JANUARY 9, 2018
RICHMOND, BC (PGA of British Columbia) - The PGA of BC is proud to recognize its Top 100 Golf Professionals of 2017, as determined by the Association's Professional Development Program Order of Merit presented by Sunice & Bobby Jones.
The PGA of British Columbia Professional Development Program (PDP) presented by Sunice & Bobby Jones is designed to acknowledge PGA of BC members who have demonstrated tremendous contributions to the Association, the province's golf industry and, most importantly, themselves. Through participation in continuing education, competitions, the PGA of BC Awards program, annual Buying Show and various forms of volunteerism, the PDP provides an equal avenue to showcase strengths of the diverse membership.
"Sunice and Bobby Jones are proud to support the PGA of BC's Professional Development Program. We believe this initiative recognizes individuals who strive to build upon their qualities as consummate Golf Professionals - leadership, excellence, professionalism and dedication among them," said Stephen Graham, British Columbia sales representative for Sunice and Bobby Jones.
"Congratulations to all PGA of BC members for their ongoing commitment to their craft."
The first-place finisher in the PDP Order of Merit for 2017 was Capilano Golf & Country Club Professional Greg Pool.
Having made a significant commitment to continuing education, tournament play in PGA of BC and PGA of Canada events and volunteerism, Pool finished the year with a total of 119 points, which was six more than any other member. In 2017, the 31-year-old was an active member of the PGA of BC Board of Directors, serving as co-chair of the Long-Range Planning & Grow the Game Committee. Pool was also an admirable representative of the Association at multiple events, including the Vancouver Golf & Travel Show, where he conducted lesson presentations to the golfing public.
This marks the second year in a row that Pool has placed among the Order of Merit's top five, having placed fifth in 2016.
"The Professional Development Program is one of the PGA of BC's many progressive initiatives that are paving the way for the rest of the country," said Pool. "I feel
privileged to be a member of this Association in a province which keeps raising the bar.
"It is exciting to be a part of a membership that is committed to making itself better for clients, British Columbia golfers, fellow Golf Professionals and overall career development."
With 113 points, Glacier Greens Golf Club Head Professional Bill Kelly was the runner-up for a second consecutive year. Talking Rock Golf Resort Head Professional Adam Blair, who topped the Order of Merit in 2016 and was named the 2017 recipient of the PGA of BC Dick Munn Golf Professional of the Year Award, ranked third with 105 points.
A total bursary purse of $6,400 will be divided among the top 10 finishers, providing financial opportunity to pursue further professional development and education.
In addition to the top finishers in the PDP Order of Merit, the Association is pleased to acknowledge its Top 100 Professionals of 2017:
| Roy Abbenbroek | Jeremy Johnson | Matthew Palsenbarg |
| Shingo Akizuki | Myles Johnson | Bryn Parry |
| Lee Alarie | Phil Jonas | Greg Pool |
| Rob Anderson | Jason Jurimae | John Randle |
| Dan Axford | Jon Kadin | Lee Ranger |
| Norm Baufeld | Bill Kelly | Jordan Ray |
| Cody Bell | Mark Kitts | Connor Rosenlund |
| Lindsay Bernakevitch | Scott Kolb | Brian Schaal |
| Mark Bicknell | Russ Latimer | Dale Schienbein |
| Adam Blair | Colin Lavers | Drew Scollon |
| Luke Bogdan | Steve Liddicoat | Chad Scott |
| Jeff Buder | Mark Lindsay | Jared Siminoff |
| Colin Bykowski | Brice MacDermott | Cindy Soukoroff |
| Rich Chlopan | Clark MacPherson | Matt Steinbach |
| Jesse Crowe | Matt Makinson | Jamie Stevens |
| Mike Cyndroski | Vaughn Marshall | Branden Stewart |
| Lenny Cyr | Charlie Martin | Clay Stothers |
| Terrance Drader | Scott McClain | Mark Strong |
| Cory Draper | Lance McCullough | Rob Tadey |
| Sergej Dronov | Brian McDonald | Connor Taiji |
| Taylor Fahey | Luke McKenzie | Michael Thompson |
| Tom Flockhart | Mac McLeod | Oliver Tubb |
| Justin Ford | Kyle McMurphy | Michael Van Horne |
| Justin Fram | Chris Medford | Derek Whipple |
| Jason Giesbrecht | Winston Michell | Jeff Wiggins |
| Jim Goddard | Justin Min | Tim Wilson |
| Grant Gray | Gord Mink | Brian Wise |
| Nathan Grieve | Doug Morgan | Arlen Wocknitz |
| Jimmy Han | David Munn | Stephanie Wong |
| Doug Hastie | Daniel Naismith | Daniel Yoon |
| Mike Heenan | Graham Ogden | Jayme Young |
| Gina Hosie | Padraic O'Rourke | Ashley Zibrik |
| Alec Hubert | Derek Orr | Dave Zibrik |
| Rich Ingle | Alan Palmer | |
| Casey Johnson | Jeff Palmer |
CLICK HERE to see the 2017 PDP Order of Merit final standings.
The PGA of BC's Top 100 Golf Professionals are recognized annually, and members are encouraged to submit point requests for qualifying activities on a regular basis. Full details of this program are available at www.pgabc.org/pdp.
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PGA OF BRITISH COLUMBIA: GOLF - OUR BUSINESS, OUR PASSION
The Professional Golfers' Association of British Columbia is an association comprised of nearly 700 golf professionals who work at and operate golf courses, driving ranges and other facilities across the province. Its mandate is to promote and advance the game of golf, serving the needs of both its membership and the golf public through professional and junior golf development programs and high-calibre competitive events. The Zone Office is located in Richmond, BC. For more information, visit www.pgabc.org.
For all media inquiries, please contact:
Eric MacKenzie
Communications & Marketing Manager
PGA of British Columbia
604-303-6766
eric@pgabc.org