PGA Members Eric Eshleman and Kevin Kirk Headline 2019 PGA of America National Award Recipients

Southern Texas PGA • July 24, 2019


Editor’s Note: For photos and videos of the 2019 PGA of America National Award recipients, click here.


PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (July 24, 2019) - Eric Eshleman, PGA, the Director of Golf at the Country Club of Birmingham (Alabama), is the recipient of the 2019 PGA Golf Professional of the Year Award. This award is the highest annual honor given to a PGA of America Professional, awarded for qualities of leadership, strong moral character and a substantial record of service to the PGA and the game of golf.


A 24-year PGA Member, Eshleman has demonstrated a passion and commitment to training and mentoring fellow PGA Professionals throughout his career and has served in advisory roles on several golf committees. Eshleman currently serves as the Honorary President of the Alabama-NW Florida PGA Section, after a two-year term as President. During his time as a Section Officer, he helped raise the image and status of the Section and established a fundraising program for its foundation, while his stint as president included the approval of the Section name change (formerly the Dixie Section).


He has trained many PGA Professionals to become outstanding golf instructors, stemming from his devotion to bettering the golf community and fostering strong relationships with the individuals he mentors. Under his leadership, the Country Club of Birmingham has averaged more than 2,400 lessons annually since 2014. Eshleman is also a member of the PGA Adjunct Faculty, teaching golf to beginners and assisting students and staff in developing their skills and shaping their career paths. Additionally, Eshleman oversees one of the largest junior golf programs in the country, with 200 kids playing in CCB’s Junior Club Championship in 2018.


Well known as a teaching professional for students such as Graeme McDowell, Patton Kizzire, Paul Dunne and the 66th U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Eshleman has been honored by the Alabama-NW Florida PGA Section on several occasions. He received the Section’s: PGA Golf Professional of the Year Award in 2010 and 2017; the Teacher of the Year Award (2000 and 2004); the 2011 PGA Bill Strausbaugh Award; and 2014 Youth Player Development Award.


Kevin Kirk, PGA, a 26-year PGA Member in the Southern Texas Section and Director of Golf Instruction at The Woodlands Country Club in The Woodlands, Texas, is the recipient of the 2019 PGA Teacher of the Year Award for his “outstanding services as a golf teacher, innovator and coach.”


Kirk, a PGA Master Professional and a GOLF Magazine Top 100 Teacher in America, has taught an impressive list of students, highlighted by three-time United States Ryder Cup Team Member and 2018 Masters Champion Patrick Reed; LPGA TOUR star and Major Champion Lexi Thompson; and three-time PGA TOUR winner Jhonattan Vegas, among others. Kirk also works with professional golfers Maria Verchenova and Rodolfo Cazubon, making him the coach of five Olympians.


Committed to player development, Kirk’s holistic approach to teaching caters to individuals of all ages and skill levels, from newcomers to Tour stars. A sought-after presenter and instructor, Kirk is a member of the PGA of America’s Coaching & Player Development Committee and has delivered numerous insightful presentations at PGA meetings, workshops and education programs at the Chapter, Section and National levels, as well as coaching summits in England, Australia and New Zealand. He is an advocate for the Aspen Institute Project Play and strongly supports the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the PGA of America in the advancement of the American Development Model.

Fluent in Spanish, Kirk is a valued consultant for several golf federations, Olympic Committees and private clubs throughout Latin America. Highly regarded as a mentor, educator and role model for fellow PGA Members, Kirk’s passion is reinforced by his commitment to inclusiveness and sharing both his experience and knowledge with peers.


His recognition as 2019 National PGA Teacher of the Year follows a long list of awards at the Section level including: Southern Texas PGA Section Harvey Penick Teacher of the Year five times (1998, 1999, 2008, 2011 and 2017); the Horton Smith Award in 2006; and the Bill Strausbaugh Award in 2012.


