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