To encourage more communication within headquarters and USGTF members, we have updated the phone number to easily remember when dialing to 772-88-USGTF!!!Remember 772-88-USGTF!!!
Central Region Championship – The USGTF Central Region Championship is scheduled for August 2-3 at Pheasant Run Golf Course in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Region director Brent Davies is the host. For more information, please contact him at btkadavies@comcast.net.
Northwest Region Championship – The USGTF Northwest Region Championship is scheduled for September 16-17 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, California, home of this year’s PGA Championship. Region director Nathan Guerrero is the host. For more information, please contact him at prtime.ng@gmail.com.
United States Golf Teachers Cup® – As of now, the 25th annual United States Golf Teachers Cup is still scheduled to be played at the Revere Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada, October 19-20. We are continuing to monitor the situation and will be releasing more updates as decisions are made. We continue to welcome your feedback regarding this year’s event, please email us at info@usgtf.com.
There has been an uptick in enrollment in the USGTF online course in recent months. Successful completion of these courses allow candidates to earn an Associate Member certification and are qualified to give competent instruction to average-level players.
The USGTF is continually looking to update these courses and are a great way to enter the golf teaching industry. Having a USGTF certification is recognized worldwide and brings opportunity and pride to those who have earned it. Please refer to our home page of www.usgtf.com for more information.
This past May 25, LPGA Tour champions Inbee Park and So Yeon Ryu entered a GOLFZON simulator in South Korea while Lydia Ko and Pernilla Lindberg did the same in St. Augustine, Florida. The four competed in two 18-hole virtual matches, with each team winning once.
This virtual match signals another step forward for golf technology. “Screen golf” has long been popular in Korea, and it is likely that more virtual matches will take place as the technology improves even more and greater access is made available. The USGTF is committed to staying current with the latest technology, and USGTF members are encouraged to share their knowledge with us so we can continue to grow as an organization and provide more opportunity for everyone.
The Rudy Project, a longtime industry partner of the USGTF, specializes in performance eyewear for athletes. Discounts are available for USGTF members. According to The Rudy Project, “All our sunglasses blend wide field of vision, state-of-the-art lenses, superior fit factor and advanced materials to provide maximum eye protection, sharp vision and outstanding comfort.”
Please contact the USGTF National Office for your Rudy Project code, and go to https://www.rudyprojectna.com/pages/vip-login to create your account.
The past few months have brought trying times for all of us. And as of this writing, all 50 states are now allowing golf to be played, considered an essential business nationwide.
There is more good news to consider: The number of golfers hitting the links has grown significantly as people trek outdoors and seek healthy activities, and golf certainly fits that description. More people are also wanting to learn the game, providing great opportunities for golf teachers and coaches. We should all be proud to be part of an industry that is vital to the well-being of so many people.
How hard is it to break into the PGA Tour? Well, at any given time, there might be 200 players worldwide with privileges. Of the 50 million golfers globally, that comes out to .0004% of all golfers who currently play the PGA Tour, one for every 250,000 players.
Tim O’Neal of Savannah, Georgia, has been plying his trade for years, having been an exempt member on what is now known as the Korn Ferry Tour for seven seasons. Later playing on PGA Tour Latinoamerica, he won three times. He has also played in several PGA Tour events, including one major, the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay.
He has also won the Georgia Open, one of the nation’s more competitive state opens. O’Neal’s is an extremely talented golfer who can hit all the shots and shoot low scores. But finding that next level of consistency is a rare talent, reserved for only 200 at a time. Currently, he plays where he can, still making a living at the game and biding his time until 2022 when he becomes eligible for PGA Tour Champions. Look for him to make his mark there, much like Scott Parel and Ken Tanigawa, two golfers with similar careers who are currently finding great success out on the senior circuit.
On June 11, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we will all witness the return of professional golf at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, when the Charles Schwab Challenge is played on the PGA Tour. Many of the world’s top players, eager to return to action, are scheduled to play. A stellar field is also on tap the following week at Harbour Town in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, at the RBC Heritage.
The latter tournament is a bittersweet moment for me. I live only 45 minutes from the course and caddy in the pro-ams every year, hobnobbing with some of golf’s greats. I have had the privilege of having conversations with Jordan Spieth, Jim Furyk, Brandt Snedeker, Henrik Stenson and Stewart Cink, among others. Boo Weekley is also a friend of mine, both of us competing back in the day on the Emerald Coast Tour in the Florida Panhandle. However, spectators will not be allowed this year, so I’ll have to settle for watching the event on television instead of taking my two boys out to follow the action in person.
But overall, that’s a minor inconvenience. Most people are now seeing we need to return to some semblance of normalcy, and sports indeed provides that. While it will be strange to see tournament golf without fans for a while, the action and drama is sure to be the same.
By Mark Harman, USGTF National Course Director
