IMMEDIATE RELEASE



PGA News

The Professional Golfers’ Association of America

100 Avenue of the Champions

Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418

Tel: 561-624-8400

Fax: 561-624-8448

IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jamie Carbone

Jan. 25, 2007 561/624-8446

jcarbone@

PGA MERCHANDISERS OF THE YEAR TO GATHER FOR DEBUT OF

MERCHANDISERS OF THE YEAR BEST PRACTICES ROUND TABLE

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – The 54th PGA Merchandise Show will feature the first Merchandisers of the Year Best Practices Roundtable, Friday, Jan. 26, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., at the PGA Equipment Forum stage on the Show floor of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

The Roundtable discussion will be led by moderator Jim Vincent of Pinehurst, N.C., the 2000 PGA Ernie Sabayrac Award recipient. He will be joined by past private, resort and public Merchandisers of the Year.

Participants include 1992 and 1999 Public PGA Merchandiser of the Year Zack Veasey of Hillandale Golf Course in Durham, N.C.; 2006 Resort PGA Merchandiser of the Year Brian Gerard of Kiawah Island (S.C.) Golf Resort, and joined by 2005 PGA Merchandisers of the Year Fabian McIntyre of Falcon’s Fire Golf Club in Kissimmee, Fla. (Public), John Buczek of Grandfather Golf and Country Club in Linville, N.C. (Private) and Ron Dunham of Teton Pines Resort and Country Club in Jackson, Wyo. (Resort).

A closer look at the members of the PGA Merchandisers of the Year Roundtable:

John Buczek - A PGA member since 1973, is the newly-named PGA head professional at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., Buczek (“Busic”) had served as the PGA Director of Golf at Grandfather Golf and Country Club in Linville, N.C. Buczek trained under renowned PGA Professional Claude Harmon at Winged Foot, and followed with service under PGA Professionals Marty Tolomeo at Twin Brooks Country Club in Wachtung, N.J., and Nick Karl at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. Buczek said his merchandising philosophy revolves around product knowledge and superior service.

Ron Dunham - A PGA member since 1976, Ron Dunham is a former member of the PGA Board of Directors (1990-93). He began his professional golf career as an assistant professional at Binghamton (N.Y.) Country Club in 1971, and served as PGA Head Professional at five clubs in the Metropolitan and New Jersey PGA Sections between 1974 and 2001. He accepted his current position at Teton Pines Resort & Country Club in 2002.

Brian Gerard – A PGA member since 1989, Gerard is the Director of Golf at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Kiawah Island, S.C., and winner of the 2006 PGA Merchandiser of the Year for Resort Facilities. He served as PGA head professional at The Ocean Course from 1995 to 2006, and as head professional at Kiawah’s Turtle Point Golf Club from 1990 through 1995. From 1997 through 2007, The Ocean Course has been listed nine times as a member of the “100 Best Golf Shops” by Golf World Business. Gerard is part of a resort that in 2006 was ranked No. 1 in the United States by Travel & Leisure Golf.

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Page 2\PGA Merchandisers of the Year Roundtable

Fabian McIntyre – A native of Canada, and a PGA of America member since 2002, McIntyre is the PGA Head Professional at Falcon’s Fire Golf Club in Kissimmee, Fla. The winner of the 2005 PGA Merchandiser of the Year Award for Public Facilities, McIntyre guided Falcon’s Fire to attain a perch by Golf World Business as one of the Top 100 Best Golf Shops in the country in 2005 and 2006, and one of the Top 100 Golf Shops of all time in 2006. A resident of Orlando, Fla., McIntyre serves on several national boards and committees throughout the golf industry.

Zack Veasey – A PGA of America member for 21 years and representing District 10 on the PGA Board of Directors, Veasey was the recipient of the 1992 and 1999 PGA Merchandiser of the Year for Public Facilities at Hillandale Golf Club in Durham, N.C., where he is general manager. A past president of the Carolinas PGA Section (2002-04), Veasey also is vice president of Global Golf of Raleigh, N.C., an e-commerce company that owns and manages two Web sites: and .

Jim Vincent - One of the most prominent contributors and observers of the golf industry, Vincent is making his 37th appearance at the PGA Merchandise Show, and is a consultant for seven different golf companies. A former vice president of sales for Cobra Golf (1990-98) and executive vice president of Belding Sport (1999-2001), Vincent is a member of the Advisory Panel for Reed Exhibitions for both the PGA Merchandise Show and PGA Fall Expo. He also serves as a member of the selection committee for the PGA Merchandiser of the Year Award.

The PGA of America is the world's largest working sports organization comprised of 28,000 men and women golf Professionals who are the recognized experts in growing, teaching and managing the game of golf while serving millions of people throughout its 41 PGA Sections nationwide. Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has enhanced its leadership position in a $62 billion-a-year industry by growing the game of golf through its premier spectator events, world-class education and training programs, significant philanthropic outreach initiatives, and award-winning golf promotions. Today's PGA Professional is the public's link to the game, serving an essential role in the operation of golf facilities throughout the country.

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