SUNY Delhi PGM Director Honored as Golf Professional of the Year

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SUNY Delhi PGM Director Tom Philion

DELHI, NY (03/21/2015)(readMedia)-- SUNY Delhi PGM Director Tom Philion has been named "Golf Professional of the Year" by the Northeastern New York Section of the Professional Golfers' Association of America (NENY PGA).

Philion, along with other NENY PGA award winners, will be honored for their achievements at the NENY PGA Spring Membership Meeting on March 24. "It's an honor to be recognized by my peers for having a positive impact on the game of golf," said Philion. "I've been very lucky. SUNY Delhi's PGM program receives tremendous support from administration, faculty and staff, and it's a pleasure to work with students who are eager to start a career and who love the game as much as I do."

Philion has held his position as director of SUNY Delhi's Business and Professional Golf Management Program for the past 10 years and is coach of the college's women's golf team. Prior to Delhi, he served as the Head Golf Professional at Columbia Golf & Country Club in Claverack, NY for 16 years. There he taught and promoted the game of golf, giving hundreds of lessons and clinics to golfers of all skill levels. He ran the day-to-day operations of the club, including leagues, tournaments, and member golf programs, and managed staff and committee involvement.

Philion is also the recipient of the NENY PGA Horton Smith Award for his contributions to the section's educational programs in 1999 and 2008. He received the NENY PGA Bill Strausbaugh Award for club relations and community service in 2007. Philion has served two terms on the NENY PGA board of directors and served as president from 2010 to 2012. He earned PGA Certification in Executive Management in 2007, and was golf coach for Columbia-Greene Community College from 1996 to 2005.

SUNY Delhi's Business and Professional Golf Management (PGM) baccalaureate degree provides graduates with the education necessary to compete for the many employment opportunities within the estimated $68 billion golf industry. The college's facilities feature an 18-hole golf course, driving range, short game area, practice green and an indoor training center that is available year-round. Students learn merchandising, business planning, and inventory management. They also learn how to conduct swing analysis, organize tournaments, and repair clubs and carts.

Founded in 1916, the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA) is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the game of golf while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession. The PGA is divided into 41 geographical sections, which includes the Northeastern New York Section. With 178 members and apprentices, the NENY PGA Section conducts various member service activities such as awards and education programs, workshops and seminars, and tournament programs for participation by members, apprentices, and amateur golfers.

For more information about SUNY Delhi's Business and Professional Golf Management program, contact Enrollment Services at 1-800-96-DELHI or visit us online at www.delhi.edu.