5 PGA Professionals earn PGA Master Professional status

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – The PGA of America has announced that five PGA Professionals have achieved PGA Master Professional status, the highest educational designation that can be attained within the Association.

These PGA Professionals, who recently graduated from the PGA Master Professional Program 2.0 (PGA MPP 2.0), are:

• Richard Brown, PGA Director of Instruction, Quail Valley Golf Course, Missouri City, Texas (Teaching & Coaching)
• Billy Cleveland, PGA General Manager, Carolina Golf Club, Charlotte, North Carolina (General Management)
• Timothy Cusick, PGA Director of Golf Instruction, Four Seasons Resort and Club, Irving, Texas (Teaching & Coaching)
• Charles Powell, PGA Golf Champions Magazine, Fullerton, California (Teaching & Coaching)
• Stephen Vigiano, PGA Quarter Century Member, Freeport, New York (Player Development)

The PGA Master Professional Program (MPP 2.0), part of the PGA’s Member education curriculum, was established in 1969 to recognize PGA Members who made a significant effort to improve as golf professionals and maintain the highest degree of excellence for themselves and their operations. The PGA MPP 2.0 program also ensures that PGA Members are prepared to meet the growing and changing demands of the marketplace.

Today, the PGA Master Professional Program (MPP 2.0) is available to any of the PGA Member who has a minimum of eight years of Membership and achieved advanced certification through the PGA Certified Professional Program, which was launched in 2004.

The PGA MPP 2.0 curriculum is comprised of an extensive project based on the specific certification previously acquired by the PGA Professional. The project includes a detailed demonstration overseen and evaluated by PGA Master Professionals, PGA Subject Matter Experts and professional testing consultants. Upon approval of the project and successful completion of a presentation, a PGA Member earns PGA Master Professional status.

Since the program’s inception, 372 PGA Professionals have earned the prestigious PGA Master Professional status.

For more information about the PGA of America, visit PGA.org, follow @PGAofAmerica on Twitter, and find us on Facebook.