IAGA Quick Hits | 3.18.26
WA Golf Launches New Digital Home
From WA Golf
Washington Golf (WA Golf) recently launched a redesigned website at wagolf.org, creating a modern digital hub for WA Golf members and golfers across Washington and North Idaho.
Built on HubSpot with a mobile-first approach, the new platform features streamlined navigation, enhanced club and course directories, and easier access to member programs and resources.
The site also supports WA Golf’s efforts to grow membership and connect more golfers with playing opportunities, benefits, and information—serving as the hub of golf in Washington and North Idaho.
McKenzie Brothers Maintain Family Legacy with Grandfather Watching on
From the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association
It should come as little surprise that, as a toddler, Connor McKenzie’s first words had to do with golf.
McKenzie, an Upper St. Clair graduate who has thrived on the local junior and amateur scene and is now competing at Robert Morris University, has truly been immersed in the sport since, essentially, his birth.
“My first word was ‘tractor,’” said McKenzie, sitting at a table alongside his brother, Colin, in Robert Morris’ Island Sports Center golf dome outside of Pittsburgh on a frigid mid-February afternoon. “All I saw back then were the lawnmowers around St. Clair Country Club. I guess you could say golf has had a pretty big influence on me.”
That may be quite the understatement.
Golf hasn’t just had an influence on McKenzie and his brother, but has almost been an inherent trait, with family roots deeply interwoven in the history of two of Western Pennsylvania’s most notorious golf courses, St. Clair Country Club and Oakmont Country Club. And that family lineage of success is being continued today, in a very strong way, with Connor and Colin.
AZ Golf Sends Two Female Amateurs to Ford Championship Qualifier
From AZ Golf
A dramatic sand shot made on Wednesday afternoon by Ashley Shaw earned her an eagle, a hug from mom, and a ticket punched to the March 23rd Monday qualifier of the LPGA Ford Championship, alongside Cynthia Lang.
For the second year in a row, AZ GOLF and the LPGA held a pre-qualifying event with the top two participants advancing to the Monday qualifier for the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass. Held at the Cattail Course at Whirlwind Golf Club, 12 of the top female amateurs in Arizona competed on the same course that the championship event will be held for the chance to qualify for a playing spot in one of the LPGA’s top events.
“It’s a really cool opportunity for these players that the LPGA is providing,” said Kylie Shoemake, assistant director of competitions for AZ GOLF.
While Ashley Shaw secured her spot in dramatic fashion in the playoff, Cynthia Lang played flawless golf carding a bogey-free 3-under-par 69 to secure the top spot on the day. About the opportunity provided to her, Lang said “I’m just really excited for Monday, I’ve never experienced anything like this.”
Shaw and Lang will join 46 other players on Monday March 23 vying for two coveted spots into the Ford Championship held March 23-29, and Arizona golf fans are pulling for both of them.
Scotland Run’s Winter Challenge
From the Golf Association of Philadelphia
He tried to ice skate on the first tee. He failed.
He tried to play golf while wearing skis. He failed.
But Brian Hecker succeeded in turning Scotland Run Golf Club into a social media sensation. The club’s head golf professional starred in a pair of Instagram reels that generated 24.4K and 11.4K views, respectively.
“I’m kind of like the office class clown, so the how of it really was like, ‘There’s nothing going on. Let’s come up with funny ideas and do content while we have down time.’ We’re just being goofy,” Hecker, 52, of Williamstown, N.J., said. “I’m not a big social media guy, so I didn’t know it racked up a lot of views. That’s funny.”
Clip No. 1, posted on Feb. 2, shows Hecker ice skating on the golf course. Ten inches of snow, reinforced by subzero temperatures thereafter, provided a seemingly perfect surface. Plus, Hecker played ice hockey during his Washington Township High School days, so why not use the first tee as a makeshift rink?
He glides gingerly at first. Assistant Professional Aidan Caspar and member Josh Jones, spectators in Scotland Run’s pro shop, record. Just as Hecker gets a burst of speed, he stumbles. The cameramen chuckle; “Kids of the Last Days” by The Strike plays as Scotland Run’s kid at heart lies in the snow.
Hecker is at first unaware of the video evidence. Once he watches it, he laughs. Post the footage. You can’t heckle Hecker; his skin is as thick as the snow.