Opinion & Analysis

PGA Professionals: The Heart of Golf

Published

14 years ago

Oct 16, 2012

Matt Stansfield

By Matt Stansfield

GolfWRX Contributor

The spotlight on PGA Professionals is too often kept to the PGA Championship or “Glory’s Last Shot,” as it’s also known. It is hosted by the PGA of America, which also hosts The Ryder Cup. PGA of America coverage on major TV networks and different golf publications seems limited to being told to”consult your local PGA Professional” when watching or reading the latest in golf instruction.

Have you ever stopped to think about that PGA Professional you’re being told to see? Have you ever paid attention to the men and women behind the counter at the driving range or practice facility you go to or the local golf course or country club you play? I came across on the article on the web that opened with the following quote, “PGA Pros do pretty much anything and everything in golf — and best of all, they’re there to help you”

It’s a quote that most all PGA Professionals would agree with, but the piece that I think is missing and goes hand in hand with being there to help you is doing our part to help grow this great game. There are PGA Professionals across the world and each alongside the major manufacturers are coming up with different initiatives to attract more people to the game of golf and continue to focus on attracting the youth of this world to pick up a golf club; the First Tee being a great example of how beneficial and how widespread an impact can be had.

The PGA of America may get the majority of the attention but being a PGA of Canada member myself, I wanted to pay tribute to all of the PGA Professionals across the world.

Golf may be “a good walk spoiled” but it is truly “the greatest game ever played” and one that we all need to appreciate everyone involved — from the PGA Professional to the Grounds Crew to the Bag Drop Attendants and the Course Marshals. They are all the “heart” of golf.

Opinion & Analysis

AVL: My U.S. Amateur local qualifying experience

Published

5 days ago

Jun 5, 2026

Andrew Von Lossow

This past Monday, I played in the U.S. Amateur local qualifier at Rock Creek Country Club in Portland, Oregon. A full tee sheet from 7:30 a.m. to 1:55 p.m., the top 11 scores would make it to the U.S. Amateur final qualifying.

I teed off at 10:48 a.m.. With the 7:30 am tee time, you can get a feel for the leaders’ pace, and they were off and running on the challenging setup at Rock Creek.

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Getting to the highlight of the round on the par five 17th, a drive up the left side and 212 yards left to the front hole location. I took out a 5-iron with plans of middle of the green. The ball ended up 8 feet left of the hole, pin high. A slight downhill putt dropped in for an eagle 3 on the 17th. With the cut line looking to be anywhere from -2 to even par. This was the boost I had been waiting for all day.

With making par from the trees on 18, it was time to wait for a potential playoff with a posted score of one under par 71.

Three hours later, it was playoff time. 8 players for 6 spots. I made par on the playoff hole, which was good enough to advance to the U.S. Amateur final qualifying in July. USGA qualifiers sure deliver on all of the emotions in golf!

Club Junkie

Building my 2026 gamer WITB: Ranking the contenders and new putter projects – Club Junkie Podcast

Published

7 days ago

Jun 4, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

The annual What’s In The Bag build is underway, and on this episode of Club Junkie, Brian breaks down the clubs currently leading the race for a spot in his 2026 gamer setup. From drivers and fairway woods to irons, wedges, and shafts, he ranks the equipment that’s performing best and explains what’s separating the front runners from the rest of the field.

Brian also heads into the workshop to discuss several putter projects currently on the bench. From head options and shaft choices to build ideas and testing plans, he shares what he’s working on and which putters could become serious contenders for the bag this season.

If you’re a gear junkie who loves equipment testing, club building, and the never-ending pursuit of the perfect setup, this episode is for you.

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Club Junkie

Tour Edge Exotics mini driver review + TaylorMade Spider ZT Max first look – Club Junkie

Published

2 weeks ago

May 28, 2026

Brian Knudson

On this episode of Club Junkie, I put the new Tour Edge Exotics Mini Driver to the test and break down the performance, forgiveness, distance, and where it fits compared to a traditional driver or strong fairway wood. If you have been curious about adding a mini driver to the bag, this one is worth a look.

I also dive into the new TaylorMade Spider ZT Max putter that was recently spotted and discuss the growing zero torque putter trend. Plus, there is a closer look at the new Project X Titan Yellow shaft showing up on the PGA Tour and what makes it different from other profiles currently out there.