Nebraska Section PGA 610 J Street., Ste 10 Lincoln, NE Ph: (402) Fax: (402)

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1 Nebraska Section PGA 610 J Street., Ste 10 Lincoln, NE Ph: (402) Fax: (402)

2 Nebraska Section PGA 610 J Street., Ste 10 Lincoln, NE Ph: (402) Fx: (402)

3 We are excited to announce that a new Directory is now available in the Nebraska PGA Section App! The App-based Directory enables Nebraska PGA members to connect with colleagues & partner reps in just a few taps. We provide every Nebraska PGA member access to our cutting-edge iphone and Android App. The App delivers great services like pairings, leaderboards, tournament info, news and of course, the new Directory, right to your phone. How to download the FREE Nebraska PGA App: iphone / ipad 1.) On your device s home screen, tap the App Store icon 2.) In the store, search for Nebraska PGA 3.) Tap the download button Android Devices 1.) On your device s home screen, tap Google Play 2.) Once in Google Play, search for Nebraska PGA 3.) Tap the App to select it 4.) Tap the install button Access the Directory How to access the Directory: 1.) Tap the menu icon in the top left-hand corner of the App home screen 2.) Sign into the App with your BlueGolf Id and password (if you do not know your password, tap Get Password on the sign-in screen) 3.) Tap the menu icon again and tap Directory Note: a small number of App users may need to activate the Directory in the App before signing in. There are several ways to do this: -Restart phone -Turn phone off / on -Quit the App and restart it Nebraska PGA Directory The new Directory enables Nebraska PGA members to easily connect and network with colleagues on and off the golf course. Highlights include: -Quickly search for Members, Facilities, Partner Reps, Section Staff and Board Members -A unique, great-looking Card for each person with 1-tap access to call, or text -Member data is automatically updated every night via BlueGolf / SMS integration, ensuring the Directory is always accurate and up-to-date 3

4 Horton Smith Award Winner: Nathan Kalin, PGA As PGA Professionals, education is part of almost everything we do in the golf business. Whether we are educating ourselves about new programs or events offered by the PGA of America or educating our staff about new products and equipment in the golf shop, education is very important to being successful in our careers. When evaluating our golf operation at Fremont Golf Club during the winter months of 2015 we felt that if we could improve our education across the board our overall operation would be more profitable. Education of staff, education of board of directors/gm and most importantly, education of the membership were areas of focus for Education of Staff As a golf staff we are constantly educating our outside staff about upcoming programs and events as well as what is happening with our members on a more personal level. We feel that if our outside staff is able to speak knowledgably about our upcoming programs it will create more interaction outside of the golf shop and lead to increased participation in events. The membership has definitely taken note of this and has been impressed by the entire staff s involvement in the overall golf operation. Education of Board of Directors/GM Each month I attend the entire Board of Directors meeting and during this time I give a detailed report as to the happenings in the golf operation over the past 30 days as well as what to look forward to in the near future. This time is some of the most important of the month and allows me to educate the Board of Directors on the success of the operation. Each month I make it a point to highlight any participation increases over the previous years as well the success of individual programs. Education of Membership In order to create more rounds and better scores at our club the members need to be properly fit for equipment and participate in our instruction programs. As a staff we made this a priority in 2016 and have conducted multiple events around these two very important areas. This year we also partnered with Retail Tribe to educate our membership on a variety of topics related to club-fitting and game/equipment assessments. With Retail Tribe we were able to create a website and send out marketing content educating our members on the importance of club-fitting and being fit by a PGA Professional. We have seen extraordinary feedback and hard good sales are up 14% over As fast as the world moves in 2016 the golf operations that embrace education of staff, decision makers and membership are the most successful. It is important to stay on the cutting edge of education in the ever changing golf landscape and if we do so we will continue to be the experts in the game and business of golf!!! 4