“The 2019 Class of PGA of America National Awards winners has distinguished themselves as leaders and innovators, and it’s a privilege to recognize each one of them for their extraordinary commitment to the Association, as well as their passion for advancing the game and business of golf,” said PGA President Suzy Whaley. “With a commitment to excellence and the utmost of professionalism, these honorees inspire our 29,000 PGA Professionals to continually pursue the highest standards of success and achievement.”


Eric Eshleman and Kevin Kirk lead a group of 11 PGA Professionals and one PGA Section in winning the PGA of America’s 2019 National Awards. The majority of the awards will be presented on Thursday, Nov. 7, as part of the 2019 PGA Annual Meeting in West Palm Beach, Florida. The three PGA Merchandiser of the Year Awards will be presented next January, in coordination with events surrounding the 2020 PGA Merchandise Show.


2019 PGA of America National Awards Recipients

PGA Golf Professional of the Year: Eric Eshleman, PGA, Country Club of Birmingham (Ala.)

PGA Teacher of the Year: Kevin Kirk, PGA, The Woodlands (Texas) Golf Performance Center

Bill Strausbaugh Award: David Reasoner, PGA, Ridgewood Country Club - Paramus, N.J.

Horton Smith Award: Todd Sones, PGA, Todd Sones Impact Golf - Vernon Hills, Ill.

Deacon Palmer Award: Randy Jones, PGA, Club Car - Richmond, Texas

Patriot Award: Judy Alvarez, PGA/LPGA, Monarch Country Club - Palm City, Fla.

PGA Player Development Award: Liz Cooper, PGA/LPGA, Springfield (Va.) Golf & Country Club

PGA Youth Player Development Award: Scott Wilson, PGA, Bay Meadows Family Golf Course. -
Traverse City, Mich.

Herb Graffis Award: South Florida PGA Section

PGA Merchandiser of the Year-Resort Category: Sara Muldoon, PGA, Hershey (Pa.) Country Club

PGA Merchandiser of the Year-Public Category: Duncan Simms, PGA, Oak Creek G.C. -
Irvine, Calif.

PGA Merchandiser of the Year-Private Category: Scott Kirkwood, PGA, Ocean Reef Club -
Key Largo, Fla.


For bios and information on the individual award winners, click here.


About the PGA of America
The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of PGA Professionals who daily work to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. For more information about the PGA of America, visit PGA.org, follow @PGA on Twitter and find us on Facebook.


Media Contact
Michael Abramowitz  PGA of America 561/624-8458 mabramowitz@pgahq.com
Jared Minski, Mastro Communications, Inc. 732/469-5700 jared@mastrocomm.com

Help Support the Hill Country at Riverhill Country Club

By Southern Texas PGA • July 30, 2025
Sunday, August 17, 2025 Come join us for a Great Event. An exciting Day of Golf, Live Music, Auctions, and Special Appearances. 100% of all funds received will go directly to benefit the Hill Country Arts Foundation in Ingram, Texas, to help them rebuild from devastating flood damage. Golf Tournament at Riverhill Country Club - the home of legendary Byron Nelson 8:00 am Registration 10:00 am Shotgun Start $500 per player (limited to 120 players) Golf at the Historic Riverhill Country Club Two Concert Tickets at Arcadia Live All-inclusive Food and Drink on the Course Player Gift Bags Live Concert at the Beautiful Arcadia Live Theater Featuring; 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm $100 per ticket (only 600 tickets available) Acts to be Announced coming soon due to security concerns and limited seating To Enter and for More Information , go to the website (working on) or Contact Jeff Hunter, PGA at (830)-896-1400 ext. 2260 or jhunter@riverhillcc.com John Junker at (830-896-1400) ext. 2260 or jjunker@riverhillcc.com Checks and donations can also be sent to Riverhill Country Club, made out to: Guitars and Greens for the Guadalupe

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Uresti Wins 2025 Southern Texas Senior PGA Professional Championship at Bay Oaks

