2020 Victorian PGA Trainee Graduation and Awards Dinner - PGA of Australia

2020 Victorian PGA Trainee Graduation and Awards Dinner


The achievements of Victorian Trainees have been celebrated at the 2020 Victorian Trainee Graduation and Awards Dinner where 19 PGA Trainees graduated into Full Vocational Membership earlier this month.

The dinner celebrated the culmination of three years of hard work for the 19 graduates who now enter the workforce as PGA Professionals.

Hosted at Green Acres Golf Club on 14 January, the dinner was attended by PGA of Australia chief operating officer Stuart Hergt, as well as representatives from PGA Education partners Acushnet and On Course Golf.

The Titleist and FootJoy Excellence in Education Awards were awarded to the leading Victorian’s in each year level, with Callum McKenzie (Year 1 – Latrobe Golf Club), Emily Pell (Year 2 – Yarra Bend) and Ben Pisani (Year 3 – Royal Melbourne Golf Club) receiving the accolades.

The 2019 CPM Victorian Trainee Pro-Am of the Year was won by the Anytime Fitness Mornington Trainee Pro-Am. The award was accepted by Mornington Golf Club Trainee Brad Stephenson.

Dale Crothers (Year 1 – Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort) took out the 2019 Victorian Trainee Order of Merit title following a successful year that consisted of six wins and 11 top-ten finishes from 27 events while he only failed to score points in one match.

Crothers won the Vic/Tas/SA Trainee Championship back in May and also scored top-ten finishes at the QLD and NSW Trainee Championships.

The 2019 Victorian Trainee of the Year award was presented to Ben Pisani, a Year 3 Trainee at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

Pisani achieved the mark of High Distinction in Game Development and Distinction in Small Business, Coaching and Management. These results helped him finish second in the National Academic Rankings for Year 3 Trainees.

Pisani was also the winner of three trainee matches. He also finished in the top ten 18 times which saw him earn second place in the Victorian Order of Merit and 19th in the National Trainee Averages.

Victorian Committee Chairman Tim Moore welcomed the newest PGA Members to the Association and wished them well for a career he hoped would be as long and fulfilling as his.

Full List of Award Winners & Graduates

  • Year 1 – Leading Victorian Academic Award
    • Callum McKenzie
  • Year 2 – Leading Victorian Academic Award
    • Emily Pell
  • Year 3 – Leading Victorian Academic Award
    • Ben Pisani
  • CPM 2019 Trainee Pro-Am of the Year
    • Anytime Fitness Mornington Trainee Pro-Am
  • 2019 Trainee of the Year
    • Ben Pisani
  • 2019 Trainee Order of Merit Winner
    • Dale Crothers
  • Trainee Graduation Ceremony 
    • Aaron Coates
    • Andrew Poppins
    • Ben Allen
    • Michael Bainbridge
    • Callum Beaumont
    • James Betts
    • Janette Borgolotto
    • Connor Brodrick
    • Michael Dean
    • Frazer Droop
    • David Hall
    • Matthew Lainson
    • Sean Mahar
    • Tyler Marotti
    • Tom McLaine
    • Catherine Odgers
    • Ben Pisani
    • Tim Purtill
    • Brad Stephenson

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