The PGA is delighted to reveal the second batch of awardees who have successfully completed their PGA Excel application and achieved a new PGA Membership designation.
PGA Excel was launched in October last year to replace the Association’s previous APAL system. It allows PGA Members to demonstrate their impact, achievements and value to their peers, employers, golfers and the wider industry.
Awards are presented to successful Members every quarter, enabling them to move up through The PGA’s membership designations and differentiate themselves from their peers.
Following an extended period of assessing and marking submissions, 17 Members have been awarded a new designation that demonstrates their impact and achievement within their specialist membership category (PGA Professional, PGA Coach and PGA Manager).
The following Members have been awarded in the following categories:
PGA PROFESSIONAL
Fellow: Tom James (Leicester Golf Centre) / Jamie O’Sullivan (Rosslare Golf Club) / Simon Peaford (Silvermere Golf Club)
Advanced: Stephen Plane (Banstead Downs Golf Club) / Peter Roberts (Surbiton Golf Club) / Ricky Pharo (Roehampton Club) / Alice Davis (Parkstone Golf Club) / Andrew Hutchison (Douglas Park Golf Club) / Stephen Hamer (New Generation Golf) / Frank Holly (The Club at Glenmore) / Simon Purcell-Jackson (Simon Purcell-Jackson Golf) / Sam Smitherman (Walton Heath Golf Club)
PGA COACH
Advanced: Bobby King (Cistercian Colleague Golf Academy) / Zachery Marsh (Mark Janes Golf Academy) / Philippe Bonfanti (Isle of Purbeck Golf Club) / Grant Jackson (Sand River Golf Club)
PGA MANAGER
Advanced Fellow: Michael Yorke (Horsham Golf)
Commenting on the success of the second batch of PGA Excel awardees, Tristan Crew – PGA Executive Director – Membership, said: “We are delighted to announce another 17 PGA Excel awardees and I would like to congratulate each of them on their success.
“These PGA Members have successfully demonstrated their impact and achievement across their career in the golf industry, meeting the progression criteria that underpins PGA Excel and therefore succeeding in their chosen fields.
“PGA Excel is a new system which continues to grow. Each month we are seeing more and more PGA Members taking an interest in their career progression and starting their applications. These Members are now on a journey to improve their designation status to Advanced, Fellow, Advanced Fellow and Master.
“I would encourage all PGA Members to consider starting their own PGA Excel journey. Not only will it improve your standing among your peers, but you will demonstrating your value to the golf facilities or companies that employ or deploy you.”
Alice Davis is based at Parkstone Golf Club in Poole and she is also one of 12 women from across Europe on the TaylorMade Women’s Advisory Board. Davis, who qualified as a PGA Member in 2014, has been awarded the status of PGA Advanced Professional. She said: “It’s a privilege to be recognised by our governing body for achieving in the field, in a job that I’ve always wanted to do in teaching and be recognised for the work that I’m doing. It’s a great feeling.
“This is only the start of my PGA Excel journey. I will definitely look to progress further in the future. I’m always looking to improve my own knowledge and learn more so I can help other people. Hopefully through my learning I’ll be able to apply through PGA Excel again and improve my status again.”
Michael Yorke has been the general manager and head professional at Horsham Golf in West Sussex for the last five years. A PGA Member for more than three decades, Yorke is delighted to see his achievements in the game acknowledged after being awarded the status of PGA Advanced Fellow Manager.
Yorke said: “I turned professional in 1990 so I knew I had collected plenty of career experience, so to be able to wrap that up into a PGA Excel membership award was something I was really keen to do.
“I’m really proud to have achieved PGA Advanced Fellow Manager status. I’ve been a PGA Member for 30 years and it’s great to have something that reflects my experiences on what has been a fantastic journey.
“Like many golf pros, I think I’ve got the best job on the planet and to have that recognition of what I’ve achieved over that period of time, it’s great to know that’s accumulated to be something that is recognised by our governing body, which is the ultimate reward.”
CLICK HERE to find out more about PGA Excel and what the designations mean.
CLICK HERE to read more from Tristan Crew about the importance of PGA Excel to the golf industry.
PGA Members can find out more about PGA Excel by CLICKING HERE.
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