The two newest PGA Master Professionals are Chris Johnson, the PGA of America Lead Teaching Professional at Kalamazoo (Michigan) Country Club, and Mike Johnson, the PGA of America Director of Golf at Lake Hickory Country Club in Hickory, North Carolina. The pair, who are unrelated, bring the number of PGA Master Professionals to 483.
Chris Johnson (pictured above left) earned his PGA Master Professional designation in Teaching & Coaching, completing the process at Kalamazoo Country Club after two years as the PGA of America Director of Instruction at The Cardinal at Saint John’s Resort in Plymouth, Michigan. He previously spent time in the Pacific Northwest and Colorado PGA Sections after graduating from the Ferris State University Professional Golf Management Program in 2007.
“Becoming a PGA Master Professional represents the highest standard in our field, and I’m honored to have reached this milestone,” Chris Johnson says. “I have always been passionate about the teaching and coaching side of golf. Joining Kalamazoo Country Club as Lead Coach marks an exciting new chapter in my career, and while I feel proficient in all aspects of golf instruction, this journey taught me that a great coach is never done learning.”
Meanwhile, Mike Johnson (pictured above right) recently started as PGA of America Director of Golf at Lake Hickory Country Club after serving as PGA of America Head Golf Professional at Golf Brevard in Malabar, Florida. He went through the PGA Professional Golf Management Program as an Assistant Professional in 2007 at St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton, Florida, where he became Head Professional in 2015.
“I’ve been working toward becoming a PGA Master Professional for a long time,” Mike Johnson says. “I knew very early on when I became a member of the Association that I wanted to pursue the highest designation. I want to be the best professional for the club I work for, and I think continuing my education was one way to work toward that. I am honored to be a part of an exceptional group of professionals.”
The highest certification a PGA of America Golf Professional can achieve is PGA Master Professional status. Since the program began in 1969, only 483 men and women have earned status in this exclusive club of lifelong learning.
The PGA Master Professional program was recently updated as part of the PGA Certified Professional Program to provide additional support to those hoping to reach this rarified achievement. By becoming a PGA Certified Professional in one of the three PGA Career Paths – Executive Management, Golf Operations or Teaching & Coaching – and being employed in that career path for 10 years, an individual can apply for the PGA Master Professional program through the PGA Education department.
Once in the program, candidates will serve as a mentor to five PGA Certified Professionals while being assigned a mentor of their own from the roster of current PGA Master Professionals. With their mentor’s help, they’ll complete a project in their career path and present it to a review and evaluation team at the Home of the PGA of America in Frisco, Texas. Successful candidates will show that they understand the skills required to demonstrate mastery, can integrate and apply those skills in career path-specific environments and demonstrate day-to-day experience and expertise that validates their mastery.
Editor’s note: For more information about the PGA Master Professional Program, log on to PGA.org or email PGAMEMBEREDU@pgahq.com.