IMMEDIATE RELEASE                        Contact:                   Julius Mason
April 30, 2012                                                                                         561/624-8444
[email protected]

PGA OF AMERICA CBS SPECIAL, “BEYOND THE GREEN,” AIRS SUNDAY, MAY 5,
PROFILING FUTURE LEADERS, LIVES TRANSFORMED THROUGH GOLF

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – “Beyond the Green,” a look at how golf has nurtured future leaders and transformed lives, will be presented in a series of documentary-style profiles by CBS Sports, Sunday, May 5, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET. The hour-long special features the ambitious drive of youths and adults that overcame family struggles, illness and injury and discovered golf’s healing powers and path to a happier life.
Beyond the Green is narrated by CBS Sports commentator Bill Macatee, and precedes coverage of the Wells Fargo Championship.
Beyond the Green’s first 30 minutes chronicles stories of “Building Future Leaders”:

• Houston’s United Team – A showcase of the values of the PGA Junior League takes viewers to Houston, Texas, with profiles of juniors Kenlie Barrett and Nick Pursell; their coach, PGA/LPGA Professional Aurora Kirchner-McLain and the inspiration applied by apprentice professional Zach Winkler, who lost an arm in an automobile accident.

• The Story of Journei – From Flint, Mich., 9-year-old Boys & Girls Club member Journei is the product of a single-parent home, encountering many issues interacting with others. Through the mentoring of PGA Professional Joe Simpson and the golf instruction she has received, Journei has overcome the social and emotional challenges she previously faced.

A New Member of the Family – A heartwarming success story of Lester Bell of Dallas, Texas, who attempted to make sense of living in poverty and unsafe conditions at home. At age 13, Bell would discover a love for golf, but more importantly a bond with Ira McGraw Jr., the PGA general manager and director of golf at Cedar Crest Golf Course in Dallas. Now 18, and captain of his high school golf team, Bell has found peace at home. McGraw and his wife, Yesenia, are his legal guardians.

• Heart of a Lion – Meet John Paul George of Juno Beach, Fla., the son of Champions Tour coach/caddie Derek George., who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome – that is one-half of a developed heart. Inspired by his infant son’s fight for life, overcoming multiple surgeries and complications, Derek George wrote “Heart of a Lion” in 2010. Today, John Paul will soon celebrate his 19th birthday, and enjoys playing golf daily with his father.

Beyond the Green’s final 30 minutes explore “Transforming Lives through Golf”:
• A Wave Carried Him Back to Shore – PGA teaching professional Will Robins of Citrus Heights, Calif., and his bride, Amanda, were on their honeymoon Dec. 26, 2004, when they were swept out to sea by a tsunami generated by the Sumatra earthquake. The tsunami resulted in the deaths of 238,000 in Southeast Asia, including more than 3,000 on Ko Phi Phi Don, the island where the Robins were vacationing. Robins outlines how he dedicated his career to those that did not survive the tragedy, and developed a remarkably successful golf instruction program.

• Golf’s Healing Powers – Turner Fordham was stricken with leukemia at age 12, and turned to golf as a therapeutic activity. The non-contact sport served as her escape from the endless treatments and hospital visits. Fordham capped her prep career in Georgia as a member of the girls’ public Class 4A high school state champion golf team. In remission for several years, Turner’s leukemia returned in 2012. She is undergoing regular chemotherapy treatments. Fordham shares how golf, along with Georgia PGA Hall of Famer Lowell Fritz, helped inspire her ongoing recovery.

• From the Battlefield to the Tee – Marine Lance Cpl. Tim Lang of Ann Arbor, Mich., lost a leg as a result of serving in Iraq in 2006. Today, he is an ambassador for the Salute Military Golf Association, co-founded by PGA Professional Jim Estes of Olney, Md. Lang is inspiring countless others through the game that helped him heal. An outstanding prep athlete prior to his military service, Lang endured 48 surgeries, including 28 before losing his leg below the right knee. Lang has become an accomplished golfer, and was honorary captain for the 2011 U.S. Solheim Cup Team. He is completing a degree in criminology at Eastern Michigan University.

• Get Golf Ready Spells Success – PGA Professional Ed Ibarguen, the general manager and director of golf at Duke University Golf Club in Durham, N.C., ignites the passion in students through Get Golf Ready, the industry’s nationally-branded program to bring new golfers to the game and attract those who have left the sport. Businessman Bryan Lach, a lapsed golfer, resurrects his love for the game and shares how staying on the course helped close a business deal. Laurie Hyland, an employee of Duke University, shares how not learning the game left her out of family activities, but now joins her husband – an avid golfer – on the golf course.

About The PGA of America
Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering world-class championships and innovative programs, The PGA of America elevates the public’s interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. As The PGA nears its centennial, the PGA brand represents the very best in golf.