5 The PGA of America recently announced the winners of the 2016 National PGA Scholarships designated as National 2016 or John Cox I am proud to say in 2016, the Nebraska Section PGA had its highest number of National recipients to date with seven (7) children or grandchildren of PGA Members receiving this $2,000 scholarship. Congratulations to the following recipients: Bryn Davies, daughter of Lawrence Davies, PGA Rebecca Frisbie, granddaughter of Ron Gunia, PGA Issac Hirsch, grandson of Ron Gunia, PGA Carter Knopik, grandson of Dave Williams, PGA Clayton Malone, son of Dave Malone, PGA Emily Nielsen, granddaughter of Dave Williams, PGA Kelsey Petersen, daughter of Jon Petersen, PGA Founded in 1986, the PGA Financial Assistance Fund Scholarship Program has awarded more than $6 million to over 3,000 students. Since the inception of the program, $140,000 has been awarded to 72 children or grandchildren of Nebraska Section PGA Members. Although the following students did not win a national scholarship from the PGA Financial Assistance Fund the Nebraska Section PGA Scholarship Committee felt they were still very deserving of receiving a scholarship. Congratulations to the following 2016 recipients: Alexa DiGiacomo, daughter of Ted DiGiacomo, PGA Andrew DiGiacomo, son of Ted DiGiacomo, PGA Madison Romjue, granddaughter of Larry Romjue, PGA Hannah Sieckmann, PGA, daughter of James Sieckmann, PGA Founded in 2007, the Nebraska Section PGA Scholarship Fund has awarded $53,750 to 71 children or grandchildren of Nebraska Section PGA Members. The above scholarship programs continue to provide impactful assistance to the children or grandchildren of our Section membership. Our single largest source of income from these scholarship programs is our PGA Professionals and we are sincerely grateful for our continued contributions and support. Respectfully, Nebraska Section PGA Scholarship Committee 5

6 The PGA Employment Consultant team works with a variety of different types of golf facilities and employers, and PGA Professionals with a multitude of personalities and skills. When looking at and listening to these individuals, there is a common theme that many successful Professionals focus on during this time of the year. The theme that is shared by most is a love and passion for the game of golf. In the dog days of summer it is natural to get bogged down in the daily requirements of the job, and it is easy to lose focus on the fun of the game itself, and the impact you can have on sharing your love of the game. Growing up on the City of Lincoln municipal golf courses in the early 80 s, the common scene was the Head PGA Professional walking the range, teaching, mentoring, and sharing the game with all levels of players. Their relentless passion and hours of dedication is what motivated me to invest as much time as I could at the facilities learning the game and their presence was always where the action was happening. I applaud the teaching professionals and head professionals that teach and grow the game on a daily basis to all levels of players. This is the foundation to being seen as the experts in the game of golf, and customers gravitate to those professionals who are highly visible. Observant employers see the value of their professional teaching the game and the effects it can have on the bottom line of the business. The growing participation from the players, the teaching professionals, and professional staff teach is a win-win to the facility. If you are only seen as an expense item to the business, your position will be questioned at all business planning and board meetings. It might be wise to regularly document the revenues and impact in other departments of the facility generated by customers you teach. Please contact me if I can help you with the Employer Communication Planning Tool to quantify your value. Try to take some time and reflect on what the game means to you and analyze how you are sharing this passion. Going back in reflection may also encourage you to start walking the range and find ways to work in a few lessons. Make July a month of recharging the passion and encouraging other staff members to do the same. This will keep you connected to the game, maintain visibility to customers, and provide a fresh break from the daily responsibilities of your job. Respectfully, Cory Fletcher, PGA Employment Consultant Nebraska Section PGA 610 J Street, Ste 10 Lincoln, NE Ph: (402) Fx: (402)

7 Join us as we thank our local Nebraska PGA Professionals. Click here to say #ThxPGAPro 7

8 Jul Siouxland Golf Charities Pro - 3 Am Whispering Creek Sioux City, IA 18-Jul Golf Fore The Troops Firethorn GC Lincoln, NE Jul TaylorMade 36 Hole Pro - 3 Am Green Valley GC Sioux City, IA 1-Aug Nebraska Assistants Championship Riverside GC Grand Island, NE Aug 1-2 NE PGA Senior Professional Championship Riverside GC Grand Island, NE Aug 8-9 Nebraska PGA Professional Championship ArborLinks Nebraska City, NE 22-Aug E-Z-GO/Bushnell Pro 3-Am Oak Hills Omaha, NE Sep 9-11 Wells Fargo Nebraska Open Elks Country Club Columbus, NE 19-Sep Nebraska PGA Cup Series Championship Quarry Oaks Ashland, NE 26-Sep All Star Pro Golf Team Championship Fremont GC Fremont, NE 10-Oct Nebraska Section PGA Pro-Am Championship Omaha CC Omaha, NE Nebraska Section PGA 610 J Street, Ste 10 Lincoln, NE Ph: (402) Fx: (402)

