As the golf season winds down here in the Capital Area, the Northeastern New York PGA Section has announced its playing awards and incoming directors for the new season.

Glenn Davis capped a great season with his first title as NENY PGA Player of the Year. The PGA Head Professional at Albany Country Club is already set for next summer when he will head to French Lick, Indiana for the PGA Professional Championship. He earned his spot at Mohawk Golf Club after beating Steve Vatter from Capital Hills @ Albany in a one hole playoff to take the title. Vatter will also attend.
Davis secured the prestigious award by finishing in second place at the section’s final POY point event, the Points Challenge.

 Rick Pohle, PGA Head Professional at Taconic Golf Club, won his second Senior Player of the Year title, but not until November 1st.  Pohle was the senior points leader heading into the Annual Fall Meeting in October. When Don Brigham (head pro at Onteora Club) missed the cut, and Tom Sullivan (head pro at Wyantenuck Country Club) and Rocky Catalano (head pro at The Ausable Club) did not win the championship, Pohle finished on top of the Senior point list.

Pohle’s season was highlighted by winning the Senior Division of the FAM Funds Pro Classic hosted by Cobleskill Golf & Country Club, the NENY PGA Stroke Play Championship hosted by The Edison Club, The Points Challenge hosted by Country Club of Troy, and tying for first with Sullivan in the NENY PGA Senior Professional Championship hosted by Westport Country Club.

 For the fourth time in five years, Scott Berliner of Shaker Ridge Country Club was named the NENY PGA Assistant Player of the Year. Berliner’s year was highlighted by winning the Assistants’ Division of three of the six Pro Classic competitions, FAM Funds Pro Classic, Points Challenge Event hosted by Country Club of Troy, and the Assistants’ Match Play Championship hosted by Colonie Golf & Country Club. Berliner recently got through the Pre-Qualifier of the PGA Tour Q-School in Nebraska. But in Florida, he missed the first stage by only four shots in the four-round competition.

Ian Breen, assistant head pro at Colonie Golf & Country Club, was named the NENY PGA Vardon Stroke Average Winner for the first time. Breen was the 2000 NENY Assistant Player of the Year. Breen had a season long 73.07 stroke average highlighted by a three-under par 68 at the Heineken Open Pro Classic hosted by Capital Hills @ Albany.

INCOMING DIRECTORS

 Three men were also elected to two-year terms on the NENY PGA Executive Committee. Kevin Hughes (Saratoga Golf & Polo Club) and Glen Snowden (Van Patten Golf Club) were elected to their first terms. Josh Hillman (Berkshire Hills Country Club) was elected to his second consecutive term as a Board Director.
All board positions serve tenure of two-year terms and the Executive Committee determines the policy and procedures as the head of governance for the section.

OTHER RECENT NENY PGA EVENTS, RESULTS
OCTOBER 29

Massena Country Club finished sixth at the McGladrey Team Championship at Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, NC. It was the third time Massena CC participated in the event, represented by PGA Professional Tom Siddon, and amateurs Tim Peets, Craig Siddon, and Benton Sullivan.
They recorded scores of 128-130-124 – 382 to finish sixth out of 41 teams competing on Pinehurst No. 2, No. 4, and No. 8. The field was comprised of 164 players. Nearly 20,000 players nationally attempted to earn a berth in the best-ball national championship.
Whispering Pines Golf Course out of Southern California’s PGA Section won the event. After Round 1, Massena was eight shots back of the eventual champions.

Massena CC has competed in all three McGladrey Team Championships after finishing as the low qualifier in the Northeastern New York Section PGA. The previous two years, Massena finished in 3rd and 2nd place.

RSM McGladrey, one of the nation’s leading tax, accounting and business consulting firms, presented a check for $175,725 to Special Olympics to benefit the organization’s golf program. Special Olympics is their official charity.

Amateur players receive 75 percent of their course handicap allowance and each player must post a score on three of the holes. Two net best-ball scores are used to determine the overall 18-hole score.

The McGladrey Team Championship is a result of a partnership between The PGA of America and RSM McGladrey, the Official Accounting, Tax and Business Consulting firm of The PGA of America. RSM McGladrey is the fifth largest accounting, tax and business consulting firm in the country when considered with McGladrey & Pullen LLP (a partner-owned CPA firm).
For more information, please visit www.PGA.com/teamchampionship

ABOUT RSM MCGLADREY

RSM McGladrey is a leading professional services firm providing accounting, tax and business consulting. McGladrey & Pullen LLP (a U.S.-based partner-owned CPA firm) delivers audit and attest services. RSM McGladrey and McGladrey & Pullen operate in an alternative practice structure. Though separate and independent legal entities, they can work together to serve clients’ business needs. Together, the companies rank as the fifth largest U.S. provider of accounting, tax and business consulting services (source: Public Accounting Report), with nearly 8,000 professionals and associates in more than 120 offices nationwide. RSM McGladrey Inc. and McGladrey & Pullen LLP are member firms of RSM International, an affiliation of independent accounting and consulting firms. RSM McGladrey is the official accounting, tax and business consulting firm of The PGA of America.

ABOUT THE PGA OF AMERICA

Since 1916, The PGA of America’s mission has been twofold:  to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf.
By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, the Association enables PGA Professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry.

By creating and delivering dramatic world-class championships and exciting and enjoyable golf promotions that are viewed as the best of their class in the golf industry, The PGA of America elevates the public’s interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. The PGA of America brand represents the very best in golf.

MESSAGE FROM SPECIAL OLYMPICS NY

Christopher Smith, Vice President Development & Public Relations of Special Olympics New York, located in Schenectady, NY: “On behalf of Special Olympics New York, our 47,654 athletes (over 3,000 participate in golf and golf skills), we commend the PGA, McGladrey’s and the individual Clubs and players who participated this year and helped to raise over $175,000 for Special Olympics.  We look forward to helping to make this event bigger and better in the future.”

For more information, go to www.specialolympicsNY.org

OCTOBER 15

In the Challenge Cup, the Central New York PGA defeated the NENY PGA by a score of 22-14 to win the Cup.

OCTOBER 13

Frank Mellet, head pro at Colonie Golf and Country Club, shot 38-33 to win the 2009 Points Challenge Event on October 13 at the CC of Troy. Glenn Davis of Albany Country Club (36-36) was second, a stroke behind, followed by Rick Pohle of Taconic at 36-38.

In the amateur division, Jim Cocca of Shaker Ridge shot 37-37 to win over fellow Shaker member Michael Wheeler and Whispering Pines player Kyle Armstrong.

OCTOBER 7

Scott Berliner, assistant pro at Shaker Ridge, beat Matt Bogdanowicz from Town of Colonie Golf Course, 2 & 1 in the Northeastern New York Section PGA Assistants’ Championship hosted by Colonie Golf & Country Club in Voorheesville, NY.

In the semi-finals, Bogdanowicz defeated Kevin Bennison from Pinehaven Country Club 3 & 2; Berliner defeated Ian Breen from Colonie Golf & Country Club 2 & 1.

SEPTEMBER 14

Rick Pohle of Taconic Golf Club shot 36-34 (-1) to win the NENY PGA 2009 Pro Classic #5 event back on September 14 at Fox Run Golf Club. Glenn Davis of Albany Country Club was second (39-33) followed by Steve Vatter (Capital Hills @ Albany) and Paul Jaycox (Oneonta CC) at +2.

Michael Wheeler of Schenectady won the CRAGA Classic #3 event, besting four others with a 37-35.

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