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PGA of America Golf Professional Zach Barbin of Chesapeake Bay Golf Club in Rising Sun, Maryland, made a par in a sudden-death playoff to better Dave McNabb of Applebrook Golf Club, and win the 2025 Philadelphia Players Championship at Lookaway Golf Club.
Both Barbin and McNabb each finished their rounds in regulation with scores of 7-under-par 65, setting up the playoff. Barbin’s round featured an eagle, nine birdies, and two bogeys.
“I played great golf today,” Barbin said after the conclusion of the playoff. “I’ve been playing very nicely the past few weeks, and 7-under on any golf courses is really good, so I’m very pleased with that.
“I always want to thank my Lord and savior Jesus Christ, my wife, my family, Scott and Karen Hutchinson for all they have done for the Section, our partners, Lookaway Golf Club, and the Section staff.”
The championship’s presenting partners, Scott and Karen Hutchinson have helped to make the event’s purse one of the Section’s largest, at over $28,000, with $6,000 going to the champion.
Wilmington Country Club’s Ryan Rucinski tied for third place with LuLu Country Club’s Trevor Bensel at 5-under-par. Michael Little, Clubhouse 54, and Andrew Cornish, Green Valley Country Club, tied for fifth place, three strokes behind the winner.
McNabb took home the top prize in the Senior Division, bettering Sunnybrook Golf Club’s Mark Sheftic and John Cooper by five strokes. Brian Kelly, Titleist Fitcrew, and Frank Bensel, Galloway National Golf Club, tied for fourth place at 1-over.
After the trophy presentation, event partner Scott and Karen Hutchinson presented the Section’s 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, PGA of America REACH Foundation Philadelphia, a $20,000 donation, to support PGA HOPE Philadelphia clinics.
The 2025 Philadelphia Players Championship’s present partners are Scott and Karen Hutchinson, and is supported by Anderson Ord, Callaway Golf, and Destination Kohler. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our host, Lookaway Golf Club, their members, management, host PGA Professionals, and staff, as well as our partners, as the event would not have been possible without their support. –Matt Frey, PGA
On an unseasonably cool morning, PGA of America Golf Professional Tessa Teachman of Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pa., captured the 2025 Women’s Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship at Gulph Mills Golf Club with an even-par round of 72. She previously won the championship in 2023 at Chester Valley Golf Club.
Teachman bettered Gulph Mills’ own Beatrice Smith and Green Valley Country Club’s Brittany Weddell, PGA, by eight strokes. She turned at 2-over-par, but made four birdies on her final nine holes, including on No. 18, to get back to even.
“It was an interesting day,” Teachman said following the conclusion of play. “I was hitting it well, but just couldn’t get it going, but when we turned the back nine, my boyfriend and caddie (Andrew Cornish, PGA) lit a fire under me, and said ‘Let’s get moving. From there, the ball started going in the hole.”
Teachman was in the championship’s first pairing, and played in three hours. She said that having Cornish on her bag was crucial to keeping her round together.
“I love to play quickly,” Teachman continued. “Beatrice and I bpth walked, and got into a real good pace. It was nice to just play golf, and not worry about our pace.”
Teachman went on to thank Cornish, Aronimink Golf Club, Gulph Mills Golf Club for hosting, the Section, championship partners Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board, Kevin McClellan, and the PGA Tour.
Wilmington Country Club’s Meghan Spero, PGA, made her first-ever hole-in-one on No. 17. She used a 5-iron from 153 yards. Well played, Meghan!
The 2025 Women’s Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship is presented by Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board, and is supported by KM Golf Sales / Kevin McClellan, and the PGA Tour. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA of America Golf Professionals thank our partners, host Gulph Mills Golf Club, its membership, management, and staff, as the event would not have been possible without their support. –Matt Frey, PGA
The team representing Five Ponds Golf Club in Warminster, Pa., walked away with the championship belts after winning the third annual PGA HOPE Philadelphia Cup Presented by MedEast Post-Op & Surgical Inc. at Riverton Country Club. The team, led by PGA of America Golf Professional Rick Flagler, included four U.S. military veterans, Joe Dooley, Mike Rudart, Craig Adams, and Steve Fischer, and will represent PGA of America REACH Foundation Philadelphia’s 20 PGA HOPE chapters in the 2026 PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup at Chester Valley Golf Club during PGA Championship week here in the Philadelphia PGA Section.
The PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup celebrates the PGA HOPE program by providing a unique and memorable experience for our military veterans and the PGA Professionals who work tirelessly to positively impact veterans’ lives. This annual event in conjunction with the week of PGA Championship, began in 2016 and is named after the Secretary of Veteran Affairs in recognition of the Memorandum of Understanding between PGA REACH and the Department of Veteran Affairs. Each team is made up of four veterans from a PGA HOPE program and one PGA or LPGA Professional.
The Five Ponds team turned in a net team score of 59, 12-under-par, to top the Frog Hollow Golf Club, PGA Member Patrick Keefe, David Rugg, Robert Merring, Travis Lockwood, and Mark Theroux, by one stroke. Two teams tied for third place at 10-under-par: the Country Club of Harrisburg Chapter, which included PGA Member Jeff Breiner, George Vasiloff, Antonio Wallace, Michael Jaye, and Vern Schmidt; and the Media Presented by Visit Delco Chapter, featuring PGA Member Ben Debski, Joe Hart, Ron West, Garret Hrynko, and Chris Pfahl.
The 2025 PGA HOPE Philadelphia Cup is presented by MedEast Post-Op & Surgical Inc., is supported by Greyson Clothiers, KM Golf Sales / Kevin McClellan / Ahead, and Kevin DePaulis / PRG Golf. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA of America Golf Professionals thank our partners, host Riverton Country Club, its membership, management, and staff, as the event would not have been possible without their support. –Matt Frey, PGA
PGA of America Golf Professional Ryan Rucinski of Wilmington (Del.) Country Club, battled the field and oppressive heat to capture the 2025 Philadelphia Assistant PGA Professional Championship at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club for his first Philadelphia PGA Section victory.
The championship is supported by Srixon | Cleveland Golf, Payntr Golf / Frank Wittenberg / Quaker Sales, Ohana Farm LLC, and the PGA Tour.
Rucinski carded rounds of 66-69–135 to finish at 9-under-par, four strokes ahead of the duo finishing in a tie for second place: Austin Barbin, Chesapeake Bay Golf Club, and Zac Oakley, Bidermann Golf Club. The Country Club of York’s Andrew Turner and Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort’s Brian Bergstol tied for fourth place at 3-under-par.
“My good memories from playing at Whitemarsh Valley in the past helped me,” Rucinski said after his second round. “I was medalist in the Philadelphia Amateur here in 2018. I relied on my past experiences and knowledge of the course. Keep doing what got me here.
He said that he was given a gift, and has been very fortunate to be a part of golf for most of his life.
“Our Section is filled with great players, and we do an amazing job hosting tournaments, so it’s pretty cool to get my name on the trophy.”
Rucinski went on to thank his family, the Wilmington Country Club membership and staff, the Section staff, partners, and Whitemarsh Valley Country Club for hosting.
Our champion, a PGA Associate, is still working through the first level of his PGA of America education and is ineligible to compete in the 2025 Assistant PGA Professional Championship at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on November 13-16. However, seven other Philadelphia PGA Professionals will travel south to compete in the event: Andrew Turner; Brian Bergstol; Andrew Cornish, Green Valley Country Club; Matt Zehner, Pine Valley Golf Club; Zach Barbin, Chesapeake Bay Golf Club; Chad Ferguson, Pine Valley Golf Club; and Zac Oakley. Oakley was already exempt for the tournament in November thanks to second-place-tie in the 2024 championship.
The 2025 Philadelphia Assistant PGA Professional Championship is supported by Srixon | Cleveland Golf, Payntr Golf / Frank Wittenberg / Quaker Sales, Ohana Farm LLC, and the PGA Tour. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA of America Golf Professionals thank our partners, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, its membership, management, staff, and host PGA of America Golf Professionals, as the event would not have been possible without their support. –Matt Frey, PGA