Author: N
To declare that Suzy Whaley is the consummate PGA Golf Professional could be short-changing her inspired resume of firsts! Whaley has achieved honors in virtually every area of the golf profession. She is a great player of the game as well as being a great teacher of golf. She has vast administrative credentials currently operating three different golf related businesses. She has served her PGA association as a member of National PGA Committees and most recently on the PGA of America Board of Directors. Whaley was a successful television golf commentator as well as a world renowned golf instructor. As you read through Suzy Whaley’s resume of accomplishments remember that when asked she declared “her role as both wife and mother were her greatest accomplishments to date”.
In July of 2003 Suzy Whaley sent a message to the golf world to expect big changes. Whaley was the first woman to qualify and participate in a PGA Tour event in 58 years. The legendary Babe Zaharias, the only other woman to have ever achieved the rare golf feat. Whaley captured the Connecticut PGA Section Championship – also a first by any PGA of America woman professional. In 1994, The PGA of America established the opportunity for women to compete against the men. The Connecticut PGA Championship included an automatic berth by its champion into the following year’s Greater Hartford Open.
As a result of Suzy’s accomplishments on the golf course, she received extensive media coverage across the United States as well as Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada. Since her victory Suzy has granted more than 2,000 interviews worldwide. She has been featured on CBS Sports, Good Morning America, CNN, ESPN, CBS The Early Show, NBC Nightly News, Fox National Sports Radio, Golf Channel, and numerous other radio, television, newspaper interviews and articles.
Her teaching accolades include being honored as a top 50 teacher by Golf Digest, a top 5 national female teacher designation by Golf Digest magazine, and a Master Certified US Kids teacher. She is also a two-time LPGA Northeast Teacher of the Year and is a two- time PGA Teacher of the Year honoree in the Connecticut PGA Section.
Suzy is actively involved in her profession. She is certified by the PGA of America in Player Development and is currently the National PGA Growth of the Game Co-Chair. She recently finished her term as a National PGA of America Board Member, and a CT PGA Section Board Member. She is currently a board member of The First Tee of CT Board of Directors. Suzy speaks at many PGA section education seminars, and travels to numerous industry conferences to present on growing the game and instruction.
Suzy was born in Cherry Hill, N.J. but spent much of her young life with her family in Syracuse, N.Y. Her late mother, an avid golfer, started Suzy playing golf at the age of nine. Suzy was the New York State Junior Golf Champion but her real sports love at the time was ski racing. While training to compete for a position in the Olympic downhill race she was hurt in a downhill run in 1983 and chose to then focus on her golf. She played golf for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1989, Suzy graduated from the University of North Carolina with a degree in economics.
Suzy earned her LPGA Tour status immediately after completing college. She played on the LPGA Tour for two years before starting a family. She currently teaches the game at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, CT as the Director of Instruction of Suzy Whaley Golf. Her business, Suzy Whaley Golf, includes private instruction, Group instruction, Suzy Whaley Junior Golf Academy, as well as a Golf In Schools business called PE2Tee. PE2Tee is pending non-profit status and its mission is to bring golf to schools involving PE teachers to help grow the game.
In 1991, Suzy married Bill Whaley, a PGA Professional and Suzy’s coach. Bill is the National Director of Golf for PGA Tour Properties and the General Manager and PGA Director of Golf at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn. The Whaley’s live in Farmington, Conn., and have two daughters, Jennifer, 19, Kelly, 16; and a black lab, Bella. Jennifer plays Division 1 Golf for Quinnipiac University and Kelly attends the IJGA Junior Golf Academy in Hilton Head, SC. Kelly recently verbally committed to play Division 1 collegiate golf for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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