Special to air on April 26th and feature six competing PGA of America Golf Professionals
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FRISCO, Texas – The PGA of America and CBS Sports present “The Road to Bandon,” a new, 30-minute special airing Sunday, April 26, at 2:00 p.m. ET on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+.
The program, narrated by CBS Sports On-Course Reporter and former PGA TOUR member Johnson Wagner, features six PGA of America Golf Professionals from across the country as they prepare to compete in the 2026 PGA Professional Championship (PPC) at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, April 26-29, with hopes in earning one of 20 available Corebridge Financial Team spots in the 108th PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club.
“The Road to Bandon” provides an inside look at the journeys of the featured PGA Professionals who balance their role in the industry with their passion to maintain a competitive level of play.
“PGA of America Golf Professionals are the backbone of our sport,” said PGA of America Vice President Nathan Charnes, PGA. “Alongside serving as expert coaches, operators and business leaders within the game, they can still compete at a very high level. We are thrilled to partner with CBS to build excitement for the PGA Professional Championship and showcase these six outstanding PGA Members, whose stories embody the passion and dedication that define our Association.”
PGA of America Golf Professionals featured in “The Road to Bandon”
Justin Hicks, PGA Teaching Professional at Stonebridge Country Club in Boca Raton, Fla., is the 2025 Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year, thanks in part to his victory in the 2025 Senior PPC. Hicks has played some of the best golf of his career now that he has entered the 50-and-older ranks: He earned Low PGA of America Golf Professional honors with a T17 finish in the 2026 Senior PGA Championship, competed in two Major Championships in 2025, the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow on the Corebridge Financial Team and the 2025 U.S. Open, made an appearance in the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches and Monday qualified for the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational.
Michael Kartrude, PGA Assistant Professional at The Bear’s Club in Jupiter, Fla., secured the final spot in the 2025 PGA Championship on the Corebridge Financial Team after a dramatic 5-hole playoff at PGA Golf Club. The 2025 South Florida PGA Section Professional Champion has earned the respect of many of the PGA TOUR’s players who are members at The Bear’s Club.
Ben Polland, PGA Director of Golf at Shooting Star Golf Club in Jackson Hole, Wy., will come into Bandon as the reigning back-to-back recipient of the PGA of America Professional Player of the Year award. Polland made four-consecutive cuts in his six 2025 PGA TOUR exemptions, highlighted by a top-25 finish at the Barracuda Championship.
Eric Steger, PGA Teaching Professional at Pebble Brook Golf Club in Noblesville, Ind., made his first PGA Championship appearance at Quail Hollow following a T-9 finish in the 2025 PPC. This won’t be his first experience competing at Bandon Dunes, playing in the 2011 U.S. Pub Links, losing his match to reigning U.S. Open Champion JJ Spaun. Eric is the son of PGA Professional Scott Steger, who played in the 1994 PGA Championship as a Club Professional. They work side-by-side as PGA Coaches at Pebble Brook.
Mike Suhre, PGA Owner & Head Professional at Oak Brook Golf Club in Edwardsville, Ill., is the 2025 PGA Youth Player Development Award recipient, stemming from his extraordinary contributions and achievement in youth player development. In addition to being one of the most accomplished PGA Jr. League Coaches in the country, Suhre also dedicates his time to PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere), the flagship military program of the PGA of America REACH Foundation. He will make his third PPC appearance at Bandon Dunes next week.
Riley Wheeldon, PGA Director of Instruction at Aronimink Golf Club, has a goal to become the first PGA of America Golf Professional from a PGA Championship host site to earn a spot in the field through the PPC. Wheeldon, a past winner on the Canadian Tour, has made an immediate impact as a PGA Coach at Aronimink during his first year working alongside Head Professional Jeff Kiddie, the 2023 PGA Golf Professional of the Year. This will be Wheeldon’s first PPC.
Additionally, CBS will run a 2026 PGA Championship preview show Saturday, May 9th at 2pm ET, to showcase the season’s next Major featuring the strongest field in golf and a historic return to Aronimink Golf Club for the first time since 1962.
For more information about the PGA Professional Championship, click here.
About the PGA of America
The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals who love the game, are expert coaches, operators and business leaders, and work daily to drive interest, inclusion and participation in the sport. The PGA of America owns and operates numerous championships and events, including major championships for men, women, seniors and the Ryder Cup, one of the world’s foremost sporting events. For more information, visit PGA.com and follow us on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Media Contacts:
Jesse Dodson, PGA of America, jdodson@pgahq.com