9 Omaha, NE. Near perfect scoring conditions welcomed the largest Pro-Am field of the year at the Nebraska Section PGA Foundation Pro-Am at Happy Hollow Club. Ryan Vermeer of Tiburon G.C. capitalized on these conditions to post an impressive five-under-par 66 to capture the low professional division. Vermeer got off to a slow start but some timely birdies on holes 5, 6, 7 and 9 kick-started his round. Vermeer made two birdies on his inward nine to finish off a really great round of golf. Finishing four strokes back at one-under-par 71 was Jon Petersen, PGA of Tiburon G.C. and Justin Herron of Pacific Springs G.C. For Herron this was his best individual performance of the season. The team portion of the event featured a two-net best ball format and it was a run-away victory by the team of Jon Petersen, PGA of Tiburon G.C. and his amateur partners, Bill Richards, Doug Mitchell and Carson Schaake who posted an impressive 28-under-par. Petersen made six birdies and an eagle on his round and Schaake, 2015 Co-Big Ten Conference Champion from Iowa went on a tear of his own with eight birdies in a row that started on hole 6 through hole 13. Finishing 10 strokes back at a tie for second was the team of Tim Kruse, PGA of Golf Galaxy Omaha and Justin Herron of Pacific Springs and their amateur partners. View more. Omaha, NE. Near perfect scoring conditions welcomed the largest Pro/Assistants field in years at the Mizuno Pro/Assistants Championship at Oak Hills Country Club. The 36-hole best ball event featured many lead changes throughout the day. In the end, 2014 Champions, Jon Petersen, PGA and Ryan Vermeer of Tiburon Golf Course posted an impressive 14-under-par 128 to capture the title. Close on their heels were the defending champions, Mike Antonio, PGA and Chris Wiemers, PGA of Happy Hollow Club who finished two strokes back at 11-under-par 131. Rounding out the top three was Seth Scollard, PGA and Jim White, PGA MP of Firethorn Golf Club who posted 10- under-par 132. The round of the day went to Jim White, PGA MP of Firethorn Golf Club who shot his age with a sixunder-par 65. View more. 9

10 Lincoln, NE. Area amateur and PGA Professional golfers teed off for the final National Car Rental PGA Pro-Am Series event of the season at Wilderness Ridge G.C. Professional and Amateur golfers competing were treated to near perfect golfing conditions on the par 71 Championship Course. Ryan Vermeer of Tiburon G.C. capitalized on these conditions to win the low professional title at three-under-par 68. Vermeer made four birdies and one bogey during his solid round of golf. Finishing one stroke back at two-under-par 69 and their best individual finishes of the season was Ted DiGiacomo, PGA of Council Bluffs C.C. and Jon Petersen, PGA of Tiburon G.C. View more. Fremont, NE. Blustery winds made the scoring conditions very challenging for the field at the All Star Pro Golf ProAm at Fremont G.C. Three players, Jim White, PGA MP of Firethorn G.C., Shane Zywiec, PGA of Highlands G.C. and Kyle Schellpeper of Oak Hills C.C. managed their games through the conditions to post an impressive even-par 71. For White, this is a carryover from his very stellar play at the Pro/Assistants Championship were he shot his age, seven-under-par 65. Zywiec and Schellpeper fought back with a two-under-par 34 on the in-ward nine to finish at level par. For White, Zywiec and Schellpeper this is their best individual finishes for the year. Nick Wanderscheid, PGA of Green Valley G.C., Anthony Baranowski, PGA of Shadow Ridge C.C. and Tyler Lane of The Players Club of Deer Creek finished one stroke back at one-over-par 72. With Zywiec s finish, he picks up some much needed points on Wanderscheid for the OMEGA Player of the Year race. View more. 10

11 Nebraska Section PGA 610 J Street, Ste 10 Lincoln, NE Ph: (402) Fx: (402)

12 Attend Sept. 26-Oct. 2, 2016 Hazeltine National Golf Club Chaska, Minnesota Ticket Information (800) RyderCup.com/USA PGA of America members and their accompanying spouse/partner or guest (not both) may receive complimentary PGA Member Club tickets. Members' immediate children, under 21 years of age, will also receive complimentary access. Class "F" members, apprentices and PGM students do not receive complimentary admission. Tickets must be picked up on a daily basis from the Admissions & Will Call trailer and all individuals (spouse/partner or guest, children) must be present and visible with the PGA member to receive their ticket. Members must show current PGA of America membership card and photo identification. No PGA Member Club tickets may be collected for a future day of attendance, without exception. Members may bring a different guest, to a limit of one, each day of the Ryder Cup. 12

