A great time for club pros

Today wraps up the PGA Professional National Championship, which is an annual tournament that has taken place since 1968 in which the nation's club professionals compete for an invitation to the PGA Championship - the top 20 here get the nod. The PNC has been played at some great courses over the years - Pinehurst, Whistling Straits, Doral...and one of the past champions is Sam Snead! #funfact

Norton CC's Jeff Martin

This year we had quite a few of our Member Club professionals travel down to Myrtle Beach to play. I imagine that this event is a nice getaway for these guys - a cool way to get to know their peers from across the country and play some golf. Aside from being a pretty prestigious tournament, it's nice that these guys and gals get acknowledged for all that they do for the game. This year's New England representation included (from The Boston Globe):

The 20 from New England are Philip Cardwell of Siasconset (who works at Sankaty Head), Christopher Carter of Danvers (Hillview Golf Course), Anthony Casalino of Old Greenwich, Conn. (Innis Arden Golf Club), Billy Downes of Longmeadow (Hampden Country Club), Michael Dugas of Pittsfield, Maine (JW Parks Golf Course), Boomer Erick of Hingham (Boston Golf Club), Kirk Hanefeld of Acton (NEPGA life member), Jim Hanlon of Wallingford, Conn. (The Farms Country Club), John Hickson of Topsham, Maine (Dick’s Sporting Goods), Chip Johnson of Hingham (Hatherly Country Club), Tony Kelley of Holyoke (Wyckoff Country Club), Ed Kirby of Wakefield, R.I. (Alpine Country Club), Jeffrey Martin of Warwick, R.I. (Norton Country Club), Ron Philo of Stowe, Vt. (Stowe Mountain Club), Jeff Seavey of Homosassa, Fla. (Samoset Resort in Rockport, Maine), Bob Tramonti of Cumberland, R.I. (Triggs Municipal Golf Course), Aaron Ungvarsky of Wilmington (Big Sticks Golf Academy), Shawn Warren of Cape Elizabeth, Maine (Falmouth Country Club), Daniel Wilkins of Laconia, N.H. (Laconia Country Club), and Matt Zdon of Lowell (Belmont Country Club).

Hatherly CC's Chip Johnson

Check out the event program

Today is the final round and Boomer Erick of the amazing Boston GC in Hingham made the cut and is playing in the final 18. Last year, Norton CC's Jeff Martin qualified out of this event and played in the PGA Championship at Oak Hill - a pretty neat feather in the cap for a club pro!