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Inside the SCPGA
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 Chris Starkjohann. More than 30 years later, he’s the closest he’s been to making that dream a reality, as he’s eligible to play in Monday qualifying rounds for the Champions Tour. But though it’s taken more than three decades for Starkjohann, 52, to get this close to the action, he has posted some significant accomplishments. He was named Southern California PGA Senior Player of the Year last year, and also earned PGA National Senior Player of the Year status in 2006 and 2007. By the age of 16, Starkjohann was playing competitively and, in his early 20s, turned professional. But the going was tough, so Starkjohann joined the PGA of America and worked on securing his status as a teaching pro. After serving as head professional at Pala Mesa from 1984 to 1993, Starkjohann played the Nationwide Tour from 1993 to 1995 and 1998 to 2007. “My goal has always been to play on the PGA Tour, but I wanted to back it up with PGA membership before I played competitive,” Starkjohann said. “That was good for me back then.” His aspirations of playing on a major tour materialized in 2006, when he turned 50 and became eligible for the Champions Tour. He finished seventh at Q-School that year and went into 2007 with high expectations. But a wrist injury derailed his season. As a Class A teaching professional, Starkjohann, who teaches part time at Escondido’s Hodges Golf Center, is a dedicated SCPGA member who has earned Section Player of the Year honors six times. With his wrist healed and his teaching status secured, Starkjohann is ready for the Champions Tour. “It is a different level of golf competition, but I’ve missed the cut by one or two strokes so many times that I know I can play,” he said. “I feel comfortable out there and I’m not in awe of anybody.” |
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RSS SubscribeReaders Feedback:
I had the honor of meeting Chris and his wife today at the Seniors PGA tourneyy in Cleveland. I was so impressed with what he and his wife did prior to starting their round that I made it a point to go and talk to them.
In a society that tends to look at people that actually stop and pray before the do their work as something unusual, its people like the Starkjohann stand as an example as to what we, as a society, should look at as "role models". I plan on using their example of prayer as I teach my Sunday school class.
jim Petros
| Comment at 5/21/2009 |
Today, Tuesday, I was at the practice round day at Hazeltine. Chris auto'd my golfing glove I was wearing near the 11th tee. I'm a "senior" guy and he helped make it a very fun day for me and my wife. Too bad he teaches in Cal. I'm in great need of lessons and would take lessons from Chris any day.
Dennis Pederson
| Comment at 8/11/2009 |