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14 Local Qualifiers: Friday, July 8, Riverside Golf Club, Grand Island Saturday, July 9, The Players Club, Omaha Sub-Regional Qualifiers: Saturday, August 13, Highlands Golf Course, Lincoln Nebraska Section PGA 610 J Street, Ste 10 Lincoln, NE Ph: (402) Fx: (402)

15 The usual nail-biting suspense during the final round of a U.S. Open Championship was compounded by the USGA postponing the determination of a penalty stroke against the eventual winner of the 2016 U.S. Open Championship, Dustin Johnson. At the 5th green, Dustin saw his ball move slightly as he was positioning his putter behind the ball. Just prior to that, Dustin had made a couple of practice strokes, each time grounding his putter very close to his ball (see adjacent photograph courtesy of Fox Sports). However, in discussing the matter with the Rules Official assigned to his group, Dustin indicated that he did not believe that he had caused his ball to move. Thus, the Rules Official determined that Rule 18-2 [Ball at Rest Moved by Player ] did not apply and instructed Dustin to putt his ball from its new location. To its credit, the USGA examined the television evidence in order to validate this ruling. However, a thorough review of the television evidence suggested that Dustin may have caused his ball to move. USGA Officials caught up with Dustin at the teeing ground of the 12th hole and informed him that he might be subject to a one-stroke penalty, and that the matter would be resolved at the completion of his round. The USGA also conveyed this information to the rest of the players on the course. In the end, the eventual assessment of the one-stroke penalty became somewhat of a moot point because Dustin played magnificently, shooting a 1-under par 69 and winning by several strokes. In the analysis of Dustin s actions on the 5th green, the USGA focused on Decision 18-2/0.5 [Weight of Evidence Standard for Determining Whether Player Caused His Ball to Move]. Relevant excerpts from this Decision read as follows: When a player s ball at rest moves, the cause of the ball s movement has to be assessed. In many situations, the answer will be obvious: the player may have kicked the ball inadvertently or otherwise clearly caused it to move; alternatively, the player may have taken no action near the ball and something else (such as a spectator or animal) clearly caused it to move. In other situations, however, there may be some question as to why the ball moved e.g., because it is less than certain that the player s actions near the ball caused it to move, or because multiple factors were present that potentially might have caused the ball to move. All relevant information must be considered and the weight of the evidence must be evaluated. If the weight of the evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that the player caused the ball to move, even though that conclusion is not free from doubt (emphasis added), the player incurs a one-stroke penalty under Rule 18-2 and the ball must be replaced. Otherwise, the player incurs no penalty and the ball is played as it lies. Note the Dustin was not penalized for not replacing the ball after it had moved. That is because he acted upon the instructions by the attending Rules Official to putt the ball from its new position. The USGA has issued the following statement regarding the penalty to Johnson, including an invitation to the golfing public to comment on the ruling (next column): The USGA wishes to congratulate Dustin Johnson on his victory and thank him, and the other players in the field, for their professionalism and grace throughout the championship. Dustin is a wonderful champion, a talented golfer and a gentleman. Our team at the USGA has seen and heard a great deal of discussion and debate about the ruling on Dustin s ball moving during the final round of the 2016 U.S. Open Championship at Oakmont Country Club. In addition to the explanations we offered upon the conclusion of the final round, we add these comments. Upon reflection, we regret the distraction caused by our decision to wait until the end of the round to decide on the ruling. It is normal for rulings based on video evidence to await the end of a round, when the matter can be discussed with the player before the score card is returned. While our focus on getting the ruling correct was appropriate, we created uncertainty about where players stood on the leader board after we informed Dustin on the 12th tee that his actions on the fifth green might lead to a penalty. This created unnecessary ambiguity for Dustin and the other players, as well as spectators on-site, and those watching and listening on television and digital channels. During any competition, the priority for Rules officials is to make the correct ruling for the protection of the player(s) involved and the entire field. In applying Rule 18-2, which deals with a ball at rest that moves, officials consider all the relevant evidence including the player s actions, the time between those actions and the movement of the ball, the lie of the ball, and course and weather conditions. If that evidence, considered together, shows that it is more likely than not that the player s actions caused the ball to move, the player incurs a one-stroke penalty. Officials use this more likely than not standard because it is not always apparent what caused the ball to move. Such situations require a review of the evidence, with Decision 18-2/0.5 providing guidance on how the evidence should be weighed. Our officials reviewed the video of Dustin on the fifth green and determined that based on the weight of the evidence, it was more likely than not that Dustin caused his ball to move. Dustin s putter contacted the ground at the side of the ball, and almost immediately after, the ball moved. We accept that not everyone will agree that Dustin caused his ball to move. Issues under Rule 18-2 often require a judgment where there is some uncertainty, and this was one of those instances. We also understand that some people may disagree with Rule 18-2 itself. While we respect the viewpoints of those who disagree, our Committee made a careful and collective judgment in its pursuit of a fair competition played under the Rules of Golf. In keeping with our commitment to excellence in all aspects of our work on behalf of the game of golf, we pledge to closely examine our procedures in this matter. We will assess our procedures for handling video review, the timing of such, and our communication with players to make sure that when confronted with such a situation again, we will have a better process. We at the USGA deeply appreciate the support of players, fans, and the entire golf community of our championships and our other work for golf and we appreciate your feedback as well. We have established an address (comments@usga.org) and phone mailbox ( ) to receive comments. We thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. We all share an abiding love of this great game. Let us continue to work together for its good. 15

