PGA Professional Golf Management Tournament Series | Penn State College of Health and Human Development

PGA PGM Students

Student Tournament Series

Each year, the PGA Professional Golf Management Student Society manages a series of competitive golf events throughout the fall and spring semesters. The events are designed to help students become better players and compete with fellow PGA students. In an effort to ensure the highest quality of events, the Student Society collects tournament dues for the year, which are used solely for the purpose hosting quality events.

The Student Society averages six 18-hole championship events each fall semester and five events in the spring semester. Events are traditionally held on Sundays and are managed by the Student Society’s Tournament Committee.

Other highlights of our competitive tournament program include:

Tournament prizes for each event
The “Wall of Champions” in the PGA PGM Office
Overall prizes for “Player of the Year” and “Vardon Trophy” winners

The Student Society posts tournament scores and team updates frequently--check out their instagram page to see all the action!

PGA University Championship

Each year, five students from the Penn State PGA Professional Golf Management program travel to compete in the PGA University Championship. The Championship includes one team from each of the PGA of America’s accredited Professional Golf Management programs, and the same PGA staff that runs the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup executes the event. The Championship selection committee, consisting of program faculty and the PGA Professionals who teach in our player development program, chooses the five top players from our program.

The 2023 team placed 2nd and had a school record score of 597 for their two-day total. The team was coached by Dan Merrell, PGA--our Head of Coaching and Player Development in the Golf Teaching and Research Center and a 2013 graduate of the Penn State PGA PGM program!

Lake Erie Classic

The Lake Erie Classic is a new 36-hole stroke play competition between Ferris State University and Penn State University's PGA PGM programs. Each team is comprised of 8 players, taking the top 6 scores each day. In its inaugural event in 2023, Penn State University took home the title! The event was held at the Inverness Club in Toledo, OH.

Special thanks to our alumni at Inverness who helped make this tournament possible--JJ Weaver ('99), Michael Quinteros ('15), and Pat Kane ('18). The team was coached by Eric Handley, PGA (Director of GTRC) and Dan Merrell, PGA ('13) (Head of Coaching and Player Development).

Penn State students holding the MDLC Trophy

Mason-Dixon Line Challenge

The Mason-Dixon Line Challenge is an annual Ryder cup style, 2-day event against University of Maryland Eastern Shore's PGA PGM program. The most recent event was held at Plantation Lakes Golf & Country Club in Millsboro, DE, where our team took home the trophy.