By Southern Texas PGA • July 22, 2025
HOUSTON, TX (July 22, 2025) – Omar Uresti, PGA Life Member, claimed victory at the 2025 Southern Texas Senior PGA Professional Championship, firing rounds of 67-73–140 ( -4 ) at Bay Oaks Country Club to secure the title of Senior Section Champion. This is Uresti's Fourth Senior Championship, with his last win coming in 2023. This year’s championship served a dual purpose, determining not only the Southern Texas PGA Senior Champion but also acting as the Section’s qualifier for the 2025 Senior PGA Professional Championship, to be held at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida, later this fall. "It feels good to come out and get a win against a strong field and a tough golf course. The first round I was hitting good shots and making good putts, but today wasn't the same, and I had to balance my mental game a little bit throughout the ups and downs," said Uresti. In the final round, Uresti needed to battle back after a slow start on the front nine with 3 bogeys, but took the lead with 1 eagle and 2 birdies on the back nine to secure the win. The leaderboard finished with Uresti winning by three over Billy Sitton, PGA Executive from Triumph Golf, and four over Darrell Fuston, PGA General Manager from Westwood Golf Club. Heading into the tournament, Uresti, Robert Thompson, PGA, and Eric Bogar, PGA, were already exempt. The five additional qualifiers are: Billy Sitton, PGA Golf Executive at Triumph Golf Darrell Fuston, PGA General Manager at Westwood Golf Club Darek Franklin, PGA Assistant Professional at Austin Golf Club Steve Jurgensen, PGA Teaching Professional at Westwood Golf Club David von Hoffman, PGA Director of Golf at Spanish Oaks Golf Club 

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By Southern Texas PGA • July 15, 2025
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STPGA Q2 UPDATE Member Outreach, Mentoring, and More

By Dr. Rich Ballinger, PGA • July 14, 2025
Dear STPGA Members, I hope this message finds you well and enjoying a wonderful summer! Following our second board meeting on July 10th, I wanted to provide you with some important updates. We're incredibly enthusiastic about a few new initiatives we're rolling out, building upon the strong foundation of our existing successful programs. Below are three key areas we focused on during the meeting: Member Outreach Program: Your Voice Matters We have launched a new Member Outreach Program designed to ensure your voices are heard directly by our leadership. Before each quarterly board meeting, every board member will personally contact three STPGA professionals. These assignments will rotate, allowing us to connect with a diverse group of members over time. The goal of these calls is simply to have an informal, open conversation to understand what's on your mind. At the start of each board meeting, we summarize the key themes and feedback gathered. This direct input will be invaluable in shaping our decisions, enhancing our programs, and ultimately better serving all STPGA professionals. Please don't be surprised if a board member reaches out, and we truly encourage you to share your thoughts! New Associate Development and Mentoring Initiative The STPGA is thrilled to announce the launch of our new Associate Mentoring initiative, which the board thoroughly discussed and voted to approve. This program will focus on three key goals: Enhanced Onboarding Communication: We'll be sending updated and more in-depth communications to all new and transfer-in associates, providing comprehensive information about the Section and all available resources. Pro-Associate Events: We're introducing two new Pro-Associate events, with the first scheduled for October. These events aim to introduce Level 1 associates to the STPGA, featuring guest speakers, sharing best practices, and providing essential information about the PGA of America and the STPGA. Our goal is to keep their excitement for the golf industry high and maintain their motivation. Following this, Level 1 associates will have the unique opportunity to play golf with an existing PGA member, helping them expand their network and gain a valuable mentor. Associate Orientation Program: We will also implement a new, mandatory Associate Orientation program. This orientation will educate associates on the STPGA and the PGA of America, reinforcing their motivation within the industry. It's also a great way to introduce them to our dedicated STPGA staff, ensuring they know who to contact for support. Completing this orientation will be a prerequisite for associates to participate in any STPGA golf tournaments. Strategic Plan Refresh Underway The board of directors had a very robust and constructive conversation about our strategic plan. This plan has been an incredibly valuable tool for our staff and board, guiding our initiatives over the past several years. We've identified some exciting ideas to improve it further and will be sure to share these with you once they are finalized. Lastly, our thoughts and prayers remain with everyone affected by the flooding in the Hill Country. If you know of a facility or PGA Member or Associate that has been directly affected, please reach out to either me or Thomas Hutton, our Executive Director. The PGA of America remains committed to the PGA Medical and Disaster Relief Fund that provides assistance to members who are faced with temporary financial problems due to serious medical emergencies or the impact of natural disasters. Thank you for your ongoing support and engagement. Please know that I am always available and welcome any comments or concerns you may have. Sincerely,

