Corebridge Financial Team of PGA of America Golf Professionals to Compete in 84th KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship
Led by Bob Sowards, 40 PGA of America Golf Professionals will compete in golf’s most prestigious senior major championship May 23-26
BENTON HARBOR, Michigan (May 22, 2024) – The 84th KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship returns for a historic sixth time to Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Michigan, where the Corebridge Financial Team of PGA of America Golf Professionals will compete against the world’s best senior golfers.
The Corebridge Financial Team at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship includes the top finishers in the 2023 Senior PGA Professional Championship held last October at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
“Our incredible PGA of America Golf Professionals who comprise the Corebridge Financial Team have combined for 130 starts in the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship,” said PGA of America President John Lindert, PGA Director of Golf at the Country Club of Lansing (Michigan). “Their resilience on the course is matched by their passion for their tenured careers on the lesson tee, in the golf shop and in their respective communities. They love to compete and they love to help others enjoy the game. We wish them the best of luck at Harbor Shores.”
Corebridge Financial’s partnership with the PGA of America includes the title sponsorship of three PGA of America Member teams, formerly known as the Team of 20 (PGA Championship); Team of 35 (KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship); and Team of 9 (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship). Each group is now recognized as the Corebridge Financial Team.
Bob Sowards, PGA, the Director of Instruction at Kinsale Golf & Fitness Club in Powell, Ohio, will lead the team as champion of the 2023 Senior PGA Professional Championship. One of the Association’s most accomplished competitors, he won the PGA of America Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year award five times, including in 2023, as well as four PGA of America Professional Player of the Year honors. He has been a member of 15 Corebridge Financial Teams competing in both PGA Championships and KitchenAid Senior PGA Championships.
Sowards finished T-5 in the 2021 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club, and even held the lead in the second round. He made the cut at the 2023 Championship at PGA Frisco and also competed in 2022 and 2019.
Among other notables beginning play Thursday:
David Hutsell, PGA, Lead Instructor at Baltimore Country Club, played in the 2010 and ’11 PGA Championships. He finished T-26 in the 2023 Senior PGA Professional Championship to earn a place on the Corebridge Financial Team at Harbor Shores. He’s competed in 10 PGA Tour events and has won three PGA Professional Championships (2010, ‘11, ‘15). In 2020, Hutsell was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and has gone through several rounds of cancer treatments. He is currently in remission.
Tracy Phillips, PGA, Director of Instruction at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, comes into the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship after making his PGA Championship debut last week at age 61. A Member of the PGA of America since 1992, Phillips stopped playing competitive golf for 20 years (1988-2008) following a collegiate golf career at Oklahoma State University. He finished T-8 in the PGA Professional Championship to earn a spot on the Corebridge Financial Team, and made the cut in the 2023 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at PGA Frisco.
Tim Weinhart, PGA, the Director of Instruction at Heritage Golf Links in Tucker, GA, finished T-9 in the 2023 Senior PGA Professional Championship to earn his spot on the Corebridge Financial Team. He previously played in six major championships: five PGA Championships (2002, ’05, ’06, ’08, ’09) and the 2012 U.S. Open. He made the cut at both the 2022 and 2023 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championships, including finishing as low PGA of America Golf Professional in 2023 at PGA Frisco. Weinhart is one of only four players to win the “Georgia PGA Grand Slam”: Georgia Open, Georgia PGA Championship, Atlanta Open and Georgia PGA Match Play Championship.
