St. Johns Golf Club director of golf Wes Tucker and TPC Sawgrass head professional Brian Riddle were cited twice each as the Northern Chapter PGA announced its yearly awards. 

Tucker was named the golf pro of the year and merchandiser of the year in the public golf category and Riddle received the Bill Strausbaugh Award and merchandiser of the year in the resort category. 

The Strausbaugh Award recognizes PGA Professionals who distinguished themselves by mentoring fellow PGA Professionals in improving their employment situations and through service to the community. It is awarded annually by every PGA of America chapter and named for the long-time pro at the Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Md. 

The Northern Chapter Player of the Year awards, determined by performance in chapter and section events, went to Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth of the San Jose Country Club (Player of the Year), Bob Wallace of the Palencia Club (Senior Player of the Year) and Mark Tullo de Best of the Deerwood Country Club (Assistant Player of the Year). 

In other chapter awards: 

• Teacher and Coach of the Year: Andrew Lanahan, PGA Tour Performance Center at TPC Sawgrass. 
• Patriot Award: Reagan Davis, World Golf Village. 
• Youth Player Development Award: Nick Nuzzo, TPC Sawgrass. 
• Player Development Award: Aaron Russell, Sawgrass Country Club. 
• Merchandiser of the Year (private course): Rich Podwalski, Atlantic Beach Country Club. 
• Assistant Professional of the Year: Bea Mauricio, St. Johns Golf Club. 
• Sales Professional of the Year: Dean Kennedy, FootJoy/Links & King. 
• Distinguished Service Award: Clayton Bromberg, Underwood Jewelers. 
• Superintendent of the Year: Josh Urbanec, San Jose Country Club.  

Full field for First Coast Amateur 

The first tournament on the Jacksonville Area Golf Association 2026 schedule has a full field. 

The First Coast Amateur will be Jan. 17-19 at the Deerwood Country Club. The field of 96 players will earn World Golf Amateur Points. 

Deerwood is hosting the tournament for the second consecutive year. It has been at Hidden Hills, Amelia National, and the Conservatory at Hammock Beach. 

Among the players are 2025 Jacksonville Amateur champion Danny Erickson and the runner-up, Luke Balaskiewicz, both members of the University of North Florida golf team; St. Augustine Amateur champion Adam Vermut, also a UNF player; and past JAGA champion Adam Waller.  

Banquet reservations open 

Table reservations are now being accepted for the 10th annual Celebration of Golf Banquet, presented by Circle K, Feb. 11 at the Deerwood Country Club. Reservations can be made through the website at jaga-celebration-of-golf-banquet.perfectgolfevent.com. 

The annual highlight of the banquet is the Deane Beman Award, which will be presented to the MacCurrach Family. Their Jacksonville golf course construction company has turned the earth on original designs or renovations of courses such as the TPC Sawgrass, Marsh Landing, Pablo Creek, the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club, Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach, the Jacksonville Golf and Country Club, the Sawgrass Country Club, Shinnecock Hills and the Sea Island Club. 

Hidden Hills Golf Club owner and General Manager Russ Libby will be the master of ceremonies at the banquet.  

TPC Storytellers contribute to JAGA Trust 

Since 2007, the “TPC Storytellers” have patrolled the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse in their maroon jackets, giving tours of the structure and its historical ties to the PGA Tour and The Players Championship. 

Some visitors have tipped the Storytellers, and they have traditionally contributed those tips to charity. This year they selected the Jacksonville Area Golf Association Scholarship Trust and contributed $ 7,500 out of their total gratuities of around $ 38,000. 

The Storytellers have raised more than $ 361,000 in the last 18 years.  

From Daytona to Dolphins 

Cambree Hodge of Fleming Island and Emma Wells of Jacksonville are transferring to Jacksonville University after playing two years at Daytona State College. Hodge graduated from Fleming Island High School and Wells from Providence. … Jack Cole, a freshman at Providence, won the 12-14 division of the 78th Donald Ross Junior Championship at Pinehurst No. 4. He had rounds of 71-67–138. … The Atlantic Beach Country Club will host the Epson Tour’s Atlantic Beach Classic for a third year in a row on March 5-7. It is one of 19 tournaments on the 2026 schedule for the LPGA’s developmental tour. The purse will be $ 250,000. 

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Northern Chapter PGA announces 2025 award winners