The PGA of America Awards Ceremony – held on Nov. 4 during the 109th PGA Annual Meeting in Frisco, Texas – was an evening marked by laughter, tears and heartfelt thanks. The dinner event in the Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa’s Ryder Cup Ballroom honored 12 PGA of America Golf Professionals for their achievements and their impact on the game they love.
Sirius XM’s David Marr III served as host for the evening, which spotlighted 2025 national award winners such as PGA of America Golf Professional of the Year Scott Paris, PGA of America Teacher & Coach of the Year Jason Baile and PGA of America Golf Executive of the Year Tony LaFrenere.
“Our PGA of America National Award recipients represent the impact our more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals have on this great game,” said PGA of America President Don Rea Jr. “Their expertise in our game is felt throughout the industry but, most importantly, within their local communities on a daily basis.
“The awards ceremony is a special evening and reminds us all why working in the golf industry is so rewarding. For our recipients to be recognized and honored by their peers as industry leaders, and stand out among our entire Association, is an incredible achievement.”
Eleven of the 12 award winners were present at the ceremony, while the late Kammy Maxfeldt was represented by her sister, Darcy Bomer, in accepting her posthumously-awarded Deacon Palmer Award.
PGA of America Golf Professional of the Year Scott Paris’ many accomplishments as PGA Director of Golf at Plainfield Country Club in Edison, New Jersey, were mentioned by Marr. But in accepting his award, Paris looked back at how his peers helped shape his career.
“It’s led to a lot of reflection,” Paris said from the stage. “I reached out to so many who had been impactful in my career and life, and it’s been so rewarding to thank them. Boy, I needed a lot of help and I got it along the way, and it’s been very rewarding to give that back.” —Don Jozwiak
Editor’s note: Log onto PGAmagazine.com for individual stories on all 12 national honorees featured in the February 2025 PGA Magazine cover story.
