Howard, Oklahoma pros receive honors at section awards banquet

Broken Arrow, OK – Barry Howard of Hot Springs Country Club was given the South Central PGA’s highest honor as the 2018 South Central PGA Golf Professional of the Year at the section awards dinner Sunday night at the Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center in Broken Arrow.

Howard, a 27 year PGA Member, has been the general manager of Hot Springs Country Club since 2002.  Prior to being promoted to his current role, he served as the club’s head professional for more than 10 years.

It was an emotional evening in which the section also inducted the late Jon Zieske into the South Central Section Hall of Fame. Zieske, the head professional at The Alotian outside of Little Rock, collapsed and died in 2017 at the age of 48 of a massive heard attack. Also inducted was popular pro Pat Jenkins of Oklahoma City, a long-time teaching professional at Lake Hefner Golf Course and other venues.

Among Oklahoma pros honored, Brent Cryer of Henderson Golf Management was named Teacher of the Year; Pat McCrate of LaFortune Park Golf Course in Tuls was named Public Course Merchandiser of the Year; Shannon Friday of Graves Golf School in Oklahoma City was honored for Player Development and Tony Biata of the Folds of Honor Foundation will receive the Patriot Award, Michael Henderson of The Golf Club of Edmond was given the Bill Strausbaugh Award for club relations and Kyle Emerson of Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club was named the Assistant Golf Professional of the Year.

Golf Professional of the Year
Barry Howard, Hot Springs Country Club, Hot Springs, AR

Hall of Fame Inductees
Pat Jenkins, Lake Hefner Golf Club, Oklahoma City, OK
Jon Zieske (1968-2017), The Alotion Club, Roland, AR

Teacher of the Year
Brent Cryer, Henderson Golf Management, Edmond, OK

Player Development
Shannon Friday, Graves Golf School, Oklahoma City, OK

Youth Player Development
Dawn Darter, The Greens at North Hills, Sherwood, AR

Horton Smith (Education)
Brian Soerensen, KickingBird Golf Club, Edmond, OK

Bill Strausbaugh (Club Relations)
Michael Henderson, Henderson Golf Management, Edmond, OK

Patriot Award
Tony Biata, Folds of Honor Foundation

Private Merchandiser of the Year
Brian Ward, Crestview Country Club, Wichita, KS

Public Merchandiser of the Year
Pat McCrate, LaFortune Park Golf Course, Tulsa, OK

Resort Merchandiser of the Year
Ryan Chapman, Chickasaw Pointe Golf Club, Kingston, OK

Assistant Golf Professional of the Year
Kyle Emerson, Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club, Nichols Hills, OK

Salesperson of the Year
Sid Johnson, Cleveland/Srixon Golf