2019 California Teaching & Coaching Summit

The Journey At Pechanga | October 21-22, 2019

Fred Couples Announced As Keynote At California Teaching & Coaching Summit!

Temecula, California – The Southern California PGA and TravisMathew are proud to present the 3rd Annual California Teaching & Coaching Summit. With a focus on health and wellness, we will be presenting the most current teaching and coaching techniques. This year’s agenda is full of Hall-of-Famers, top Golf Magazine and Golf Digest instructors, as well as industry leaders. Those attending will get insight from the golf industry’s foremost experts that will generate new ideas or polish trusted practices.

With an outstanding cast of presenters, all designed to increase the teaching expertise of attendees, this will be an event you won’t want to miss. Everyone will leave this summit knowing they are a better Golf Professional because of it.

Non-Member Entry Form – $325

Schedule of Events

Monday, October 21st

9:00 – 9:15am Welcome from Randy Chang, PGA (Host)

9:15 – 10:30am Rick Smith, PGA

“How to Teach the Beginner/Intermediate like a Tour Pro”

10:45am – 12:00pm Dr. Alison Curdt, PGA, LPGA

“Athletic Trauma, Golf Trauma: Science of the Brain”

12:00 – 12:15pm Teacher of the Year Presentation

12:15 – 1:00pm Lunch

1:15 – 2:45pm Josh Gregory, PGA

“Effective Practice Habits of Highly Competitive Players”

3:00 – 5:00pm Chris Como, PGA

Q & A with Bill McKinney, PGA on “Modern Golf and an Overview of

the Swing Expedition”

5:00 – 9:30pm Cocktail Party

Tuesday, October 22nd

7:00 – 8:00am Breakfast

8:15 – 9:00am Seth Waugh, PGA of America CEO

Q & A with Tom Addis, SCPGA CEO

9:00 – 10:30am Kevin Duffy, PGA

“The Future of Golf Fitness: How to Improve Athleticism without

Effecting Tension, Sequence and the Flow of Movement”

10:45am – 12:00pm Brad Faxon, PGA

“The Art of Putting”

12:00 – 1:00pm Lunch

1:00 – 2:30pm Fred Couples, PGA

Q and A with Jamie Mulligan, PGA

Speaker Bios

Fred Couples

Growing up in Seattle, Fred found the game while caddying for his brother’s friend at the age of nine. He would ride his bicycle to Jefferson Park Golf Course with a five dollar bill in his pocket, given to him by his mother. It was just enough to pay for a day’s worth of golf, a hamburger, and a Coca-Cola. He was self-taught in his early years and could not afford a glove as a junior. Ultimately, Fred played his entire career with his bare hands.

In the fall of 1977, Fred was an incoming freshman at the University of Houston. With Coach Dave Williams at the helm, Fred established lifelong friendships with teammates Jim Nantz, Paul Marchand, and Blaine McCallister. McCallister went on to win five times on the PGA Tour, Marchand became Fred’s longtime swing coach, and Nantz continues to live out his dream as the preeminent broadcaster in the world of sport.

Playing in a pair of tennis shoes, Fred’s first big win came at the 1978 Washington Open where Fred fired a final round 65 at historic Glendale Country Club. The next year he qualified for the 1979 US Open at the Inverness Club, where he made the cut and went on to receive low amateur honors.

While at U of H, Fred received All-American honors twice. Before his senior year, Fred inquired about competing in the Queen Mary Open in Long Beach. He was informed all the amateur spots in the field had been taken, and only professional spots were available. In a spur of the moment decision, Fred turned pro and ultimately finished in a tie for 8^thwith fellow future World Golf Hall of Famer Mark O’Meara. A few weeks later he competed at PGA Tour Qualifying School, where he secured playing privileges for the upcoming season.

In 1991, Fred won the Vardon Trophy for best scoring average on tour (69.59) and was named the PGA Tour Player of the Year. The following year he won the Masters, which he has called his greatest win ever. He led the PGA Tour Money List, was the #1 Ranked Player in the World, repeated as the Vardon Trophy winner (69.38), and was named PGA Tour Player of the Year.

At the Masters, Fred has 11 top ten finishes and holds the records for the most consecutive cuts made (23), lowest 18 hole score by a player over the age of 50 (66) lowest 36 hole score by a player over the age of 50 (139) lowest 54 score by a player over the age of 50 (209) and lowest 72 hole score for a player over the age of 50 (279). He is also second all-time in cuts made (30).

Fred was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2013. He referred to the experience as “the coolest night of my life” during his emotional acceptance speech. Fred has been a member of five Ryder Cup teams, four Presidents Cup teams, and has captained three victorious Presidents Cup teams.

His career has been a full one. He has amassed 64 professional victories, including 16 PGA Tour victories. He also has 13 Champions Tour victories including the 2011 Senior Players Championship and 2012 Senior Open Championship. He currently resides in Corona del Mar, California and remains a highly competitive player.

