Marie Gateley, PGA Assistant Professional at
Baton Rouge Country Club in Baton Rouge, La.,
has displayed exemplary leadership as an assistant
professional and continues to serve as an outstanding
representative, earning her the title of Assistant
Professional of the Year. Gateley was nominated as
the Louisiana Chapter Assistant of the Year in 2017.
The Merchandisers of the Year are selected based
on their skills in the promotion of golf including
merchandising ability and technique, inventory levels
and turn rate, shop display, and attention to detail.
Chris Jester, PGA Director of Golf at Mossy Oak
Golf Club in West Point, Miss. has been named
Merchandiser of the Year in the Public category.
In the Private category, PGA Head Professional
Jason Prendergast of the Country Club of Jackson
in Jackson, Miss., has earned the distinction of
Merchandiser of the Year, an award he has previously
received in 2009 and 2014.
PGA Director of Golf Rick Gehr of Fallen Oak
Golf Club in Saucier, Miss., has earned his fi rst award
from the Gulf States PGA, Merchandiser of the Year
in the Resort category.
Accepting his fi rst Gulf States PGA award is
PGA Head Professional Matt Williamson from TPC
Louisiana in Avondale, La., who has been named
the Section’s Player Development Award winner.
This award honors his extraordinary and exemplary
contributions and achievements in the area of player
development.
Leading the class of 2018 award winners in the
Louisiana Chapter is its Golf Professional of the
Year Robbie Gueringer, PGA Head Professional at
OakWing Golf Club.
Louisiana Assistant Professional of the Year has been
awarded to Blaine Patin, PGA Assistant Professional
at The Country Club of Louisiana in Baton Rouge
(La.).
Olly Thomson, PGA earns the award of the
Mississippi Chapter’s Golf Professional of the Year.
Thomson is the current Mississippi Chapter President
and is the PGA Head Professional at the Country
Club of Canton.
Representing the Mississippi Chapter in the Assistant
Professional of the Year category is this year’s award
winner, Nate Kitson, PGA Assistant Professional at
Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, Miss.
Two special Chapter awards are set aside to honor
individuals that tirelessly and unselfi shly work to
support the game of golf.
The Louisiana Chapter has chosen Mary Capouch,
as the recipient of the Barbato-Thomas Award, which
is named after Mike Barbato and Henry Thomas who
both played a major role in the birth and development
of the Gulf States Section. The award is presented to
individuals in recognition of those who have unselfi shly
served and supported the game of golf and the PGA
Professional.
The Mississippi Chapter’s Carpenter-Lindsay
Award was named for James Ray Carpenter and Ken
Lindsay, both of whom served as PGA of America
Presidents and have given so much to the Association.
This year’s recipient is Kevin Walls, PGA of Pontotoc,
Miss. Walls serves as an Employment Consultant of
the AL-NW Florida, Tennessee, and Gulf States PGA
Sections of the PGA of America.
This year’s honorees will be celebrated at the Gulf
States PGA Special Awards Ceremony to be held on
December 9th at Bayou Oaks at City Park in New
Orleans, La.
The Gulf States PGA Awards Committee consists
of past award winners. Story submitted.
Congrats, Gamon Manne!
From your friends at Backspin
Gamon and his son Alston
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