ELMSFORD, N.Y. (April 10, 2012) – Former longtime Wykagyl and Westchester Country Club professional Bob Watson was honored with the distinguished Sam Snead Award and Tom Henderson, PGA Head Professional at Round Hill Country Club, was recognized as the Professional of the Year at the Met PGA’s 50th Annual Educational Forum.  The event took place on April 10th at the Westchester Broadway Theatre.  

A former Met PGA President in 1973, Watson was actually involved in the creation of the Sam Snead Award in 1974, which is given annually to someone who demonstrates outstanding contributions to the PGA, the game of golf and Metropolitan Section.  For more than 25 years, Watson has worked tirelessly on behalf of the club professionals on both the local and national levels, helping to orchestrate discussions on the importance of club professionals participating in the PGA Championship. Watson was also an accomplished player, having won the Met Open, Met PGA championship and Westchester Open.  He still finds time to volunteer at the local chapter of the First Tee in Jupiter, Fla., with his son Craig.

Henderson has spent more than a quarter century at Round Hill in Greenwich, Conn., where he focuses most of his attention on teaching junior players. He was recently selected as a finalist for the National PGA Award and has sat in every chair at the officers table for the Met PGA, including three terms as president (2007-09).  Henderson has also contributed articles to The Met Golfer, Met PGA Magazine and has filmed numerous golf-related videos and instructional DVDs.    

Also recognized at the forum was Danny Balin, of Burning Tree Country Club, who won his second consecutive Met PGA Player of the Year title.  Balin joins a small list of players who have accomplished that feat, including Darrell Kestner (Deepdale Golf Club) and Rick Hartmann (Atlantic Golf Club). 

John Hines, of Baiting Hollow Golf Club, was also honored with the National Patriot Award for his outstanding support of Patriot Day – where in 2011, he helped clubs in the Met PGA section raise more than $200,000 for families of soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A major highlight of the program included two discussion panels comprised of former Met PGA Players of the Year and Teachers of the Year, and a special one-on-one interview conducted by NBC analyst Jimmy Roberts with six-time PGA Tour winner Brad Faxon. Faxon and Roberts covered a wide range of topics including his legendary putting and short game skills, to the recent Masters win by Bubba Watson, and life on the Champions Tour which he joined last year.