Renowned PGA of America Golf Professionals Jamie Mulligan, Randy Smith, Dave Phillips, Mark Blackburn and more will lead collaborative, outdoor sessions at Virginia Country Club
FRISCO, Texas – The inaugural “Play the Game” Teaching and Coaching Presentation will convene the world’s preeminent PGA Coaches and industry leaders at Virginia Country Club in Long Beach, Calif., on October 12-13.
Offering a reimagined take on traditional teaching and coaching summits, the program is an immersive, on-the-grass learning experience. Attendees will collaborate and converse with speakers throughout the two-day gathering, including scheduled open-mic sessions.
“‘Play the Game’ represents a movement to elevate coaching across our entire Association,” said PGA of America Acting Vice President and Secretary Eric Eshleman, PGA. “Ultimately, it is a ripple effect designed to elevate the player experience and increase golfer retention. The relationship between the PGA Coach and the student is paramount in keeping players engaged for life and ‘Play the Game’ aims to bring modern coaching principles front and center.”
Hosting the event is Jamie Mulligan, PGA, chair of the PGA of America’s “Play the Game” committee. Mulligan’s expertise in the efficiency of movement and holistic athlete development has fostered an environment where multiple Major Champions, including World No. 1 Nelly Korda and three-time U.S. Ryder Cup member Patrick Cantlay, as well as dozens of PGA of America Golf Professionals, have flourished through his mentorship.
“The way we coach dictates the future of golf retention,” said Mulligan. “The ‘Play the Game’ Presentation represents a major shift from lecturing to showcasing the best ideas in coaching today. At the ‘Play the Game’ Presentation, we capture real-world dialogue, feedback and expertise in order to codify coaching into digital learning opportunities accessible to all 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals. We want to empower every PGA Coach to coach the game better, which in turn gives coaches the ability to inspire more golfers to play this game regardless of experience level.”
The “Play the Game” movement comes to life through PGA Coach, the PGA of America’s commitment to connect consumers with exceptional coaches and programs, ensuring a successful journey with golf. Leading the industry in coach development, tools, programming and marketing, PGA Coach serves as the vehicle in bringing “Play the Game” to the masses and provides a central source to house content that is filmed and digitized for online educational courses and available to all who coach the game.
Sessions planned for the “Play the Game” Presentation include:
- “Taking a Junior to the Tour” – Randy Smith, PGA
- “The Coaching Code: Cultivating High Performance” – Mark Blackburn, PGA
- “Complete Wellness to Play the Game,” – Dave Phillips, PGA
- “How to Evaluate the Student so the Coach and Student Have the Same Finish Line,”- Michael Breed, PGA
- “Emerging Trends in Sports and Performance Neuroscience,” – Dr. Bhrett McCabe
- “Tour Short Game featuring Chipping and Pitching,” – Jason Dufner
- “Keep Her Golfing” – Susie Redman, PGA and Kevin Kirk, PGA
- “Overall Biomechanics as We Know Them for 2026” – Dr. Sasho MacKensize
- “Play the Game” – Jamie Mulligan, PGA; Derek Uyeda; Cory Jez; Darren May
For more information and to register for the “Play the Game” Presentation, visit https://go.pga.com/ptg.
Media Contacts:
Hayley Wilson – Alday PR, hayley@aldaypr.com