Chris Como

Chris is currently the host of the Chris Como Swing Expedition on the Golf Channel and a PGA Tour Coach. Early in his career Chris earned his Master’s degree in biomechanics while studying under Dr. Young-Hoo Kwon. His unique approach to teaching is built around the body and how it works.

Chris has worked with a number of PGA, LPGA, and Champions Tour players including Aaron Baddeley, Trevor Immelman, Bryson DeChambeau (with Mike Schy), Jamie Lovemark, and the iconic Tiger Woods. Chris is ranked in the Top 50 Instructors in America by Golf Digest and is the Golf Digest Top Ranked Teacher in the state of Texas. He prides himself on his ability to communicate to players of all ability levels by taking complex ideas and molding them into simple practices.

Chris is founder and organizer of the Open Golf Forum which gathers teachers, coaches, and scientists from around the globe to learn from each other and get better together.

Chris currently serves as the Director of Instructor at Dallas National Golf Club, is an ambassador for Golf & Body in New York City, and works as an Engineering Consultant for PING.

Dr. Alison Curdt, PGA, LPGA

Dr. Alison Curdt is a teacher, coach, psychologist, PGA and LPGA Master Professional. She is one of nine women to achieve the highest PGA credential and one of two women to receive the Master Professional credential with both the PGA and LPGA. An accomplished player from an early age, she was a member of the US Junior Cup Team, an All-American as a Florida State Seminole, and has competed in two LPGA Tour Championships and five KPMG Women’s PGA Championships. Alison also earned her doctorate degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Sports Psychology and her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology.

Her numerous awards and honors include: 2019 SCPGA Golf Professional of the Year, 2015 LPGA National Teacher of the Year, Golf Digest’s Best Young Instructor, LPGA Top 50 Teacher, four-time Western Women’s Section Teacher of the Year winner, the 2015 LPGA National Teacher of the Year, the 2016 SCPGA Teacher of the Year, 2018 SCPGA Clubfitter of the Year, Member of the SCPGA Teaching Hall of Fame, three time SCPGA Women’s Player of the Year, the 2018 Horton Smith Award winner and contributor to the Golf Channel’s “Swing Fix”.

She is TPI certified and currently works as the Director of Instruction at Wood Ranch Golf Club. She is the owner of Curdt Performance Therapy and the Alison Curdt Golf Academy.

Kevin Duffy, TPI

Kevin is a golf trainer on the PGA and European Tour. His Dad introduced him to the game at the age of seven. His love for the game quickly grew. He played or practiced every single day, including chipping inside his parents’ home when the weather did not cooperate. At the age of fourteen Kevin injured his pelvis, which resulted in further physical problems down the road. He was a good player despite physical setbacks and had his sight on playing professionally.

He eventually turned pro. After continual problems with his body, he turned to his other passion, music. A talented musician, Kevin would play gigs six or seven nights a week over the next ten years. During this chapter of his life, he had a lot of free time during the day and began devoting his time to health and fitness. He experimented with yoga, pilates, body building, and physiotherapy-type exercises in his quest to get rid of his own aches and pains. He ultimately decided to go back to college and earn a personal training qualification. Because he knew a lot about golf and a lot about physiotherapy, it seemed natural to blend the two together. TPI was just getting going and Kevin became the first person in Europe to attain all three levels of certification.

He began volunteering his time for England Golf in pursuit of his ultimate goal, to train professional golfers. A few players on the European Tour began to reach out to him, including Danny Willet. Kevin travelled to the Dunhill and when he came back from the event he had six players who wanted to work with him. Within four months he was travelling around the world thirty weeks of the year. What Kevin enjoys most is the “puzzle” of it. Working things out, getting better, learning, the human body, the golf swing, how to help the player; the list goes on and on.

Kevin currently resides in Manchester, England with his family and trains Tommy Fleetwood, Louis Oosthuizen, Danny Willett, Aaron Wise, Luke List, and Patrick Cantlay.

Brad Faxon

Growing up in New England, Brad became a promising young player at an early age. He won back-to-back Rhode Island Amateurs, back-to-back New England Amateurs, and the prestigious Sunnehanna Amateur Championship as a youngster.

Brad graduated from Furman University where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Economics. During his time at Furman he received All American honors twice, won the Haskins Award (bestowed upon the most outstanding college golfer in the United States), and played his way onto the victorious 1983 Walker Cup Team.

Brad subsequently turned professional in 1983 and has accumulated 21 professional victories across the globe, including 8 wins on the PGA Tour. He has earned his reputation as one of the best putters on the planet. He led the PGA Tour in putting average in 1996, 1999, and 2000. Brad competed on the Ryder Cup Team in 1995 and 1997, and received the Payne Stewart Award for outstanding character and sportsmanship from the PGA Tour.

Alongside Billy Andrade, Faxon formed the Andrade-Faxon Charities for Children in 1999 whose annual CVS Health Charity Classic tournament has raised and donated over 22 million dollars to children in need in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. They were awarded the Charlie Bartlett Award, given to professional golfers whose unselfish contributions have benefitted society. Brad also runs his own junior golf foundation.

