Stafford, VA – Jay Dufty, the Head PGA Professional at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Potomac, MD, has been selected by Middle Atlantic PGA President John Madden as the 2014 President’s Award winner. This award is bestowed upon an individual whose tireless effort, unwavering dedication and exceptional contributions to the game of golf result in significant benefit to the Section, its members and apprentices and the entire golf community. Dufty will be honored in front of his peers at the MAPGA Hall of Fame and Awards banquet to be held on March 8, 2014 at The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Va.
The MAPGA President personally selects this President’s Award winner to recognize an individual who has been working hard, “under the radar,” to improve the game of golf, the industry, and the Association. Mr. Madden identified Jay Dufty not only for his work with PGA Tour events in the Section, but also his growing role as a Section committee member and Chapter Board member.
Dufty has been a part of the TPC network of golf facilities for over 15 years and his experience runs the gamut from facilitating a large PGA Tour event to supporting the local First Tee organization to serving his PGA Section. He has been an integral part of more than 10 PGA Tour, Champions Tour, and Web.com Tour events. He is a current Board Member of the First Tee of Montgomery County and is proud to represent an organization that is making great strides to instill values and create opportunities for youth across the country. He is also very involved with the Middle Atlantic PGA on both the Chapter and Section levels. Over the last three years, Dufty has served on the Section’s Membership Committee and has held the Central Regional Director position on the Central Chapter Board.
As a PGA Professional, Dufty enjoys the mix of variety and consistency that comes with every work day. As a team leader, he takes great pride in developing and executing a strategic plan and making sure that all staff members have a part in the success of the plan. He has a passion for developing his staff and strives to help them see their potential beyond TPC Potomac.
Born in Morris, MN, Dufty spent much of his youth in Fargo, ND where his family lived a short bike ride from a 9-hole golf course. He and his friends would ride to the course and play whenever they had the chance. He also played every winter from 1983-1991 when his family vacationed to warmer climates. His dedication to the game earned him a job at Moorhead Country Club in Moorhead, MN working for Head PGA Professional Larry Murphy. Mr. Murphy mentored Dufty throughout his adolescent career and encouraged him to become a golf professional, resulting in his enrollment in the Professional Golf Management Program at New Mexico State University.
While attending NMSU, Dufty worked as a PGA Intern at Oak Tree Country Club in Tulsa, OK; Wildflower Golf Club in Detroit Lakes, MN; and Rum River Hills Golf Club in Ramsey, MN. Following graduation, he accepted an Assistant position at Blueberry Pines Golf Club in Menahga, MN and also worked during the winter months at TPC Scottsdale. In 1997, he moved into the Head Professional position at Blueberry Pines, earning his PGA Membership in 1998. He continued to work there until a full-time Assistant position opened up at TPC Scottsdale at the end of 1999, starting his career in the TPC network of courses. In the spring of 2001, Dufty became the Head PGA Professional at TPC Myrtle Beach where he stayed for one season before moving north and accepting his current position as Head PGA Professional at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm.
About the Middle Atlantic Section of the PGA of America
The Middle Atlantic Section of the PGA (MAPGA), located in Stafford, Virginia, is one of 41 Sections of The Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA), headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. As a part of The PGA since 1925, the MAPGA consists of over 1,100 members and apprentices in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia and small portions of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Together, the MAPGA golf professionals, volunteers and staff support the mission of The PGA to promote enjoyment and involvement in the game of golf and to contribute to the game’s growth by providing services to PGA Professionals and the golf industry.
Contact:
Stephanie Jennings, PGA
sjennings@pgahq.com
(540) 720-7420 ext. 116
