Carolinas PGA Celebrates 2023 Special Award Winners
Paige Cribb, PGA of Coastal Carolina University headlines 2023 Special Awards as Golf Professional of the Year
GREENSBORO, NC (November 28, 2023) – The Carolinas PGA is honored to announce the winners of the 2023 Section Special Awards. Distributed annually by the Carolinas PGA, the top twelve most deserving Carolinas PGA Professionals are selected by the Special Awards Committee, whose mission is to recognize the best and brightest PGA professionals in North and South Carolina.
The highest honor paid to a PGA Professional, the Golf Professional of the Year Award honors excellent overall performance as a golf professional at his/her facility, level of service to the Section, leadership ability, image and the ability to inspire fellow professionals, and promotion of the game of golf.
The Carolinas PGA is proud to announce Paige Cribb, PGA, Director of Student Support at Coastal Carolina University’s PGA Golf Management Program, as the 2023 Carolinas PGA Golf Professional of the Year. Cribb has been a PGA Member for almost 27 years and has served the Carolinas Section on the board for 12 years, starting as the Grand Strand Area Director, running for Secretary in 2014 and eventually becoming the Carolinas PGA Section’s first female President in 2018. Following her time as Honorary President, Paige was elected as the District 10 Director in 2022, representing the Carolinas, Kentucky and Middle Atlantic Sections on the PGA of America Board of Directors. Paige was appointed in 2018 by then PGA President Suzy Whaley to serve on the PGA Board of Control. Currently, she is the board liaison to the PGA Golf Management University National Committee, serves on the Audit Committee and co-chairs the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion National Committee.
In her job as Director of Student Support for the PGA Golf Management Program, Paige lectures in the classroom, coaches, mentors, and academically advises 210+ students at Coastal Carolina University. One of Paige’s greatest strengths which parlays into leadership ability would be authenticity. She is real, no agenda. Paige listens to understand, not to respond. She believes this attitude leads to trust and connection. Leaders are faced with challenging issues. Leading with integrity, at the heart of decisions, is of utmost importance to her. Paige believes people don’t care what you know until they know you care, and she breathes this everyday working with young people at Coastal Carolina University.
The section is proud to bestow this most deserving honor to Paige for her accomplishments as an outstanding PGA Golf Professional.
GOLF PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR
Paige Cribb, PGA | Coastal Carolina University PGM Program
BILL STRAUSBAUGH AWARD
Jason Sutton, PGA | Colleton River Club
PGA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AWARD
Brock White, PGA | Methodist University PGM Program
PALMER MAPLES TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Kevin Britt, PGA | The Carolina Country Club
PLAYER DEVELOPMENT AWARD
Robbie Fritz, PGA | Greensboro Country Club
YOUTH PLAYER DEVELOPMENT AWARD
Jim Hardy, PGA | Longleaf Golf & Family Club
MERCHANDISER OF THE YEAR (PRIVATE)
Tyler Gosselin, PGA | Greensboro Country Club
MERCHANDISER OF THE YEAR (RESORT)
Benji Boyter, PGA | The Sea Pines Resort
MERCHANDISER OF THE YEAR (PUBLIC)
Alex Bowers, PGA | The Hackler Course at Coastal Carolina University
ASSISTANT PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR
Travis DeJohn, PGA | Cedarwood Country Club
PATRIOT AWARD
Brian Oliver, PGA | Etowah Valley Golf Club
COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD
Bob Brooks, PGA | Gillespie Golf Course
These award winners will be recognized at the Special Awards & Honors Dinner Presented by Club Car on February 18, 2024 at Greensboro Country Club in conjunction with the Carolinas PGA Super Show. Please join us in congratulating this group of outstanding professionals!
About the Carolinas PGA
Since its inception in 1923, the Carolinas PGA Section has been committed to nurturing and improving the quality of the game for the thousands of golfers using its member facilities. The largest of the PGA’s forty-one sections, the Carolinas PGA Section of the Professional Golfers’ Association boasts over 2,200 professional members and represents more than 700 golf facilities within North and South Carolina as well as portions of southern Virginia.
Media Contact
Jess Hanson, Director of Marketing, Carolinas PGA Section, (336) 398-2675, jhanson@pgahq.com