Central New York PGA’s celebration of its 100-year history culminated with a day of golf and a look back at the people and moments that helped build the Section.
Binghamton Country Club hosted the Centennial Celebration Scramble as CNY PGA Members, Section sponsors/partners and guests enjoyed 18-holes of Captain and Crew golf.
CNY PGA hall of famer Joe Lanza, a PGA Member since 1971, enjoyed reconnecting and reminiscing with other longtime Section members.
“This was great,” Lanza said. “100 years is a long time and we’ve come a long way. We are one of the smallest Section in the country and for us to be as successful as we are is pretty impressive.”
For CNY PGA hall of famer Bob McCarthy, being a part of the Centennial Celebration was a memorable experience.
“It’s a special day with special people I’ve known for years,” said McCarthy, who golfed with his son, PGA of A
merica Golf Professional Kevin McCarthy (Timber Banks).
To commemorate the Centennial on the course, each tee box featured signs that honored past champions, CNY PGA Hall of Fame members, past presidents and historical milestones for each decade.
Special guest George Petro, President of the Golf Heritage Society added another fun historical element for players on the 11th hole. Every golfer used hickory clubs provided by Petro to play the hole.
Two teams tied for first at 16-under-par 55 in the Scramble Contest. They were:
*Andy Myers, Steph Hall, Matt Alm and Phil Kless
*Matt Jaynes, Ryan Evans, Caleb Macan and Rick Frederick
After the tournament, participants gathered on Binghamton CC’s lower patio for lunch. Players were also treated to a visual history of the Section as videos, old photos, Section trophies and memorabilia were on display.
Section hall of famer Joe Tesori and Binghamton CC’s Head Professional and Hall of Fame member Rick Keding both spoke about how the Section came to be and it’s growth over the last 100 years.
The Section’s Centennial Celebration will continue for the remainder of the season. The public is encouraged to join the celebration by sharing your CNY PGA memories and/or participating in the Centennial Challenge on the CNY PGA website.
The CNY PGA would like to thank the Centennial Celebration’s Supporting Partners: Anderson Ord (Dan Barnes and Greg Mergel), Titleist (Jeff Kelley), New Balance and Empire Golf Cars (Dave Neuser).