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Hall of Fame and Special Awards

Hall of Fame and Special Awards

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 were 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.

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 2023 recipients. The complete record of recipients is listed in our media guide.

2023 Special Awards Recipients

  • Golf Professional of the Year, Rob Barbeau
  • Teacher of the Year, Justin Smith
  • Bill Strausbaugh Award, Ian Marshall
  • Professional Development Award, Brian Phelps
  • Player Development Award, Jordan Gosler
  • Youth Player Development Award, Josh Detmer
  • Merchandiser of the Year (Public), Bob Bigonette
  • Merchandiser of the Year (Private), Joe Cordani
  • Assistant Professional of the Year, Sean Sweitzer
  • Patriot Award, Ronnie Pfeafflin
  • Golf Sales Representative of the Year, Larry Bellorado
  • Section Player of the Year – Andy Svoboda
  • Senior Section Player of the Year – Jan Wivestad
  • Junior Golf Association (Boy) Player of the Year: Cameron St. Pierre
  • Junior Golf Association (Girl) Player of the Year: Aoife Devaney
  • Jack Kelly Girl Sportsmanship: Selam Olson
  • Jack Kelly Boy Sportsmanship: Henry Poissant