August 1, 2023

President's Report

The heat of summer is here!

This month’s article will be short and sweet, as I am in the peak of the season like everyone else.

I kept thinking about priorities, and how I was supposed to get everything done on my to-do list. This time of year, everyone needs my attention. I’m not saying I’m important, but I’m the one they look to for guidance in my role. It’s constantly coming at us as PGA Professionals. At every club or golf course, there is a golf professional, director of golf, or general manager wearing many different hats in the same day. It’s daunting.

I took a few minutes to Google prioritizing, and the first thing I read about was prioritizing mental health. Hmm, I’m a golf pro, I don’t do that. LOL! I’ve been a bundle of stress and anxiety for most of the last year, and I don’t think I get enough sleep. I also don’t think I know how to turn off my brain. These are the exact symptoms I’m reading about, but enough about me.

Seriously, our mental health takes a beating during this time of year. It’s so hard to make time for ourselves. Even when we do, we get interrupted by emergencies or unexpected dilemmas, and we struggle to take care of ourselves. The definition of mental health that I liked from the CDC is that it encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social well-being, affecting how we think, feel, and act.

Make time for your mental health. Look it up. There is hope for us yet. Get out and play some golf by yourself. I think that’s the ticket, and I love the early mornings.

The second part of prioritizing I was looking for was how to manage the to-do list that I have in front of me each day. In my work world, the third week of the month is meeting week. All of our committees meet, and then the board meets the following week. By the time I’m done, I have a fresh new list!

Well, the first thing I found was to write down all of your tasks. Check! I do that! The second suggestion from Teamwork.com was to determine which tasks are truly important, then stick to a schedule that reflects your priority tasks and focus on one task at a time. They said to tackle your most intense, high-effort tasks first. I don’t do that. I have four or five going at the same time, usually one high-effort task, and several small items I can knock off the list when I need a break from the intense one. That might be too much. The final suggestion that seems common in all articles is to have a deadline. I suppose that keeps us accountable.

As a member of the PNWPGA, you need to know that your Section leadership and staff are working hard to prioritize the most important task to serve the member and grow the game. Even though we are busy, our officers meet once a month, the VP’s meet each month to discuss our financial success, and the Chapter Presidents meet with me and Frank each month. We are listening for what is most important to you. Please, reach out to any of us with ideas, suggestions, or opportunities to make us more successful. As we move into fall, we will be working to address opportunities to improve.

In closing, I am very excited about the event schedule for fall, particularly around the Section Championship, Pro-Pro, and Fall Meeting, all held together at Suncadia. Also, the PNW PGA Mentoring Conference is set for November 1-2, 2023 with powerful speakers from around the country. Mark your calendar and plan to join us!

Have a great August!

Chris M. Nowlen, PGA
[email protected]

Robbins Wins Rosauers Open Invitational

by Grant Tribolet, Tournament Intern

The 36th annual Rosauers Open Invitational was held at the iconic Indian Canyon Golf Course, providing an excellent venue for our complete field of 168 players. Offering undulating terrain and blind tee shots, this exciting course once again served as an exceptional test of skill and patience for all participants.

The first round began Friday, July 14. It started hot and temperatures remained warmer than average throughout the week. However, players still posted low scores, with PNW Golf Academy's Derek Berg leading by three shots after the first round with a score of 63.

With Berg’s score being the best of round one, an interesting story was developing quietly during the second round. After a first-round 67, that included a hole-in-one on the par three 11th, North Shore Golf Course PGA Professional Conner Robbins was expertly plotting his way around Indian Canyon. His second-round 61 catapulted him to the top of the leaderboard in a tie with Derek Berg.

There’s a saying that The Masters doesn’t start until the back nine on Sunday, and the 36th Rosauers Open Invitational exuded a similar energy. Conner Robbins held a sturdy lead going into the back nine of the third round, but an unfortunate bounce that yielded a double bogey on the par four 14th gave the field a chance and amateur Zachary Stoker was the one who took the jump. Stoker posted a back nine -5 with a dramatic birdie on 18 that eliminated Robbins’ lead and gave Stoker a seat at the top, tied with Robbins.

