(PISCATAWAY, N.J.) – Defending champion Sam Kang of Rockaway, N.J., an Assistant Professional at the Farmstead Golf & Country Club in Lafayette, N.J., is set to defend his title from a year ago at the New Jersey Section’s most prestigious event, the PGA Professional Championship. Kang, who was the only player to finish the 2011 Championship in red numbers (70-68-73-211), leads a field that includes 2012 U.S. Open contestants Mark McCormick of Middletown, N.J., Head Professional at the Suburban Golf Club in Union, N.J., and Brian Gaffney of Rumson, N.J., Head Professional at Rumson Country Club. Other notables include past champions Frank Esposito, Jr. (2003, 2007, 2009, 2012) of Monroe Township, N.J., Head Professional at Brooklake Country Club in Florham Park, N.J., Ed Whitman (1982, 1983, 1987, 1990) of Blairstown, N.J., Director of Golf at Knickerbocker Country Club in Tenafly, N.J., and current Player of the Year points leader Michael Burke (1992, 1999, 2001) of Towaco, N.J., Head Professional at Montammy Golf Club in Alpine, N.J.
They will all be joined by fellow PGA Professionals to make up the 148 player field which will take to the course on Tuesday, September 11, 2012, for the first round. Starting times begin at 7:30 a.m. off of the 1st and 10th tees for both the first and second rounds before the field is cut to the low 60 players and ties for the final round. They are all competing for 10 coveted spots into the 2013 PGA Professional National Championship where they will be joined by 300+ PGA Professionals who have qualified from the other 40 Sections that make up the PGA of America.
In 2013, the National Championship field will compete at Crosswater and Meadows Golf Courses in scenic Sunriver Resort, a complex that hosted the 2001 and 2007 PGA Professional National Championships. The National Championship will be contested on the par-72, 7,563-yard Crosswater Course, which opened in 1995, and the par-71, 7,001-yard Meadows Golf Course, which opened for play in 1969. The final two rounds will be conducted at Crosswater Course, ranked by Golf Digest as one of “America’s Greatest 100 Public Golf Courses.”
The low 20 scorers in 2013 will earn berths into the 95th PGA Championship, Aug. 8-11, 2013, at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y. In addition to the Walter Hagen Cup, the PGA Professional National Championship winner also receives an exemption into the next 10 PGA Professional National Championships and exemptions into six PGA Tour events over a 12-month period. Established in 1968, The PGA Professional National Championship roster of Champions includes past and present Tour professionals: Sam Snead, Bob Rosburg, Don Massengale, Ed Dougherty, Larry Gilbert, Bruce Fleisher and Bob Sowards.
The PGA Professional National Championship is presented by Club Car, Mercedes-Benz and OMEGA. Supporting sponsors are Titleist/FootJoy, Callaway Golf, Nike Golf, TaylorMade-adidas Golf Ashworth and the PGA TOUR. GOLF CHANNEL is the official media partner. The 41 Section Championships and the National Championship offer a combined purse of $1.5 million.
About the New Jersey Section, PGA of America
The PGA of America is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1916 to promote golf and enhance the livelihood of its members. The Association is comprised of more than 28, 000 men and women professionals who are committed to growing the game of golf. The New Jersey Section is one of 41 geographic sections throughout the country and has been in operation since 1925. The NJ Golf Foundation was created by the New Jersey PGA as it’s charitable arm in 2004 to support programs to grow the game of golf in New Jersey. Over 100,00 youth have been involved in programming designed to introduce people of all ages and backgrounds to the game of golf.
Contact:
Chris Bauer (cbauer@pgahq.com)
732-465-1212
Megan Madsen (megan@mastrocomm.com)
732-469-5700