FUSTON & JURGENSEN GO WIRE-TO-WIRE TO CLAIM THE 2025 TEXAS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

By Southern Texas PGA • July 8, 2025
HORSESHOE BAY, TEXAS (July 8, 2025) - The 2025 Texas Team Championship saw Darrell Fuston, PGA General Manager at Westwood Golf Club, and Steve Jurgensen, PGA Teaching Professional at Westwood Golf Club, take home the trophy with a two-day total of two-day low score of 59-64-123 (-20). This year's event featured 116 2-person teams made up of PGA Members and Associates from both the Southern Texas and Northern Texas PGA Sections. Fuston and Jurgensen came in on a hot streak after winning the STPGA 9/9/9 Championship last week. The team took the lead after day one and never looked back! They shot an impressive 59 (-12) on Monday when they played the Ram Rock course at Horseshoe Bay, giving them the lead by three strokes after playing the harder of the two golf courses. When asked about day one, Fuston said, "We just played really solid golf—almost like a scramble. We were in sync all day, hitting it together and keeping it stress-free. We know each other’s games well, and it just clicked out there". When day two started, they looked to continue their consistent play and were able to do just that with a bogey-free round and eight birdies on the Apple Rock course. They started out their final round with four birdies on the front nine. Following the final round, the pair said, "Today felt tough, but once we birdied 10 and 11, we were great. Checking the leaderboard helped us refocus — we weren’t chasing, so we just stuck to our game and kept the momentum going”. Thomas Devanna, PGA, and Keith Harris, PGA, made a remarkable climb up the leaderboard in Round Two, jumping 12 spots with an impressive bogey-free round on the Apple Rock Course that featured nine birdies. Their strong performance secured them a share of runner-up honors at 16-under-par, alongside the STPGA’s Wes Skaggs, PGA, and Omar Uresti, PGA. The Texas Team Championship is the one event a year outside of the Ryder Cup events where both STPGA and NTPGA Members and Associates compete together. While the competition remains the main priority, the networking, camaraderie, and meeting new professionals is also very important. The Southern Texas PGA extends a sincere thank you to all of our 2025 sponsors, including Adidas, YETI, BlueGolf/Clubessential/ForeUp, Fairways and Fundays, Elijah Craig, Kohler Wisconsin, Bad Birdie, E-Z-GO, Heritage Creations, Redvanly, and XXIO. Thanks to their generous support, the total purse for this year’s event reached $59,475, which included a $57,975 overall purse and $1,500 awarded through special contests. This year, we also had the fan-favorite Putting Contest at the Whitewater Putting Course at Horseshoe Bay Resort following Round One. For the 2025 edition of this storied contest, the duo of Patrick Buhrmann, PGA, and Jeff Hughes, PGA, claimed the title with an impressive 34-under finish, edging out the competition by three strokes. The laid-back setting provided a great opportunity for Elijah Craig as well as other event sponsors to connect with PGA Professionals while enjoying a fun and social evening on the unique course. The Texas Team Championship was played on the 6,858-yard Apple Rock and 6,702-yard Ram Rock Courses at Horseshoe Bay Resort. To view the final results, CLICK HERE . To view the photo gallery, CLICK HERE .

