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My story, well, at least part of it... 

Considered as one of the most accomplished players ever to have come out of the state of New Jersey, I have had a remarkable journey, to say the least. Having grown up a product of a sports rich family, I was mentored by my father Larry, who was a very successful PGA Professional as well as an accomplished player himself.   After caddying for my father at the 1997 US Amateur (Tiger's last amateur win) I was bitten by the "golf bug!"  It was then, at the age of 15, when I took on the task of playing competitive golf. During my very first summer on the links, I proudly took my handicap from a 28 all the way down to a 3.   Having won most everything in the high school ranks including a NJ State Championship Title and an MGA/Met Boys Title, in just a few short years of taking up the game, I earned a full scholarship to play NCAA Div. 1 Golf at The University of Kansas where I competed along side 2019 US Open Champion Gary Woodland and 2018 PGA Player of the Year Ryan Vermeer, to name a couple.   I proudly graduated from “Rock Chalk Jayhawk” nation in 2004, with a Bachelors Degree in Communication Studies.

Upon graduation, after an outstanding collegiate career both athletically and academically, I rounded out my amateur career where I nearly won the very prestigious Western Amateur in 2004 losing to Ryan Moore in the semifinals.  In the months to follow, I turned professional and competed as a full time Tour Player from 2004-2014.  Aside from a career full of many ups and downs, I’ve withstood 7 major surgeries to my hand, wrist, both shoulders, both sides lower back, and still committed myself to regaining top form.  It was shortly after 2 years of constant rehabilitation from my first round of shoulder surgeries, that I earned one of my crowning achievements as a professional, with a win at the 2011 MGA/Met Open Championship, at the famed Sleep Hollow C.C. in New York.  I have since joined the NJPGA Section in 2015 and became an elected member of the PGA of America in April 2018.  

I won back to back NJ State Open titles (2015, 2016) and again (2021) as well as having been crowned NJPGA Assistant Player of the Year (2015, 2016, 2017) and NJPGA Player of the Year (2018, 2019). With an overwhelming winning percentage in the NJPGA section, in terms of being able to “practice what you preach” I continue to build my programs, refine my knowledge and deliver high powered instruction to students on all levels with the skills I have developed over my incredible journey.  As I continue to grow, I find tremendous honor in being named a finalist for the NJPGA Teacher of the Year (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021) as well as being named to the 2020-21 GRAA Top 100 Teachers in America.

 

Over the course of my career, I have been very fortunate to have learned the nuances of my craft and how to compete at the highest level from some of the best instructors in the world, boasting the likes of Butch Harmon, Bob Toski, Pete Cowen, Stan Utley, David Glenz, etc...  Having had an illustrious professional playing career that consisted of starts on the PGA Tour, Web.com Tour and most recently the 2019 PGA Championship (I tied Tiger:), I know what it takes both physically and mentally to compete at the highest level and I work tirelessly to help instill what matters most to my students. 

It is with all of my experience as a player, my first hand knowledge as a student and my understanding of the body as an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, that I have based my swing philosophy, “One swing does NOT fit all.” My acute knowledge of the body and its unique functionality to each individual allows me to dissect the golf swing from the ground up.  With the belief that IMPACT is the only absolute in the golf swing, and understanding its function is the key to success, my approach is to deliver a language that best fits the student in order to achieve his/her desired result.  With the belief that the road to better golf does not start and finish with just the golf swing, I attack all areas of the game, and strive to create a path towards all around better golf.

 

In just a short time, I am quickly taking the instructional world by storm on both the East and West coasts. I am currently in my 6th year as the Director of Instruction at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton NJ and in the winter I reside in Scottsdale AZ with my wife and children, where I continue teaching at “The Fort” at McCormick Ranch Golf Club.  

As any top tier instructor, I continue to refine my craft in order to deliver one of the best instructional programs around.   In 2015 I was one of the first Tathata Certified Movement Specialists in the world when the program launched.  Along with a great majority of the members at UMCC and some of the best Amateurs and Professional in the State of NJ , I currently teach multiple mini tour professionals at my winter school in AZ including Big Break winner Mike Perez and LPGA/Influencer Paige Spiranac.

   

As of this writing, I have written instructional articles on a local and national platform for both PGA Magazine and Golf Digest and continue to build my brand with instructional videos and special unrivaled opportunities like the one I received a couple months ago to represent on an international level the NJPGA as well as the PGA of America as a spotlight player in the 2019 PGA Championship. 

 

 

 

PLAYING HONORS

 

 

 

HIGH SCHOOL - WAYNE VALLEY:

 

All-State Team New Jersey, ‘98 (1st Team), ‘99 (1st Team)

 

All-Decade Team New Jersey, ‘99

 

New Jersey Athlete of the Year, ‘99 (Star-Ledger)

 

Conference Champion, '97 '98 '99

 

Passaic County Champion, '98 '99

 

NJ State Group Champion, '99

 

NJ State Champion, '99

 

 

COLLEGIATE - UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS:

 

Academic All-Big XII Team, ‘02 (2nd Team), ‘03 (1st Team), ‘04 (1st Team)

 

All-District (V) Team, ‘03 (1st Team), ‘04 (1st Team)

 

 

 

