1 Dec 2023

“PRO” FILES – SHRINERS CHILDREN’S OPEN WINNER – TOM KIM

He came on with a bang to end 2022, winning two tournaments and becoming a bona fide star at the Presidents Cup. But success in 2023 came a little slower for Tom Kim until he won the Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas in October.

Although he had five top-10 finishes in 2023 prior to his victory, including a second-place finish at The Open, Kim fell just short of taking his spot in the winner’s circle until Vegas. A third-round 62 propelled him to an eventual total of 20-under-par to outlast Adam Hadwin by a stroke.

Kim is only 21 years old and would be a senior in college had he taken that route. As the PGA Tour seems to get younger and younger, Kim is certain to be at the forefront of this revolution.  
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REGION CHAMPIONSHIP ACTION GETS UNDERWAY
1 Dec 2023

REGION CHAMPIONSHIP ACTION GETS UNDERWAY

SOUTHEAST – The USGTF Southeast Region Championship will be played Tuesday and Wednesday, February 20-21, 2024, at Twisted Oaks Golf Club in Beverly Hills, Florida. The course is approximately 20 minutes away from the towns of Crystal River, Inverness and Dunnellon. The entry fee of $245 includes two rounds of tournament golf, range balls prior to play and prize money. In addition to the regular prize distribution, day money and a second-day prize pool will be offered. The entry fee can be paid to Southeast Region director Mark Harman by Venmo (@MarkHarman), PayPal (markharmangolf@aol.com), or personal check mailed to 1656 Colony Dr., Ridgeland, SC 29936. The entry deadline is Wednesday, February 14.
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1 Dec 2023

THE 9TH USGTF-KOREA PRESIDENTIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT WAS HELD SUCCESSFULLY

The 9th USGTF-Korea Chairman’s Cup Member Golf Tournament was held on Monday, November 13 at Club D Songnisan Golf Course in Boeun-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do. The competition was held for those who passed regional qualifiers as full members of the USGTF-Korea and amateur players recommended by full members of the league, and was divided into five professional divisions: Men’s General, Men’s Senior, Grand Senior and Women’s General, Women’s Senior, and Amateur.

Young-min Ko won the Men’s General section; Man-wook Heo won the Men’s Senior section; Yong-tae Lee won the Grand Senior and Women’s General section; Eun-joo Kim won the Women’s Senior section, and Choi Won-il won the Amateur section. Pro Tae-hyun Kwon took second place in the Men’s General section while pro Seong-min Yoo took third. Pro Won-gil Lee took second place in the Men’s Elderly section and pro Pan-ho Lim took third place.

Professional Joo-bong Sung took second place in the Grand Senior and Women’s General division, and professional Soo-jin Ha took third place. In the Women’s Elderly category, professional Gun-hwi Won came in second and professional Eul-soon Yoon came in third.

Hee-tae Lee took second place in the amateur division, and Kyung-man Kim took third place. In addition, Ki-won Jung was awarded the Model Player Award, and the winner was awarded a prize, a trophy and a certificate.

Rather than a fierce ranking competition among participants, the competition has become a place where all participants, including their partners, and game executives share their warm feelings with a smile as the participants demonstrate their golf skills.
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1 Dec 2023

MAGAZINE COMING OUT THIS MONTH; MEMBERSHIP CARDS INCLUDED

Golf Teaching Pro, the annual official member publication of the USGTF and WGTF, will be mailed to all members in good standing this month, along with membership cards. The magazine is one of the most valuable resources available to USGTF members and includes information pertinent to every golf teaching professional, such as instruction, features and international news and happenings.

The recently completed United States Golf Teachers Cup is recapped, along with articles written by industry experts such as Thomas T Wartelle, Mike Stevens, Lawrence Sykkmon and Christopher Warner. Wartelle, who is mentoring his son Gabrielle, writes about “Teaching young golfers by age and ability,” while resident historian Stevens takes us on a journey to the past with “Who is Samuel Ryder and why is the Ryder Cup named after him?”

News from international federations is also prominently featured as the World Golf Teachers Federation takes center stage in this issue. The global reach of the WGTF literally covers all corners of the Earth.

The magazine will be arriving soon. Please check your mailbox for the current issue!
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1 Dec 2023

SEASON’S GREETINGS FROM USGTF


As we head into December and the end of the year approaches, we trust that you have had a successful and fulfilling 2023, and look forward to what 2024 might bring us. We would like to wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season and look forward to continuing to provide the best possible organization for both new and existing members. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can help you with any matter related to your membership.
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31 Oct 2023

INDUSTRY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT – BUSHNELL RANGEFINDER

 

Bushnell, maker of the top-selling range finders in golf, have hit a home run with its latest offering, the Pro X3. According to Bushnell, “The best just got even better – Pro X3 is the most feature rich, best performing laser rangefinder on earth. Bushnell Golf brings you its most advanced laser rangefinder yet. Packing all of the market-leading innovations you have come to expect.”  

