Meet the PGA Professionals Competing at the PGA Championship: Part 2

The 2023 PGA Championship has finally arrived.

The strongest international field in major championship golf is taking on the historic East Course at Oak Hill Country in Rochester, New York, and that includes the newly-minted Corebridge Financial PGA Team. Twenty PGA Professionals a part of the team earned their spot at the PGA Professional Championship last month in New Mexico.

Wyatt Worthington II of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, who made history in 2016 as the second African American PGA Professional to earn a PGA Championship berth, will return to the field for his third time after also playing in 2022. 

Ben Kern of Grove City, Ohio, who made the cut at Bellerive in 2018 as the Low PGA Professional and finished T-42, is one of five PGA Professionals who will be making their second trip to the PGA Championship, while 12 members are making their PGA Championship debuts.

Below is part 2 of a closer look at the 20 members of the Corebridge PGA Financial Team,so you can get to know them before they tee it up on the East come May 18th.

Club/Facility: Hickory Hills Golf Club, Grove City, Ohio
PGA Championship appearance: 2nd
Southern Ohio PGA Section

General Manager at Hickory Hills Golf Club…Playing in the PGA Championship for the second time...He finished T-9 in his PGA Professional debut in 2018 and advanced to the 2018 PGA Championship, where he finished T-42 as the Low Club Professional...Completed his career Grand Slam with the Southern Texas PGA in 2022 after winning the Tradition Championship...Winner, 2021 Southern Texas PGA Professional Championship...Winner, 2021 Northern Texas PGA Memorial Championship...Winner, 2021 Southern Texas PGA Player of the Year...Member of the victorious U.S. PGA Cup Team in 2019...Winner, 2018 Texas State Open...Became just the second PGA Club Professional to win the Texas State Open, joining Carl Baker in 1987 (the Texas State Open, which began in 1960, includes past champions Lee Trevino, Jack Burke Jr., Ben Crenshaw, Jeff Maggert, and Blaine McCallister)...Winner, 2017 Northern Texas PGA Professional Championship...Played college golf at Kansas State.

Club/Facility: Red Feather Golf and Social Club, Lubbock, Texas
PGA Championship appearance: 1st
Northern Texas PGA Section

President of Red Feather Golf and Social Club, a new course he’s helping develop that will open in Summer 2023...Makes his first appearance in the PGA Championship...Winner, 2022, ‘21 Northern Texas PGA Section Player of the Year...Winner, 2022, ‘21 Northern Texas PGA Section/Joyce Crane Vertex Bank Professional Championship...Joined the PGA Tour in 2012 and the Korn Ferry Tour in 2008...Played in 150 Korn Ferry Tour events making 82 cuts with 15 top-10 finishes. Was the 2011 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year after winning twice that season at the Cox Classic and Utah Championship, which got him a PGA Tour card...In 2012, he made 17 cuts in 33 starts on the PGA Tour, including his only career top-10 finish (T-8 in the True South Classic)...Winner, 2005 High Meadows Ranch Classic on the Tight Lies Tour...Played college golf at TCU and led the Horned Frogs to four conference titles...Hosts the Fore the People Podcast. Was born with the name Joseph James Killeen.

Club/Facility: Ritz-Carlton Golf Club-Grand Lakes Orlando, Orlando, Fla.
PGA Championship appearance: 2nd
North Florida PGA Section

PGA Assistant Professional and the Head of Instruction at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club-Grand Lakes Orlando...He is making his second career start in the PGA Championship...Was one of four to survive a five-player playoff in the 2021 PGA Professional Championship to garner a spot in the 2021 PGA Championship as a Corebridge Financial PGA Team member...Has made six career starts on the PGA Tour, making his first cut at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he finished T-68... He made the cut at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational in dramatic fashion after being one of two players who had not completed his second round before play was suspended because of darkness. Needing a par to make the cut, he had hit his tee shot into the left rough on the difficult par-4 ninth hole and was 215 yards from the pin when play was halted, leading to a stressful night before completing the par at 7 a.m. the next morning...Winner, 2021, ‘14 North Florida PGA Section Professional Championship...Recorded a rare double eagle in the 2014 North Florida PGA Section Professional Championship...Winner, 2022, ‘20 North Florida PGA Section Assistant Professional Championship...Winner, 2015 North Florida PGA Section/Chapter Championship...Winner, 2022, ‘21 North Florida PGA Player of the Year...Winner, 2022, ‘21 North Florida PGA Assistant Player of the Year...Played in the 2005 U.S. Amateur at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania...Played college golf at Florida Southern College...Was inducted into the FSC Hall of Fame in 2013...Three-time NCAA Division II All-American...Finished third in the 2006 NCAA Division II National Championship.

