PGA WORKS
Program Coordinator,UNLV PGA Golf ManagementUniversity Program,Las Vegas, Nevada
Some golfers aren’t exposed to the sport until they become teenagers or adults. Not Leah Im. She was introduced to golf when she was 6, and that early foundation ensured she’ll be around the game most of her life.
Im was in first grade when her father Chong took Leah and her sister to a First Tee program in Las Vegas, where the parents had moved from South Korea. From that point on, Leah never left the game.
“I started the sport when I was young, so I grew up surrounded by golf and I absolutely fell in love with the game,” says Im, now the program coordinator for the UNLV PGA Golf Management University Program.
“Being exposed to the sport so early helped me in a lot of ways. It was more than just learning about golf. I learned life skills through the core values that helps you with everyday life.”
Golf has since been part of Im’s life virtually every day. She played junior golf and was on her high school golf team for all four years. When it came to choosing a college, her golf background again influenced her decision when she applied to UNLV because it was one of the PGA Golf Management Programs.
“I love golf and my family still lives in Las Vegas,” Im says. “It just made sense for me to come here. It was the perfect fit.”
Her passion for the sport was evident while she was attending UNLV. She was very active in her PGM Student Association, serving as Secretary and Vice President. She also volunteered to help at events such as nearby junior clinics and serving as a standard bearer at the PGA TOUR’s Shriner’s Open.
Im’s hard work was rewarded when she was a three-time recipient of the PGA WORKS John & Tamara Lundgren Scholarship that, besides lessening her financial burden, opened another door for her: an opportunity to attend the 2022 PGA Annual Meeting in Phoenix.
Again, another early opportunity not given to most. But she earned it, and she’ll never forget it.
“It was an incredible experience that really ignited my passion for the game,” Im says of attending that Annual Meeting. “I saw so many people in different walks of life. Seeing them, I wanted to be like them.”
Im served as a graduate assistant for the UNLV PGM Program before being hired full time earlier this year. She helps with the recruitment process and all facets of operating a PGA Golf Management University program.
Her early start in golf is a big reason why Im plans on staying with the sport throughout her life. Even though those plans aren’t set in stone.
“I’m still trying to figure it out for myself,” Im says. “I’d like to hopefully work on the corporate side of the industry, helping to run tournaments. I think I’ll end up on the non-traditional, non-green side of being a PGA of America Professional.”
One thing is certain: “Golf will always hold a special place in my life,” she says. “I have no idea where I would be without the PGA of America.”
PGA JR. LEAGUE
General Manager,John A. White Golf Course,First Tee Metro Atlanta,Atlanta, Georgia
Making PGA of America history is part of Jeff Dunovant’s DNA. His father Harold was considered a pioneer of Black golf and was one of the first Black men to earn his PGA of America Membership.
“I can still remember hearing dad’s voice on the phone when I called and told him I was elected to PGA Membership,” says Dunovant. “He was so proud.”
His father passed in 2002, but Jeff carries on the family tradition as PGA of America General Manager for First Tee Metro Atlanta/John A. White Park Golf Course, where he manages the day-to-day operations of the facility and a staff of 17. Dunovant recently served on the national PGA Jr. League Committee and is a First Tee national trainer.
Dunovant credits his father’s career path for him getting into the game. “He was so proud to say he was a PGA of America Golf Professional, and I was always so proud to say my father was a PGA Professional,” Jeff explains.
The younger Dunovant knows he probably would have stuck to playing football and basketball in high school were it not for the efforts of his father. Harold opened doors for so many young golfers, including his son.
“I wouldn’t be in golf without my father’s impact. Most of my knowledge came from his tutelage,” Jeff says. “I don’t know if golf would have been my sport without my dad being a PGA Professional. It wasn’t a place where Black kids seemed to be welcome. Now, there’s opportunities for them.”
