Whaley Receives Walter Hagen Award, Hosts Special Junior Golf Clinic

Suzy Whaley, a PGA Master Professional who served as the first female president of the PGA of America, received the Walter Hagen Ambassador of the Game Award in a ceremony on Wednesday evening at the Country Club of Rochester, located just down the road from Oak Hill Country Club — site of this week’s PGA Championship. 

The award celebrates a person who promotes the sport and its values to younger generations through teaching and guidance, which Whaley — the PGA Director of Instruction at the Country Club at Mirasol in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida — has done for years through her leadership in promoting the sport through teaching and guiding golfers of all ages.

Hagen, a five-time winner of the PGA Championship, was Country Club of Rochester’s first PGA Head Professional. In 2019, when the KitchenAid PGA Senior Championship was staged at Oak Hill, the Hagen Award was given to Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke, winner of the 2011 Open Championship.

Whaley also led a junior golf family clinic for Country Club of Rochester and other area golf club junior members and their families.

“We take great pride in our junior golf program at CCR, and we were honored to have Suzy Whaley host a special clinic," said Mike Urzetta, Country Club of Rochester’s PGA Head Professional. “PGA Professionals strive to instill important values in young golfers, and Suzy is a prime example of someone who embodies them.”