Pro PGA Golfers Play in Saturday Pro-Am Golf Series
At Ballyowen Golf Club

Hamburg, NJ – National attention was drawn to New Jersey as the PGA Championship was recently contested at the historic Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield. Two PGA professionals extended their visit to Hamburg, New Jersey to participate in what the PGA web site describes as “The Saturday Series Pro-Am, a PGA TOUR official event pairing amateur participants with PGA TOUR professionals who miss the cut in that week’s PGA TOUR event.” The site description continues, “Each 18-hole event is made up of teams that include two PGA TOUR players with four amateur partners in a “total net birdies” point format. The Saturday Series, which has been part of the TOUR for 8 years, has gained a reputation with the pros for being fun and relaxing, and the pros are always willing to share their knowledge of the game with the amateurs in their groups. Each TOUR pro plays nine holes with one group, and then nine with another, so each amateur plays with two different TOUR pros.”

This year’s participants at the Ballyowen Golf Club hosted event qualified by participating in the Crystal Springs Golf Club League and a Rewards Card Member Tournament. Early Saturday morning August 13th found eight local golfers on the practice range at Ballyowen hitting golf balls into the early morning mist that engulfed the award-winning Hamburg golf course. They would shortly be introduced to the two PGA Professionals selected to play in the day’s event, 64th ranked Mark Brooks who tied for 10th in the EDS Byron Nelson Championship and newcomer to the PGA Tour, Dave Tentis. Proceeds from the Saturday Series Pro-Am benefit charities throughout North America. Hallberg Golf Productions, which owns the Saturday Series Pro-Am, has committed twenty five percent of its profits to The First Tee, which is dedicated to making golf more accessible to children of all economic backgrounds.

The Saturday Pro-AM was created by PGA TOUR veteran Gary Hallberg, and has fast become a favorite of amateurs for several reasons. The tournament field is limited to a maximum of 88 amateurs and 22 PGA TOUR pros to create a more intimate atmosphere and increase pace-of-play. PGA TOUR players are involved in all of the day's activities and each amateur team gets to play nine holes each with two different professionals, not just one.

Saturday’s event was contested between the Red Team made up of Ted Brennan, Tom Randall, Joe Abraham and Brian Ottman, and the Blue Team’s Jeff Stack, Hany Farag, Glenn Petkos and Roy Stanley. The golf match was held in the sweltering temperatures of one of the hottest recorded days of the year. The heat did not deter the participants from the competition, nor prevent them from enjoying the beauty and challenge of New Jersey’s #1 public course, Ballyowen Golf Club.

At the end of a fun day and after the scores were tallied, the Red Team emerged as the Saturday Pro-Am Series winner. Their reward for victory included a Callaway driver for each player and entry in the October 15-16 PGA Saturday Pro-Am Series National Finals in Las Vegas, including complimentary airfare. The Blue Team was awarded Callaway hybrid clubs and entry into the finals. Other prizes were awarded for longest drive to Joe Abraham and closest to the pin to Brian Ottman.

Golf Event Photos photographed Saturday’s PGA Pro-Am Series at Ballyowen. The photographs of the event can be viewed by visiting the Golf Event Photos web site, golfeventphotos.com. To learn more about the PGA Saturday Pro-Am Series at Ballyowen Golf Club visit saturdayseries.com and Crystal Springs Resort at CrystalGolfResort.com.