The tournament came down to the final hole. Conner Robbins made a ten-foot putt on the 54th hole for a walk-off eagle, a two-stroke victory, and the first victory of his PGA Pacific Northwest career!

Robbins said that he enjoyed the anxiety of being in the mix on the final holes. "When you are in the mix with a few holes left, there is an adrenaline nervous feel that you get to experience," he said. "There is no other feeling in sports that compares, and it heightens your 'in the moment' brain…Whenever I get that feeling, I just have a blast hitting each shot."

Preceding the 36th Rosauers Open Invitational, the Franz Bakery Pro-Am supporting Vanessa Behan took place. The overall winners of the team event were the BUNZL #1 team, consisting of PGA Professional Bo Baker with amateurs Doug Titus, Bill Kodama, Joe Tappan, Rick Sorenson, and Bob McClure, who posted an excellent combined two-day score of 241, 47-under. This year's event raised $170,000 for the charity, with donations totaling $3,650,000 over the 36 years of the tournament.

Congratulations to BUNZL #1 for the Pro-Am victory and Conner Robbins for his flagship PGA Pacific Northwest victory! We thank Indian Canyon GC Head PGA Professional Doug Phares for providing a beautiful venue for the 36th Rosauers Open Invitational. Thanks to Superintendent Josh Harty and his staff for their tireless effort to prepare the course. We would also like to thank Rosauers Supermarkets, Franz Bakery, and all the various sponsors and volunteers for continuing to make this event so special!

Boeing Classic 2023: Tee Up for a Cure

by Kim Baker

Get ready for the 18th Boeing Classic happening from August 7-13, 2023! This is the only stop of the PGA Tour Champions in the Pacific Northwest. You can witness 78 of the best golfers in action at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge as they compete for a $2.2 million prize purse over 54 holes. 

In addition to thrilling finishes and breathtaking views of the Cascade Mountains, the Boeing Classic is also a great way to support a good cause. The tournament's primary beneficiary is the Benaroya Research Institute (BRI), a world leader in human immunology research. The proceeds from the Boeing Classic help BRI fund cutting-edge research into diseases like type 1 diabetes, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. 

There are several other events and activities taking place during Boeing Classic week. You can enjoy the Rumble on the Ridge, a celebrity charity scramble, youth clinic, jet flyovers, a fan zone, and more. 

To learn more about the Boeing Classic and to purchase tickets, please visit the website at boeingclassic.com. 

Holk's Highlights: Tyler Knight, PGA

Kids Unlimited Junior Golf Program a Huge Success

The Kids Unlimited Junior Golf program in Medford, Oregon was a huge success in its first year, thanks to the efforts of Tyler Knight with Norm Blandel as his assistant coach. Kids Unlimited Academy is a public charter school in Medford, Oregon, serving pre-K through 8th-grade students with a goal of providing opportunities to youth regardless of economic background, including sports. The 2023 Junior Golf program enrolled 48 kids and was funded by a PGA scholarship as well as a PNW PGA Player Development grant.

Knight held a five-week class with the objective of “getting golf clubs in the kids’ hands.” Most of the kids had never held a golf club, much less been on a golf course before. The class met twice a week and was designed to be an unintimidating environment. For the final week of the program, the kids were bussed out to Bear Creek Golf Course, where they had the opportunity to play a round of golf.

“It was a huge success,” said Knight. “Everyone wants to do it again.”

The Kids Unlimited Junior Golf program is a great example of how golf can be a vehicle for providing opportunities to youth regardless of economic background. The program is free to all participants, and it provides them with the opportunity to learn the game of golf, have fun, and make new friends.

Player of the Year Points

Employment Opportunities

Monte Koch, PGA of America Employment Consultant

These are primarily “PGA Professional” only positions posted on the PGA Career Services Job Board: https://jobs.pga.org