David Huish (Scotland), Leonard Owens (Ireland) and Leif Nyholm (Denmark) were unveiled as the PGA of Europe’s 5-Star Professionals during the annual Awards Dinner at Atalaya Park, Costa del Sol, earlier this week.
A panel of judges selected the winners from nominations, made by member PGA’s and individuals, on the basis of the contributions both to their profession and to the golfing community at large.
David Huish has given lengthy service to the game as a successful player, now on the European Seniors Tour, as a club professional and as a national and international administrator.
Leonard Owens has also been a leading club professional in Ireland, who has been outstanding in his unselfish work for others less fortunate than himself while Leif Nyholm has helped to upgrade the status of golf in his country both by his coaching of Thomas Bjorn and other leading players and for his work on television.
Also honoured at the PGAE Awards Dinner was Jean-Etienne Lafitte, a director of the PGA of Europe and former chairman of the Education Committee, who was presented with the Lindberg Bowl for his outstanding services to golf.
The Frenchman, who has worked tirelessly at his vision of a comprehensive education programme for PGA professionals first in France, then in Europe and then on a global scale, joins a host of famous former holders of the award.
The Lindberg Bowl is awarded annually in memory of Christer Lindberg, one of the pioneers of what has become known as ‘The Swedish Model‘ in terms of the comprehensive preparation for golfing excellence, and who became the PGA of Europe’s first chairman, in 1989 and its first president in 1994.
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