AMATEUR HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

1997 MGA/Met Boys Championship … Gardiners Bay C.C., NY … Winner

 

1999 NJ State High School Championship … Burlington C.C., NJ … Winner

 

1999 United States Junior Amateur … York C.C., PA … 2nd round Match Play

 

2001 The Nelson-Stanford Invitational … Stanford C.C., CA … 2nd

 

2004 University of Colorado Invitational … Stevinson C.C., CA … 2nd

 

2004 Hochster Invitational … Quaker Ridge C.C., NY… Winner

 

2004 NJ State Amateur Championship … Springbrook C.C., NJ … 2nd (Playoff)

 

2004 MGA/Met Amateur Championship… Stanwich C.C., CT … Medalist

 

2004 United States Amateur … Winged Foot C.C., NY… Medalist

 

2004 Western Amateur … Point O’ Woods C.C., MI … Medalist

 

2004 NJ State Open … Crestmont C.C., NJ … 4th

 

 

 

PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

2004 Met Open Championship … Hudson National C.C., NY …  5th Place

 

2005 PGA TOUR Buick Championship … TPC River Highlands C.C., CT… 71-70  (MC)

 

2005 U.S. Open Local Qualifier … Southern Dunes C.C., AZ …  66 Medalist

 

2006 U.S. Open Local Qualifier … Southern Dunes C.C., AZ …  65 Medalist

 

2006 U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier … Canoe Brook C.C., NJ …  72-66 (Playoff)

 

2006 Gateway Tour … Trilogy Power Ranch C.C., AZ … 65-67-71   2nd (Playoff)

 

2007 U.S. Open Local Qualifier … Southern Dunes C.C., AZ …  65 2nd Place

 

2007 PGA TOUR Q-School 2nd Stage … TPC Scottsdale, AZ … 68-69-70-69   12th Place

 

2008 Desert Golf Tour … McCormick Ranch C.C., AZ … 65-71  Winner

 

2008 PGA Tour Q-School 2nd Stage … East Valley C.C., CA … 69-77-69-70   2nd Place

 

2010 Nationwide Tour… Soboba Springs C.C., CA … 68 Qualified

 

2011 Met Open Championship … Sleepy Hollow C.C., NY … 68-71-67   Winner

 

2012 Met Open Championship … Plainfield C.C., NJ … 66-71-70   6th Place

 

2012 Long Beach Open … El Dorado C.C., CA … 69-68-65-69   5th Place

 

2013 All-American Gateway Tour … Southern Dunes C.C., AZ … 71-67-64  4th Place

2015 New Jersey State Open ... Rockaway River C.C., NJ ... 68-69-68  Winner

2015 Met Open Championship ... Winged Foot (East) C.C., NY 67-70-73 ... Runner Up

2016 New Jersey State Open ... Galloping Hill C.C., NJ ... 64-69-65  Winner

 

2020 NJPGA Clambake Championship ... Hollywood C.C., NJ ... 66-64-70  Winner

2021 New Jersey State Open ... Spring Brook C.C., NJ ... 69-67-65  Winner

 

LOWEST COMPETITIVE ROUNDS

 

 

2004 Western Amateur … Point O’ Woods C.C., MI … 65 (Round 1)

 

2005 Gateway Tour … Bear Creek C.C., AZ … 64 (Round 1)

 

2006 Gateway Tour … Renegade C.C., AZ … 64 (Round 3)

 

2007 Gateway Tour … Lone Tree C.C., AZ … 63 (Round 2)

 

2008 Gateway Tour … Longbow C.C., AZ … 63 (Round 2) Course Record

 

2009 U.S. Open Qualifying … Southern Dunes C.C., AZ … 65 (Round 1)

 

2011 Pepsi Tour … Coldwater C.C., AZ … 64 (Final Round)

 

2012 Long Beach Open … El Dorado C.C., CA … 65 (Round 3)

 

2013 Gateway Tour … Southern Dunes C.C., AZ … 64 (Round 3)

2015 NJPGA ... Forest Hill Field Club, NJ ... 62

 

2016 NJ State Open ... Galloping Hill C.C., NJ ... 64 (Round 1) Course Record

 

2017 Met Open ... Hollywood C.C., NJ ... 65 (Round 3) 

 

 

 

LOWEST NON-COMPETITIVE ROUNDS

 

Forrest Hill Field Club, NJ ... 62

Packanack Lake C.C., NJ … 62 (Course Record)

Preakness Hill C.C.., NJ ... 62 (Course Record)

Alvamar C.C., KS … 63 (Course Record - Back Tees)

 

Alvamar C.C., KS … 59 (Tied Course Record - Forward Tees)

 

McCormick Ranch C.C., AZ … 63 (Pine Course Record)

 

 

 

MENTORS/COACHES

 

 

Larry Hall, NJ

 

Butch Harmon, NV                                                                             

 

Bob Toski, FL                                                                                      

 

David Glenz, NJ

Andy Patnou, AZ

 

Ross Randall, KS

 

Steve Dahlby, AZ

 

Nick Helwig, NV

 

Greg Labelle, NV

 

Dan Campbell, AZ

 

Bryan “Tathata” Hepler, AZ

 

Jason Carbone, AZ

 

Dr. Nick Molinaro, NJ

 

Michael Holiday, NJ

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