Jeff spends most days making sure those opportunities continue to grow through PGA Jr. League, as well as First Tee. He has received more than a half-dozen national and Section awards from the PGA of America in the last 15 years, many of them having to do with PGA Jr. League. He even coached a local high school team until he simply ran out of hours in the day.
“The growth of PGA Jr. League has been amazing,” says Dunovant, who was captain and MVP of his golf team at Fayetteville (North Carolina) State University, where he also is in the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
“It’s had a huge impact for youngsters who are new to the game, who are trying to become competitive and for their families to support their youngsters. There’s something wonderful when they get a jersey with a number on it and a hat. They wear it proudly.”
Dunovant also serves as Chairman and President of the National Black Golf Hall of Fame, which was established by his father in 1986. Jeff explains his father’s vision was to honor Black men who helped grow the game without receiving much recognition. The Hall of Fame has been virtual, but he said the city of Atlanta has promised him space for it when they complete the clubhouse renovation at John A. White Golf Course.
As much work has been done, more needs to be, Dunovant says, when it comes to growing the game to underrepresented communities such as Atlanta.
“We still have a lot of growth to do,” he adds. “It’s not where it should be. We have turned a little bit of the corner, but we still have a lot of work to do with PGA Jr. League and other programs that help introduce youngsters to the game.”
Director of Instruction,Mohawk Park Golf Course,Executive Director of First Tee of Tulsa,Tulsa, Oklahoma
Janice Gibson spent more than half her life learning and playing golf at the highest level. She’s spent the rest of it teaching the next generation.
Gibson had enough talent to play on her high school team in Tulsa, Oklahoma – she was the only girl – before earning a scholarship to Oklahoma State University and then spending 12 years on the LPGA Tour.
She retired from playing in 1998 and was soon hired as the President of the new First Tee of Tulsa program. Six years ago, her teaching platform was enhanced when PGA Jr. League was added at Mohawk Park Golf Course.
“PGA Jr. League has been hugely popular,” explains Gibson, who was elected to PGA of America Membership in 1998. “One of the interclub league teams for kids 13-and-under at Mohawk Park is so popular that we have tryouts to make the team. It’s really improved their practice habits. I believe competition brings out the work ethic in everyone.”
She knows from experience. While growing up in Tulsa, Gibson realized she was fortunate to have a network of golf support. Her father, Virgil Burba, was a single-digit lefthander who took her to the driving range after work and longtime instructor Jack Higgins never charged her a dime.
“My dad would hit balls that would disappear into the night, which I thought was pretty cool,” Gibson remembers. “When I was 4 or 5, I would ride on my dad’s pull cart.”
That laid the foundation for a life filled with golf for Gibson. She didn’t win on the LPGA Tour, but posted 25 top-25 finishes and earned almost $300,000.
She would be thrilled to help others making a living playing golf, but knows it’s just as important to have golf be part of your life. That possibility become more likely when the PGA Opportunity League was brought to Tulsa last year as a pilot program.
It has enabled Gibson and her staff to expose kids in underrepresented parts of the city to golf, which can be life changing.
“I think it’s important for students to realize that even if you’re not familiar with the game of golf, it may be for you,” says Gibson. “It’s an opportunity to get engaged and play a game for a lifetime. Some kids love it. We give them a chance to find that out.”
As PGA Jr. League emphasizes, it’s all about providing the opportunity. Gibson said the key is to visit the area public schools to find the next generation. Then it’s to bring them to the course, so they can see for themselves.
“A lot of kids don’t have transportation to get to golf courses,” Gibson explains. “We provide that. We also provide clubs, range balls and uniforms because many of the kids can’t afford to be involved with PGA Jr. League otherwise.”
It’s a two-way street, she points out. For the kids to be eligible for the PGA Opportunity League, they must have good grades and attend classes regularly.
“We make sure they are involved in school,” says Gibson. “These kids wake up and say, ‘I don’t want to miss Monday because we’re going to play golf today.’”
