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Hall of Fame and Special Awards

Hall of Fame and Special Awards

PGA Hall of Fame

The Hall of Fame was been established in 2008 to acknowledge PGA Professionals for their dedication and contributions to the game of golf and the Connecticut Section. Professionals that are inducted are honored for their service and historical impact on their fellow members, the golfers that they have served, and for the support of the PGA mission statement of growing the game and making golf a better game for all.

The following eligibility requirements must be met for consideration for induction into the Connecticut PGA Professional Hall of Fame: must be a minimum of 50 years old; must have been affiliated with the section for a minimum of 10 years; and must have been a member of The PGA of America for a minimum of 20 years.

The Class of 2023 inductees was announced at the 89th Annual Fall Meeting. The following three inductees will be honored at the Spring Meeting on April 25, 2023 at the Golf Club of Avon.

Class of 2023:

Don Malen

John Murphy

Al Fuchs

Click here to be directed to the Media Guide. The full list of Hall of Fame members is on page 14.

Special Awards

Each year, the Connecticut Section PGA presents eleven awards to recognize outstanding performance and superior achievements by members of our section.

Below are the list of 2021 recipients. The complete record of recipients is listed in our media guide.

2022 Special Awards Recipients

  • Golf Professional of the Year, Joe Starzec
  • Teacher of the Year, Susan Cart
  • Bill Strausbaugh Award, Frank Carta
  • Professional Development Award, Brian Keiser
  • Player Development Award, Jason Gobleck
  • Youth Player Development Award, Bobby Brown
  • Merchandiser of the Year (Public), Mike Svab
  • Merchandiser of the Year (Private), Brad Lusenhop
  • Assistant Professional of the Year, Josh Carney
  • Patriot Award, Dan Malarney
  • Golf Sales Representative of the Year, Chris Catapane
  • Section Player of the Year – Chris Tallman
  • Senior Section Player of the Year – Fran Marrello
  • Junior Golf Association (Boy) Player of the Year: Matthew Downes
  • Junior Golf Association (Girl) Player of the Year: Yvette O’Brien
  • Jack Kelly Girl Sportsmanship: Isabella Thomas
  • Jack Kelly Boy Sportsmanship: A.J. DePaolo