Club/Facility: Arrowhead Country Club, San Bernardino, Calif.
PGA Championship appearance: 2nd
Southern California PGA Section

PGA Head Professional at Arrowhead Country Club…Playing in his second PGA Championship…T-4 finish in the 2023 PGA Professional Championship, which was his fourth PGA Professional Championship after three straight appearances from 2017- 19...Finished T-16 in the 2017 PGA Professional Championship to earn a start in the 2017 PGA Championship as a member of the Corebridge Financial PGA Team...Winner, 2018 National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship...Winner, 2018, ‘17, ‘14 National Car Rental Southern California PGA Section Assistant Championship...Winner, 2018 Southern California PGA Section Match Play Championship...Winner 2016, Southern California PGA Section Professional Championship...Also won eight other Southern California PGA Section events in 2016...Winner, 2020 Northern California PGA Section Player of the Year...Winner, 2017 Southern California PGA Section Player of the Year...Winner, 2016, ‘15, ‘14, ‘13 Southern California PGA Section Apprentice Assistant Association Player of the Year...Made PGA Tour debut at the 2017 CareerBuilder Challenge (shot 71-70-70-71, 282 to finish T-58)...He played collegiately at Cal State-San Bernardino, earning First Team All-America honors, and was the 2011 CCAA Player of the Year...Before CSUSB, he played one year at Riverside Community College and was the team’s MVP...He was also the team MVP and team captain as a senior on the golf team at Norco High School.

Club/Facility: Topgolf - Dallas, Dallas, Texas
PGA Championship appearance: 1st
Northern Texas PGA Section

PGA Director of Instruction at Topgolf Dallas…Playing in his first PGA Championship…Recorded his best career finish (T-4) in the 2023 PGA Professional Championship…Appeared in the PGA Professional Championship for the fourth time overall, third straight...Winner, 2022 Northern Texas PGA Metro Chapter Championship...Winner, 2012 Northern Texas PGA Section Assistants Championship...Winner, 2015 Southern Texas PGA Club Car Memorial Championship...Winner, 2009 San Antonio Open...Played on the Adams Pro Golf Tour Series...Played collegiately and later served as an assistant golf coach at Texas State.

Club/Facility: Woodstock Golf Club, Woodstock, N.Y.
PGA Championship appearance: 1st
Northeastern New York PGA Section

PGA Head Professional at Woodstock Golf Club...He is making his PGA Championship debut...Winner, 2021, ‘19 NE New York PGA Section Match Play Championship...Winner, 2017, ‘15 NE New York PGA Section Assistants Match Play Championship...Winner, 2017 NE New York PGA Assistants Championship.

Club/Facility: Southern Hills Plantation Club, Brooksville, Fla.
PGA Championship appearance: 1st
North Florida PGA Section

PGA Head Professional at Southern Hills Plantation Club...He is appearing in his first PGA Championship...Finished T-4 at the 2023 PGA Professional Championship…Winner, 2022 North Florida PGA Professional Championship...Winner, 2019 Chile Open...Played golf for Elon University, earning Team Most Valuable Player honors in 2013...2014 Coca-Cola Wofford Invitational Individual Champion and First Round Record of 65 (-7)...Grew up on a farm in Elon...His earliest golf memory was playing in a parent-child golf tournament with his grandmother...His grandmother, Helen Hartman, was the first woman to play in the Greater Greensboro Open Pro-Am, now the Wyndham Championship.

Club/Facility: The Club at Viniterra, New Kent, Va.
PGA Championship appearance: 1st
Middle Atlantic PGA Section

PGA Director of Instruction at The Club at Viniterra...He is returning for his second start in the PGA Championship, first since 2016...Finished T-4 at the 2016 PGA Professional Championship after posting a final-round 65, which established a personal best and shared the lowest round of the Championship...The finish earned him a start in the 2016 PGA Championship at Baltusrol as a Corebridge Financial PGA Team member...Member of the 2017 U.S. PGA Cup Team...Winner, 2020 Middle Atlantic PGA Section Player of the Year...Winner, 2020 Middle Atlantic PGA Section/Southern Chapter Championship...Winner, 2020 Maryland Open...Winner, 2017 Middle Atlantic Section PGA Professional Championship...Played collegiately at Methodist, where he was USA South’s Rookie of the Year in 2007 and a Second-Team All-American in 2010 when Methodist won the National Championship...Graduated from Methodist’s PGA Golf Management Program in 2011...Earned All-State (Va.) honors in high school.

Club/Facility: Cypress Lake Golf Club, Fort Myers, Fla.
PGA Championship appearance: 1st
South Florida PGA Section

Director of Player Development at Cypress Lake Golf Club...Making his PGA Championship debut...Finished T-3 in the 2021 National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship...Finished T-3 in the 2022 South Florida PGA Professional Championship...Winner, 2020 South Florida PGA Assistant Championship...Played collegiately at William & Mary.

Club/Facility: The Golf Depot at Central Park, Gahanna, Ohio
PGA Championship appearance: 3rd
Southern Ohio PGA Section

PGA Teaching Professional at The Golf Depot at Central Park...He is returning for his third PGA Championship (2016 and ‘22)...At the 2022 PGA Professional Championship, he finished T-4 to earn a second career appearance in the PGA Championship (Southern Hills)...Finished T-6 in the 2016 PGA Professional Championship at Turning Stone Resort to garner his first berth in the PGA Championship (2016, Baltusrol)...In doing so, he became the second African American PGA Club Professional to earn a PGA Championship berth, following Tom Woodard (1990) of Denver, Colorado, who played in the 1991 PGA Championship...In November 2016, became the first African American to win a PGA Tournament Series event (Event No. 1) at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida...Member of U.S. Team that won the 2022 PGA Cup...Winner, 2021 Southern Ohio PGA Section Professional Championship...Winner, 2014 Southern Ohio PGA Section Classic...He tied the course record, 64, at Methodist University...Graduated from Methodist’s PGA Golf Management Program in 2011.