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Sara Qian from Maple Grove, Minnesota, has a special calling: She is a full-time emergency room nurse. But golf is not far from her mind, as she completed the USGTF certification course in 2021 under the tutelage of USGTF Master Golf Teaching Professional Bill Rice in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Qian began her journey in golf when her son was 4 1/2 years old, and she was looking for a fun sport that they both could do. Golf fit the bill, and soon her son was an accomplished golfer. This forced Qian to learn about the mechanics and the game in general. Although her son wound up going to college for academics rather than golf, Qian’s enjoyment of the game led her to the USGTF, so much so that her husband earned his certification the following year.

Today, Qian teaches part-time at Eagle Lake Golf Course in Minnesota, where her emphasis is developing women golfers. As a Korean person born in China, she speaks both of those languages fluently and finds that people from those countries feel more comfortable with someone who speaks their own language. With her duties as a nurse, combined with her efforts to grow the women’s game, it can certainly be said that Qian is a very special USGTF member, and the organization is fortunate to have her in our ranks.

Tom Alley has been a USGTF Certified Golf Teaching Professional in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the past 13 years. Going back to high school, his goal has always been to be a professional golfer. When he graduated high school, he was recognized by the USGA as one of the top 50 high school golfers in the country that year.

While attending college at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, he was planning to turn pro in the summer of his junior year. That summer, he was transferred from Michigan to Las Vegas with a bar and restaurant company to open their newest outlet. He ended up being a competitive bartender, winning multiple events and world championships. At the age of 30 he decided to re-dedicate himself to the game of golf. He proceeded to play amateur golf and won five Golf Channel Amateur Tour events and qualified for their national championship twice. He then turned professional and started playing on various mini-tours in the Southwest, as well as competing in state opens and U.S. Open qualifiers.

He became certified by the USGTF in 2010, and started Tom Alley Golf Instruction shortly thereafter, where he teaches a simple philosophy: make you better, faster. He understands that what works for some may not work for others, and every golfer’s swing is different. Alley has taught everyone from beginners to the college level. He was the head golf professional at an indoor hitting facility and worked as an independent professional at Desert Pines Golf Club. Alley still tries to play in 3-5 professional events a year, including the U.S. Golf Teachers Cup and Long Beach Open. He has a goal to win the U.S. Cup and participate in some of the other regional events.

Alley lives in Henderson, Nevada, with his wife and two dogs, and is currently the general manager of Tap Sports Bar inside the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

It wasn’t that long ago that Brooks Koepka seemingly came out of nowhere to briefly dominate the major championship scene over a period of two years, having won four of golf’s most prestigious titles. Then, he basically disappeared from contention. That is, until he gave Jon Rahm a huge tussle at this year’s Masters and finally winning once again at the PGA Championship.

Koepka had to overcome a series of injuries, mainly to his knee, that limited his ability to play great golf. The interesting thing about Koepka is his ability to win major championships while being somewhat of much more ordinary player in non-major events. This certainly goes to the power of the mind to achieve greatness when one puts their mind to it.

Koepka has now entered the realm of all-time greats, as only 19 other men have won five or more major championships. He has the same number of majors as Seve Ballesteros, for example, and more than some of the legends of the game, including Raymond Floyd. Now that Koepka is healthy, the only question is how many more majors will he win before he’s done.

Northeast – The USGTF Northeast Region Championship will be played Thursday, June 15, at Mountain View Golf Course in Ewing, New Jersey. This one-round event features tee assignments based on age and gender, and has an entry fee of $185, which includes one round of tournament play, range balls prior to play, and prize money. A dinner is planned after the round. For more information and to enter, please contact region director Bob Corbo at simductivegolf@gmail.com.

Central – The USGTF Central Region Championship will be played Sunday and Monday, September 24-25, at Walden Ponds Golf Course in Hamilton, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati. The entry fee of $250 includes two tournament rounds, range balls, and prize money which includes not only tournament finishes but any side games. To enter, please call region director Tony McMullin at (513) 479-6895.

By Ricky Campbell

My experience in golf started just over 50 years ago, and 1977 was the first time for me playing golf in Trinidad. That’s when I realised how much one can learn in the sport. Our national team was made up of caddies, and the players from Trinidad were a mixture of caddies, businessmen and women. I must add there weren’t any women on our side.

The standard of golf in Trinidad was so high that in order to compete, we had to practise a lot with limited golf clubs and time. The result was having two players, Carlos Baynes and Carlos Beckles, on the national team, the former being the # 1 player for a couple years in Trinidad and Tobago. During that time, our national team was one of the best-playing against nine other Caribbean islands in the Hoeman Cup – now the Caribbean Championship.

Over the last couple of years, we had a lot of talented players, but not enough to make a team of six. In a couple of years, we are expecting to get back to those glory times now that Anthony Benny, Chris Richards and myself all have a very productive youth programme.

Registration for the 2023 United States Golf Teachers Cup is now open. This national championship event will be contested at the Revere Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Monday and Tuesday, October 9-10. Both the Lexington and Concord courses will be utilized, as they were in 2021. Play will be contested in three divisions: Open, Senior (50+) and Super Senior (68+). Women competitors will be placed into their respective age divisions and will compete from shorter distances. A concurrent pro-am will be conducted with USGTF members invited to bring an amateur partner.

The entry fee of $575 per person includes two tournament rounds, range balls prior to and after play, closing luncheon and awards ceremony, and prize money. This entry fee amount is good until July 1, when the fee is increased to $595. To enter, please complete the registration form located here: https://www.usgtf.com/uscup.

Since its inception in 1989, the USGTF continues to grow and prosper to the benefit of both its members and the game itself. For 2023, the World Golf Teachers Federation (WGTF) is expanding to new countries, with the most recent being Barbuda. Providing competent and qualified teachers to previously underserved countries has been a hallmark of the WGTF.

The USGTF continues to see growth in its membership, as well, as people are seeing the benefits of USGTF membership. In addition to providing a high standard of training, USGTF members enjoy tournament participation, as well as access to educational materials, networking opportunities and industry partner discounts. As the year progresses, both the USGTF and the WGTF continue to enter new and exciting territory.