Lower Gwynedd Township, Pa. (October 13, 2022) — On Tuesday, October 11, PGA REACH Philadelphia, the Philadelphia PGA Section’s 501(c)(3) charitable arm, raised nearly $75,000 from its third annual pro-am championship on the Philadelphia Cricket Club’s famed Wissahickon Course, which featured teams comprised of one PGA Professional and three amateur golfers. This year’s pro-am proceeds, which set a new fundraising record for the event, will help support the foundation’s Youth, Military, and Inclusion initiatives.
PGA REACH Philadelphia launched the annual event in 2020 to help support its Youth, Military, and Inclusion programming, and to spread the word about its mission to positively impact lives through the game of golf.
“We are ecstatic that our third pro-am championship was such a big success,” said PGA REACH Philadelphia Director Courtney Curcio. “The support shown by our partners, players, and supporters, helped to make this year’s event a record-breaker in terms of fundraising. It is truly wonderful to see that we will continue to make an impact on individuals and families within our community through our programming.”
The 2022 PGA REACH Philadelphia Pro-Am Championship’s Pillar-Level Partners are the Union League of Philadelphia, and Scott and Karen Hutchinson. Its Presenting Partners are American Floors Inc., Creative Financial Group, MedEast Post-Op & Surgical Inc., Parx Casino, Sterling Cut Glass, Trinity Flavors, Valley Forge Tourisim & Convention Board, William E. Howe & Co., Workhorse Brewing Company / Workhorse Tour, and Visit Delco, PA. The pro-am’s gift partners included BirdieBox, Corkcicle, Signs by the Sea, AM&E, Precise Yardage Books, and Pairings Cigar Bar.
“This year’s pro-am success shows that our foundation and its mission has been embraced by the local golf community,” said Philadelphia PGA Section Executive Director Geoffrey Surrette, PGA. “Its because of their support that we will be able to expand and improve our programs in the coming season.”
PGA REACH Philadelphia offers several programs to support local youth golfers, U.S. military veterans, and inclusion initiatives, including PGA Jr. League, Golf in Schools, PGA HOPE Philadelphia (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere), the Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour Diversity Scholarship, Diversity Scholars Mentor Program, and PGA WORKS Fellowships.
On a picture-perfect autumn day, Philadelphia Cricket Club’s historic A.W. Tillinghast layout received rave reviews from the participants. Indian Spring Country Club’s Curtis Kirkpatrick, PGA, and his team of amateur golfers, Harris Kim, Chol Hur, and Anthonio Kim, finished with an impressive 16-under-par net score of 54 to claim victory over Philadelphia Country Club’s Scott Reilly, PGA, Charles Bernicker, Addison West, and Graham Bachman, by two strokes. Jim Smith Jr., PGA, of the host club, and his team, Jacob Smith, Lee McManus, and Dan Levin, finished in third place at 13-under-par. To view the full 2022 PGA REACH Philadelphia Pro-Am Championship leaderboard, click here.
After competing in the event, PGA REACH Philadelphia Trustee Level Donors and pro-am Pillar-Level Partners Scott and Karen Hutchinson presented the foundation with an additional donation of $10,000. The foundation thanks Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinson for their continued emphatic support of our mission and programs.
A portion of the event’s fundraising total came from the foundation’s annual online auction, and a raffle to win a golf trip to Ireland, courtesy of our friends and partners at Celtic Golf.
PGA REACH Philadelphia is already planning next year’s pro-am, which will take place at Galloway (N.J.) National Golf Club on Monday, October 16, 2023. Registration for next year’s pro-am will open in the first quarter of 2023.
PGA REACH Philadelphia, the Philadelphia PGA Section, and its PGA Professionals, thank our partners, Boards of Directors, subcommittees, Philadelphia Cricket Club, its membership, management, and staff, as well as our PGA HOPE Philadelphia, PGA Jr. League, and Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour Diversity Scholarship volunteers, as the event would not have been possible without their support.
To learn more about PGA REACH Philadelphia, next year’s pro-am, how you can support our mission, and to donate, visit PGAREACHPhiladelphia.com.
About PGA REACH Philadelphia
PGA REACH Philadelphia is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2018 as the charitable arm of the Philadelphia PGA Section, one of the 41 Sections within the PGA of America. PGA REACH Philadelphia is committed to serving our communities and growing the game of golf through our three pillars: Youth, Military, and Diversity.
For more information on PGA REACH Philadelphia and its mission to positively impact lives through golf, visit PGAREACHPhiladelphia.com. To donate to PGA REACH Philadelphia, please click here.
About the Philadelphia PGA Section
The Philadelphia PGA Section, covering eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware, is one of 41 geographical managing entities of the PGA of America. This Section manages nearly 900 PGA Members and Associates who are employed at over 590 golf facilities in our region.
Contacts:
Matt Frey, PGA, Communications Director, mfrey@pgahq.com