2024 Corebridge Financial Team:
Don Berry, PGA (Rogers, Minn.) – Edinburgh USA Golf Club, Minnesota Section
Greg Bisconti, PGA (South Salem, N.Y.) – The Saint Andrew’s Golf Club, Metropolitan Section
Eric Bogar, PGA (Houston, Texas) – Golfcrest Country Club, Southern Texas Section
Craig Bowden, PGA (Bloomington, Ind.) – Indiana PGA Life Member, Indiana Section
Jeff Brehaut, PGA (Park City, Utah) – Utah PGA Life Member, Utah Section
Jason Caron, PGA (Greenlawn, N.Y.) – Mill River Club Inc., Metropolitan Section
Jim Carter, PGA (Scottsdale, Ariz.) – Southwest PGA Life Member, Southwest Section
Paul Claxton, PGA (Claxton, Ga.) – Richmond Hill Golf Club, Georgia Section
Frank Esposito, PGA (Florham Park, N.J.) – Mountain Ridge Country Club, New Jersey Section
Ray Franz, PGA (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) – Daniel Island Club, Carolinas Section
Greg Gregory, PGA (Joshua, Texas) – Southern Oaks Golf Club, Northern Texas Section
Jeff Hart, PGA (Solana Beach, Calif.) – Southern California PGA Life Member, Southern California Section
Scott Hebert, PGA (Traverse City, Mich.) – Traverse City Golf & Country Club, Michigan Section
Gregory Hiller, PGA (San Antonio, Texas) – TPC San Antonio, Southern Texas Section
Jason Hrynkiw, PGA (Ormond Beach, Fla.) – Oceanside Country Club, North Florida Section
David Hutsell, PGA (Lutherville, Md.) – Baltimore Country Club, Middle Atlantic Section
Ed Kirby, PGA (North Kingstown, Ri.) – The Aquidneck Club, New England Section
Chad Kurmel, PGA (Okemos, Mich.) – Michigan State University, Michigan Section
David Ladd, PGA (West Palm Beach, Fla.) – Champions Club at Summerfield, South Florida Section
Brad Lanning, PGA (Hortonville, Wi.) – Rise Up Golf Consulting, Wisconsin Section
Brad Lardon, PGA (Santa Fe, N.M.) – The Club at Las Campanas, Sun Country Section
Ryan Malby, PGA (Kalispell, Mont.) – Pacific Northwest PGA Life Member, Pacific Northwest Section
Sean McCarty, PGA (Solon, Iowa) – Brown Deer Golf Club, Iowa Section
Todd McCorkle, PGA (Fort Worth, Texas) – Old Overton Club, Northern Texas Section
Dave McNabb, PGA (Newark, Del.) – Applebrook Golf Club, Philadelphia Section
Alan Morin, PGA (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) – The Club at Ibis, South Florida Section
Rick Morton, PGA (Jacksonville, N.C.) – Rock Creek Golf & Country Club, Carolinas Section
Birk Nelson, PGA (Eugene, Ore.) – Orange Whip Golf & Fitness, Pacific Northwest Section
Rod Perry, PGA, (Port Orange, Fla.) – Crane Lakes Golf & Country Club, North Florida Section
Tracy Phillips, PGA (Tulsa, Okla.) – Cedar Ridge Country Club, South Central Section
Chad Proehl, PGA (Urbandale, Iowa) – Sugar Creek Golf Course, Iowa Section)
Jake Reeves, PGA (Knoxville, Tenn.) – Fox Den Country Club, Tennessee Section
Micah Rudosky, PGA (Cortez, Colo.) – Conquistador Golf Course, Colorado Section
Robert Russell, PGA (Stilwell, Ks.) – Nicklaus Golf Club At LionsGate, Midwest Section
Jeffrey Schmid, PGA (Iowa City, Iowa) – Brown Deer Golf Club, Iowa Section
Steve Schneiter, PGA (Sandy, Utah) – Schneiter’s Pebblebrook, Utah Section
Rob Sedorcek, PGA (Ballwin, Mo.) – Family Golf & Learning Center, Gateway Section
Mick Smith, PGA (Summit, Wis.) – Mick Smith Golf, Wisconsin Section
Bob Sowards, PGA (Dublin, Ohio) – Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club, Southern Ohio Section
Tim Weinhart, PGA (Canton, Ga.) – Heritage Golf Links, Georgia Section