Bushnell is an industry partner with the USGTF, and offers a generous discount for all members, Please call the USGTF National Office at (772) 88-USGTF for pricing and to place an order
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31 Oct 2023

EDITORIAL – RYDER CUP & PRESIDENTS CUP – THEIR DIFFERENCES AND THEIR STORY


The Presidents Cup competition between Team USA and the International squad (excluding Europe) started in 1994 as a way to get the game’s biggest international stars – most notably Greg Norman and Nick Price – into a team competition. Also, the Ryder Cup had, by this time, morphed from a ho-hum event that had little buzz to a must-see all-out war.

While the Ryder Cup is somewhat fairly evenly matched, Team USA has completely dominated Team International in the Presidents Cup. Various theories have been put forward as to why this is, but the most compelling is that Team International simply lacks the firepower that Team Europe has. Another important aspect is belief, and pro golfers are not immune from this. Simply put, Team Europe expects to win the Ryder Cup in Europe, and Team USA expects to win every time the Presidents Cup is contested.

Thirty years after the first playing of the Presidents Cup, it has nowhere the passion or interest that the Ryder Cup does. Will this ever change? Probably not soon. Team Europe in the Ryder Cup has a camaraderie and connection being from a common continent, while the International squad in the Presidents Cup hails from all over the globe with little in common. However, should Team International win a Presidents Cup or two, interest is sure to rise dramatically.
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31 Oct 2023

“PRO” FILE – USGTF MEMBER “PRO” FILE – USGTF MEMBER TIM CARNAHAN

Tim Carnahan of Fairfax, Virginia, has been a lifelong golfer who had a 30-year corporate career in finance and employee relocation. In preparation for a second career, Carnahan began to work on his golf game and began taking classes in golf instruction as well as club fitting, club performance and club repair. Eleven years ago, after retiring from his corporate job, Carnahan joined a local golf academy as a club fitter and beginner golf instructor. He now works with players of all skill levels.  

Carnahan currently works at the Burke Lake Golf Academy (BLGA) at the Burke Lake Golf Course in Fairfax. At the BLGA, he teaches group lessons as well as private and semi-private lessons. Additionally, Carnahan does club fittings for two major golf club companies. Earlier in 2023, Carnahan was designated a staff player for Callaway Golf. His teaching philosophy is a formula that has proven over time to produce solid results. First, he emphasizes solid fundamentals of grip, setup, ball position and takeaway. This portion of instruction is supported by video analysis and photos that the student takes home with them. Phase two involves developing the student’s understanding of what goes into making good impact and the resulting ball flight.  

According to Carnahan, “I support this aspect of the lesson with launch monitor and video analysis. My students have responded well to this approach. The final aspect to my teaching method is to hold the students to a high standard. I have found that students really appreciate honest feedback on their performance. Acknowledge a good swing, but point out what could be improved. Students respond well to being told they can do better.”  
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31 Oct 2023

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT – ADRIAN TREJO

By Pamela Montgomery, USGTF Member  

Adrian Trejo decided to play golf as an outlet due to the Covid restrictions of 2020. He comes from a family rich in tradition. His father and mother have guided their sons to work hard and be honorable young men. His older brother, a police officer, suggested they try the game at a weekly family meeting. Now, all the men play…they caught the “golf bug.”  

Adrian approached me about joining the team at Canyon Springs High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s been a roller coaster ride ever since. I am a USGTF certified instructor, license #6108. My other job is that of a schoolteacher for the Clark County School District in Las Vegas. I became the golf coach in the 2022-2023 school year. When Adrian walked into my classroom and asked what he needed to do to play, both our lives changed.  

Adrian has a background rich in football. He was a team captain, leader, and role model for others. Adrian is an honor student driven to always do and be his very best. This all made my job so much easier. Adrian not only joined the team, but made it to the Nevada State Championship his very first year as a competitive golfer. Together we have concentrated on improving his short game and making better club selections for specific shots. Our game plan also focused on controlling his power and accuracy off the tee.  

We are charting his GIRs, putts and fairways. Adrian is a fierce competitor and finds golf extremely self-rewarding. He loves the game more than ever, mostly because he sees that hard work and dedication pay off. This year, Adrian has decided to concentrate on golf. He sees his future in golf as a lifelong passion.  

It has been a true honor for me as a USGTF instructor to see my student achieve so much in such a short time. We are both excited about where golf might take him. Not only is he strong, athletic and intrinsically motivated, but he has the biggest heart of anyone I have ever had the pleasure of teaching. Keep watching for this name, Adrian Trejo; we may see it on TV someday.  
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31 Oct 2023

FIVE CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT U.S. CUP

Three individual champions and two team winners captured division titles at the 2023 United States Golf Teachers Cup, contested October 9-10 at the Revere Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ken Kim continued his fine play in USGTF events, following up his win earlier in the year in the Southeast Region Championship with a victory in the U.S. Cup’s Open division. His two-round total of even-par 144 bested runner-up Eric Slosek by eight shots. Kirk Junge took home the Senior division title, his 4-under-par winning by six over runner-up Yi Zhou. In the Super Senior division, Rox Cox captured yet another USGTF title, his 2-over-par 146 defeating Ron Platz by 10. Complete scores can be found at www.2023uscup.golfgenius.com.
 
For the third consecutive U.S. Cup, a concurrent pro-am was conducted, with USGTF professional Pamela Montgomery teaming with amateur Cherokee Montgomery to win. Next year’s U.S. Cup will also be held in Las Vegas at a course to be named at a later date.
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