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17 Assistants Championship August 1 Riverside Country Club, Grand Island, NE Deadline to register: July 13, :59 pm Hotel Information: Best Western Grand Island Inn & Suites 2707 S. Locust Street Grand Island, NE **Mention that you are with the Nebraska PGA to receive a discounted rate of $ tax per night. Deadline to reserve your room at this rate is July 14, Senior Championship August 1-2 Riverside Country Club, Grand Island, NE Deadline to register: July 13, :59 pm Hotel Information: Best Western Grand Island Inn & Suites 2707 S. Locust Street Grand Island, NE **Mention that you are with the Nebraska PGA to receive a discounted rate of $ tax per night. Deadline to reserve your room at this rate is July 14, Section Championship August 8-9 ArborLinks, Nebraska City, NE Deadline to register: July 20, :59 pm Hotel Information: Lied Lodge & Conference Center 2700 Sylvan Road Nebraska City, NE **Mention that you are with the Nebraska PGA to receive a discounted rate of $ tax per night. Deadline to reserve your room at this rate is July 25,

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20 Name Class Current Facility Previous Facility Previous Class Alex Carper B-6 Wilderness Ridge Golf Club Hidden Valley Golf Club B-8 Tyler D. Leffler, PGA A-8 Mahoney Golf Course Karsten Creek Golf Club A-8 Gary Gabrielson, PGA 1 Richard Gilliland, PGA 5 Joseph J. Canny, PGA 6 John L. Frillman, PGA 7 Brett D. Klug, PGA 8 Rich W. Skinner, PGA 9 Michael D VunCannon, PGA 11 Robert S. Spomer, PGA 13 Daniel A. Johnson, PGA 16 Mark E. Nygaard, PGA 16 Maxwell A Hadenfeldt 17 Brent A McGrew 18 Scott A. Murphy 20 Gene Johnson, PGA 21 Tad M. Petersen, PGA 21 Ross A. Eickhoff, PGA 22 Shane M. McClure, PGA 24 Mark A. Ruhga, PGA 25 Brad A. Bosh, PGA 27 David S. Honnens, PGA 27 David N. Vannier, PGA 28 Scott A. Bruha, PGA 29 James K. Sieckmann, PGA 29 Thomas K. McAndrew, PGA 30 Phillip J. Palmer, PGA 30 Don Germer, PGA 31 David Honnens, PGA Executive Director dhonnens@pgahq.com Sean O Neill, PGA Tournament Director soneill@pgahq.com Joe Canny, PGA Junior Golf Director/ Player Development Coordinator jcanny@pgahq.com Renee Tyson Operations Manager rtyson@pgahq.com Nebraska Section PGA 610 J Street, Ste 10 Lincoln, NE Ph: (402) Fx: (402)