e player proceeded to hit his next shot back into the lateral hazard. Clearly frustrated by his last two swings and seeing his provisional ball lying perfectly in the middle of the fairway, the player walked over to his provisional ball and hit it onto the green. As the players walked to the green they dis-cussed if the player had proceeded in accordance with the Rules. Th e player then called for a ruling.

We have a few things going on in this situation and it is probably best to take it step by step in order to get the proper ruling. First, the player played his original ball into an area marked as a lateral hazard however the player did not know that the area in question was in fact a lateral hazard. Rule 27-2 allows the player to play a provisional ball for a ball lost outside a water hazard or out of bounds. As the player believed his ball was lost outside a water hazard, he was permitted to play a provisional ball (see also Decision 27-2a/2.5). Next, when the player arrived in the area where his original ball came to rest, he noticed the area was marked as a

lateral hazard and it was known or virtually certain his ball was located within the lateral hazard. Rule 27-2c states, “If it is known or virtually certain that the original ball is in a water hazard, the player may proceed in accordance with Rule 26-1.” So when the player took relief under Rule 26-1 and dropped a ball and played it he was still proceeding in accordance with Rules. Aft er hitting his next shot back into the lateral hazard, the player made a stroke at his provisional ball. Th e next sentence in Rule 27-2c states, “if the player makes any further strokes at the provisional ball, he is playing a wrong ball and the provisions of Rule 15-3 apply.” By making a stroke at the provisional ball, the player incurred a two stroke penalty under 15-3 for making a stroke at a wrong ball. Rule 15-3 tells us that the player must then abandon the wrong ball and continue with the correct ball, which was the ball he hit back into the lateral hazard.

Aft er assessing all the penalties, what stroke would the player be playing next? Th e player’s fi rst stroke was the one he hit from the teeing ground. His next stroke was at a provisional ball however this stroke does not count in the player’s score because that ball never became the ball in play. Next, the player incurred a penalty stroke under Rule 26-1 aft er taking relief from the lateral hazard. His next stroke that counted was the one he made at the ball he dropped under Rule 26-1. He hooked this shot back into the lateral hazard. Th e player then incurred a two stroke penalty under 15-3 for making a stroke at the provisional ball which was a wrong ball. Rule 15-3 states that the stroke(s) made at a wrong ball does not count in the player’s score however we still need to count the two penalty strokes. Since the ball he hooked deep into the lateral hazard was not play-able, the player would again have to take relief under Rule 26-1 by dropping a ball within two club lengths of the spot where it last crossed the margin of the hazard. Th e player’s next stroke would be his seventh. Mak-ing a chart to keep track of actual strokes vs penalty strokes makes it easier to determine what the player lies.

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18

NEW & UPCOMINGUPCOMING SECTION EvENTS

Jr. Tour Challenge #2Martin Downs GC

April 5-6

Women’s Pro-ProBonita Bay Club

April 6

Player Ability TestCC of Coral Springs

April 7

Jr. Tour Championship #4

Indian Spring CCApril 12-13

Pro-OfficialPlantation Preserve GC

April 14

Executive Committee Meeting

Grey Oaks CCApril 24

Nelson Cup MatchesClub at Pelican Bay

April 28

Player Ability TestSan Carlos Golf Club

April 29

UPCOMING ChAPTER EvENTS

East vs. West

TBD

April 6

Pro-Am #2

Plantation Club

April 16

Pro-AmHighland Woods

April 11

Tournament of Charities Pelican Preserve

April 21

Spring MeetingJonathan’s Landing Golf Club

April 22 @ 6:30PM

Chapter Pro-AmPelican Marsh Club

April 24Pro-Only #1

Pembroke Lakes

April 21

Looking for ways to earn more MSR credits? Volunteer your time with the SFPGA Junior Championship and Challenge Tours. PGA Members and Apprentices earn 1 MSR credit/hour they are able to volunteer. On course responsibilities include monitoring pace of play, assisting with rul-ings, and starting. To volunteer please call Jake Weir at the section office at 561.729.0544 or email jweir@pgahq.com. Upcoming voluteer opportunities include:Jr Challenge Tour Event - Martin Downs GC - April 5-6Jr Championship Tour Event - Indian Spring CC - April 12-13Jr Challenge Tour Event - The Vineyards CC - May 3-4

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