WESTWOOD VICTORIOUS AT 9/9/9

By Southern Texas PGA • June 30, 2025
The Woodlands, TX (June 30, 2025) — The Southern Texas PGA proudly hosted the annual 9/9/9 Pro-Pro Championship today at The Woodlands Country Club – Palmer Course, over 50 teams competed in a unique 27-hole stroke play event that tested teamwork and versatility. The format featured three distinct styles of play: King Nine – Scramble General Nine – Four-Ball Deacon Nine – Modified Alternate Shot Emerging victorious at 16-under-par (-16) was the duo of Darrell Fuston, PGA, General Manager at Westwood Golf Club, and Steve Jurgensen, PGA, Teaching Professional at the Westwood Golf Club. “The Four-Ball is where we started to put together some birdies and start catching a groove,” said Fuston. Jurgensen added, “Going bogey-free was a big help as well. There were still some opportunities we didn’t capitalize on, like the Par 5, where we had a birdie look but walked away with a par. Those things happen, and we just played well all day.” The pair now looks to carry their momentum into next week’s Texas Team Championship at Horseshoe Bay Resort, where they’ll once again team up in pursuit of another title. A heartfelt thank you goes out to our partners who made this event possible: Golf Scorecards, Inc., E-Z-GO, Joseph Elliot, Winston Collection, L2 Brands, and Bag Caddie. Their support continues to elevate our tournaments and the experience for PGA Professionals across the Section.

Meet the Member: Trent Peddy, PGA

By Southern Texas PGA • June 20, 2025
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Nevius and Uresti are Victorious at Jets.com Tradition Championship

By Southern Texas PGA • June 17, 2025
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (JUNE 17, 2025) – The 2025 Jets.com Tradition Championship brought 143 PGA of America Members and Associates to Briggs Ranch Golf Club for two days of premier competition. The event featured exciting action in both the Senior and Open Divisions. In the Senior Division, PGA Life Member Omar Uresti posted rounds of 69-71 for a tournament total of 140 ( -4 ), coming from two shots behind to claim the title. Uresti and first-round leader Chad Donegan, PGA General Manager at Landa Park Golf Course, kept the leaderboard tight throughout the final round, with the battle going all the way to the final hole before Uresti sealed the win. "It felt really good to secure a victory here. I haven't had complete trust in my swing recently, but I still hit a lot of good shots and had some great putts that just didn't fall. The course was a lot firmer this year than it was last year, so it put more weight on each decision. All around, it was a lot of ups and downs, but I am excited to be back and win another major." The Open Division delivered plenty of drama as well, with strong play across the field on Day 1 that saw the Top-17 players finish under par. Austin Wylie, Assistant Professional at Mac Wylie Golf Center, entered the final round with a two-stroke lead and was aiming for back-to-back Major victories. However, after a day of great golf, Jeremy Nevius, Assistant Professional at Austin Golf Club, and Steven Chervony, Assistant Professional at Austin Country Club, would play their way to the top of the leaderboard. Fittingly, after spending the entire final round paired together, the two had the opportunity to head back out together for a playoff to decide the Championship. “I was excited for the chance. When Steven and I finished our round, I checked the scoreboard and didn’t think we were even in the mix,” said Nevius. “It felt like a blessing just to play Hole 18 one more time.” As the pair drove to the 18th tee, they took in the sunset over Briggs Ranch before heading into the playoff. After finding the fairway bunker with his drive, Nevius attacked the flag and gave himself a chance to apply pressure. “The putt was sweet. I think I just willed it in,” Nevius said. “I’d been in that bunker earlier, and the hole location set up perfectly for the shot shape I’d been playing all day. Steven is so good — he doesn’t miss. Playing with him all day and knowing it was him in the playoff added some nerves. I’m just so pumped to get this win.” The Southern Texas PGA extends its sincere thanks to Derrick Dixon, PGA General Manager, Mike Frost, PGA Head Professional, and the entire team at Briggs Ranch Golf Club for another incredible year of championship golf and outstanding hospitality. A special thank you as well to our Title Partner, Jets.com, and to our Presenting Partners: Levelwear, PRG, nexbelt, Hole-in-One U.S.A. Insurance, TurfHound, Vortech Contracting, Strackaline, Tournament Solutions, Zedcor, Bluemoon, and ZOA, whose support helps make this Championship possible. To view the photo gallery, click here . To view the final results, click here .
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