The Minnesota PGA announced the award winners for the 2022 season. We would like to congratulate these PGA Professionals for their commitment, leadership and excellence in promoting golf at their facilities and in their communities. The 2022 Minnesota PGA award winners were celebrated at the Minnesota PGA Fall Meeting.

The PGA Golf Professional of the Year Award is one of the highest honors the Association can bestow on a working club professional whose total contributions to the game best exemplify the complete PGA Professional. This award embraces a wide range of services executed by the club professional. The PGA Golf Professional of the Year Award was presented to Steve Fessler.

The Teacher of the Year Award is designed to recognize a PGA Professional who is an outstanding teacher of golf among the ranks of PGA membership. This award is based on a professional’s overall performance in teaching; unusual, innovative and special teaching programs initiated or implemented; articles published; as well as outstanding golfers the professional has instructed. The Teacher of the Year Award was presented to Ryan Paulson.

The Youth Development Award is awarded to an individual who demonstrates involvement in the promotion and development of junior golf at the club level. They have a proven interest, concern, and ability to provide opportunities and experience for juniors to learn and play golf. They are also recognized as someone of outstanding character.  The Youth Development Award was presented to Justin Kraft.

The PGA Professional Development Award recognizes the PGA Professional who is the model educator of PGA Golf Professionals. This award is designed to give special recognition to an individual PGA Professional for outstanding and continuing contributions to professional education.  The PGA Professional Development Award was presented to Chris Nathlich.

The PGA Bill Strausbaugh Award bestows special recognition on a PGA Golf Professional, who personally displays outstanding integrity, character, and leadership through a commitment to mentoring and making significant impacts on the careers of PGA Professionals. In the spirit of the award, “mentoring” shall be defined as follows:

“Mentoring is supporting professionals to manage their own development so they can maximize their PGA career potential. The PGA mentor empowers, enables, advises, challenges, and encourages professionals to enhance their professional skills, strengthen their level of service, improve their work performance, and become the PGA Member that they aspire to be.”

The PGA Bill Strausbaugh Award was presented to Nathan Ollhoff.

The PGA Assistant Golf Professional of the Year Award is one of the highest honors the Association can bestow on an Assistant golf professional. This award embraces a wide range of services executed by the Assistant Golf professional.  The PGA Assistant Golf Professional of the Year Award was presented to Jeff Crouch.

The Facility Promoter of the Year Award-Public is designed to recognize PGA Professionals for outstanding contributions to their facility. Criteria considered for this award include golf programs offered, tournament operations, merchandising, rules, promotion, and history at facility.  The Facility Promoter of the Year Award-Public was presented to Kent Blaschko.

The Facility Promoter of the Year Award-Private is designed to recognize PGA Professionals for outstanding contributions to their facility. Criteria considered for this award include golf programs offered, tournament operations, merchandising, rules, promotion, and history at the facility.  The Facility Promoter of the Year Award-Private was presented to Matt Paulius.

The Facility Promoter of the Year Award-Resort is designed to recognize PGA Professionals for outstanding contributions to their facility. Criteria considered for this award include golf programs offered, tournament operations, merchandising, rules, promotion, and history at facility.  The Facility Promoter of the Year Award-Resort was presented to Jack Wawro.

The Player Development Award is designed to recognize a PGA Professional for extraordinary and exemplary contributions and achievements in the area of player development. This award considers the PGA Professional’s growth of the game leadership commitment at the Section and National levels and the impact made at the facility.  The Player Development Award was presented to Jon Reigstad.

The PGA Patriot Award bestows special recognition on a PGA Golf Professional, who personifies patriotism through the game of golf and demonstrates unwavering commitment and dedication to the men and women who have valiantly served and protected the United States of America.  The PGA Patriot Award was presented to Benny Menton.

The Steve Weidner Award is one of the highest honors the Section can bestow on an individual whose total contributions to the game are extraordinary and beyond normal day-to-day activities.  This award embraces a wide range of services throughout the game of golf.  Past winners include PGA Professionals, Media Personnel, and tournament founders and operators.  The Steve Weidner Award was presented to Marty Lass.

Congratulations to all of these 2022 award winners.