Congratulations to Lee Houtteman, the 2024 Michigan PGA Hall of Fame inductee. Lee has been a PGA of America Member since 1991 and is the Director of Golf at Leland Country Club. His playing accomplishments include winning the Michigan PGA Match Play, Tournament of Champions, Michigan PGA Championship, and Michigan Senior PGA Championships (two times).
Lee was also an 18-time qualifier for the PGA Professional Championship and 12-time qualifier for the U.S. Senior Open, three Senior PGA Championships, and since turning 63 in 2024, has shot his age or better five times. For the last 10 years, Lee has been serving as the Head Golf Coach at Glen Lake High School and as the coach for three PGA Jr. League teams.
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Congratulations to Kevin McKinley of First Tee of Northern Michigan on being elected as the next District 5 Director (he will replace Steve Parker, PGA, in November of 2025). McKinley, elected to PGA of America Membership in 2002, was elected by his peers during the Michigan PGA Section’s Annual Fall Meeting.
“It is a privilege, and I am deeply honored to be selected to serve as District 5 Director,” said McKinley.
There are 14 District Directors of the PGA. Each District Director is elected to a three-year term of office, and also serves on the PGA of America’s Board of Directors. McKinley’s District includes the Michigan, Northern Ohio and Southern Ohio Sections. McKinley previously served as President, Vice President and Secretary of the Michigan PGA.
We had an awesome day at the Section’s second annual Operation: Hero Challenge hosted at Bedford Valley Golf Club! The goal of the Operation: Hero Challenge is to support our PGA HOPE programs in Michigan and foster new locations as we continue expanding our effort of growing the game of golf and serving our Veteran population.
Thirty-two teams of two PGA HOPE graduates competed in an 18-hole scramble alongside a skills competition during the round that features the three fundamental skills utilized in golf: driving, chipping and putting. The teams were also tasked with raising money in support of this event, which contributed to our overall total of $14,150 towards PGA HOPE Michigan.
Graduates were able to showcase the skills they learned throughout their PGA HOPE program. Participants executed three shots at each skills competition to accumulate points based on the accuracy of each shot. The results are as follows:
Drive Skill: Cain Anderson, 60 points
Chip Skill: Eddie Mose, 45 points
Putt Skill: Alex Baclawski, 60 points
1st Overall (individual): Eddie Mose, 113 points
2nd Overall (individual): Ruben Rodea, 111 points
Team 1st Overall (Skills Challenge): Steven Gilbert & Charles Mackey, 106 points
Team 1st (Scramble): Mike and Matt Cadden, Total Score of 75 (plus-3)
Thank you to our PGA HOPE graduates who participated in this and continue to show support for the program they embraced within their Veteran community!
Congratulations to John Le and Christopher Wellman, graduates of our PGA HOPE Belmont program, for being named the team with the most funds raised ($1,125).
—Diane Lazaros
The Middle Atlantic PGA is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and as we head into a new century, we are led by Section President Lynne Hunter. Hunter was the first woman elected as President in the Association’s history in 2024, and she is our Section’s 51st President dating back to 1925.
We have been led by seven Executive Directors since Col. Roland Weeks served the Section as our first Executive Director in 1966. Our longest standing Executive Director, Col. Dick Johns, served our Section for more than 17 years from 1995-2012. We are led currently by Executive Director Jon Guhl.
Three of our MAPGA Members were elected and served as President of the PGA of America, including Max Elbin from 1966-68, William Clarke from 1973-74, and Allen Wronowski from 2011-12.
Also, 23 major golf championships have been held in the Middle Atlantic region dating back to 1899, including: three PGA Championships; one Senior PGA Championship; 10 Women’s PGA Championships; five U.S. Opens; two Senior U.S. Opens; and three Senior Women’s U.S. Opens.
We are very excited to start this new century of the MAPGA, and we look forward to the next 100 years! —Emma Smithers
As we reflect on 2024, we would like to acknowledge the great playing of our Player of the Year Award honorees. Austin Jarchow, PGA, of The Kinetic Club played outstanding throughout the year to claim our Open Player of the Year Award. Jarchow, PGA, had two victories in the Open Division, Pro Open #1 and Pro Open #3, and three second-place finishes. In total, Jarchow finished top 5 in 10 of our Player of the Year Tournaments. Jarchow’s low round of the year was 67 (4-under) in our Midwest PGA Professional Championship.
Our Assistant Player of the Year was a tight one throughout the year, however, with George Clarke of Wolf Creek Golf Club claiming the award. Clarke never finished lower than second place in the Assistant Division all year, winning four of the seven he played in. His season was highlighted by winning the Midwest PGA Stroke Play Championship.
In Robert Russell’s first full season of playing in the Senior Division, he ran away with the Senior Player of the Year Award. With many accomplishments throughout the season, finishing in solo second at the Senior Professional Championship in September outshined all of them. Russell, PGA, also competed in the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in May. Russell’s best round of the year was in the final round of the Midwest Senior Professional Championship where he shot 64 (8-under).
Congratulations to Jarchow, Clarke and Russell for their fantastic play throughout 2024!
The Midwest PGA would like to thank all those who participated during the 2024 Tournament Season. It was a record year for the Section in participation numbers and professional payouts. The Tournament Committee and staff is dedicated to build on this past year’s success and make the 2025 Tournament Season even better.
—Nolan Becerra