College Golf Coaches to Participate in PGA Educational Session at Show

It was announced today that an Educational Seminar titled “Road to College Golf Recruiting 101” will be held during the upcoming PGA Merchandise Show. A panel discussion including four NCAA Division I Head Golf Coaches will be held on Thursday, January 22 from 12:00noon-1:30pm in the PGA Member Business Center at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. The panelists include men’s coaches Bill McDonald, South Carolina; Jerry Haas, Wake Forest; Rich Mueller, Columbia; and women’s coach Michelle Drinkard, Mississippi. The focus of the seminar will be to help PGA members better understand and navigate the recruiting process in college golf.

“PGA Professionals virtually touch every young player who will ultimately be attending colleges and universities and who will be participating on the golf teams. By working with college coaches, PGA Professionals can facilitate opportunities for their students and also positively impact college golf, “ said retired PGA of America CEO and former college golf coach Jim Awtrey.

Some of the topics to be discuss include, how and when should PGA Members begin to promote their students to college coaches, what types of and how many junior golf tournaments should young players plan on participating in each year, basic rules on recruiting, including academic eligibility, scholarships, the National Letter of Intent program and how to find the correct school for a prospective student athlete (PSA). The seminar will also include a question-and-answer portion.

“I am very much looking forward to The 2015 PGA Show and the opportunity to join the panel of fellow college golf coaches for what I know will be a very informative and inside look into the world of college golf recruiting” said McDonald.
The moderator for the seminar will be PGA Master Professional and Educational Faculty member Bill Cioffoletti, assisted by Gregg Grost, CEO of the Golf Coaches Association of America.