Brad has helped hundreds of PGA and LPGA tour champions on their putting including the 2019 PGA Tour Player of the Year Rory Mcilroy. Since 2010, Brad has worked as an analyst for NBC and is currently serving as an on-air commentator for FOX.

True to his roots, Brad and his family reside in his hometown of Barrington, Rhode Island.

Dr. Alison Curdt, PGA, LPGA

She is TPI certified and currently works as the Director of Instruction at Wood Ranch Golf Club. She is the owner of Curdt Performance Therapy and the Alison Curdt Golf Academy.

Josh Gregory

Josh Gregory is a performance golf coach. Growing up in Memphis, Josh attended Christian Brothers High School where he won the Tennessee High School State Individual Championship. During his collegiate years at Southern Methodist University, Josh competed in three NCAA Championships while earning his degree in psychology, corporate communication, and public affairs.

Josh went on to coach two NCAA Championship teams at Augusta State and was named NCAA Coach of the year twice. As a collegiate coach, he produced 11 All-American selections, 6 Palmer Cup team selections, two Walker Cup selections, and one Ryder Cup selection. After Augusta State, Josh went back to his alma mater SMU where he coached US amateur champion Kelly Kraft. He also coached the 2012 US Palmer Cup Team. Josh has been involved in every aspect of the college programs he has coached, including preparation, instruction, recruiting, and fundraising.

He currently coaches Korn Ferry Tour Players Taylor Moore, Davis Riley, Will Zalatoris, and PGA Tour Players Henrik Norlander, Adam Long, Michael Gellerman, Kelly Kraft, Jason Kokrak, Sam Ryder, K.H. Lee, Stephan Jaeger, Max Homa, and Patrick Reed.

Josh currently resides in Dallas, Texas and teaches out of Maridoe Golf Club.

Rick Smith, PGA

Over the past 25 years, Rick Smith has consistently ranked among Golf Digest’s Top 10 Teachers in America. He is regarded by many PGA Tour players as one of the best instructors in the world. Notable clients of his have included Rory Sabbatini, Chris DiMarco, Rocco Mediate, Jerry Kelly, Billy Mayfair, Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Lee Janzen, Vijay Singh, David Duval, Paul Azinger, John Daly, and Jack Nicklaus. His players have won 7 major championships and countless PGA Tour titles while working with him.

Rick has received numerous accolades from the PGA of America in his section, as well as on the national level, including: PGA of America National Teacher of the Year, PGA of America National Golf Professional of the Year, and PGA of America National Merchandiser of the Year.

Rick is also a published author. He wrote “How to Find Your Perfect Golf Swing.” He is a regular contributor to Golf Digest as a teaching editor, as well as a longtime contributor to Golf Magazine.

Rick currently operates the Rick Smith Golf Academies at Oakland University (Rochester, Michigan), Forest Dunes Golf Club (Roscommon, Michigan), Trump National Golf Club (Los Angeles, California), and the Rick Smith Golf Performance Center at Trump National Doral Golf Club (Doral, Florida). Recently, he has also been working as a golf course design consultant alongside his longtime pal Phil Mickelson.

Charlene Bendt, PGA, TPI

Charlene starting playing golf at the age of eight. From a young age she loved learning about the golf swing; not just the mechanics, but how to play the game. She played her college golf at UCLA before turning professional. When she stopped playing professionally she turned her focus to teaching the game. She incorporated all the things that she learned along the way, both struggles and high points, to understand her players and better communicate with them when learning our sport.

She has always loved studying the body, including how the body and brain work. When we think about movement and the golf swing, the brain is our most important tool. As she developed a passion for yoga she began drawing parallels between yoga and golf: staying present, the importance of breathing, and being able to control your body and mind.

Her favorite thing about golf has nothing to do with the swing, but everything to do with the relationships formed through the game: the friendships you make along the way, being able to help someone, and learning something new (which a lot of adults do not get to do very often). Charlene’s favorite golfers to teach are players new to the game, because she has the opportunity to see them fall in love with something that she has been in love with for a long time.

Experience and certifications include: running Golf Operations for USC, PGA of America Professional, TPI Certified Level 2 Golf Professional, Yoga for Golfers Level 2, and Registered Yoga Teacher RYT- 200 hours. She was a Golf Professional at Virginia Country Club in Long Beach for eight years and credits much of her teaching style to Jamie Mulligan, who continues to serve as a valuable influence.

Charlene currently resides in Irvine, California and is a teaching professional at Old Ranch Country Club.

Jamie Mulligan, PGA, CEO

Jamie Mulligan is the CEO of Virginia Country Club in Long Beach, California. Additionally, he coaches 11 PGA, LPGA and Champions Tour players. He is a leader amongst his peers and in the community employing a unique approach with each of his students.

Awards and honors include Golf Magazine Top 100 Teachers in America, Southern California PGA Section Hall of Fame, Southern California PGA Section Professional of the Year and Teacher of the Year. Jamie has been a columnist for many golf publications including Golf Digest and Golf Magazine over the last 25 years. He has been featured on programs for the Golf Channel, is a consultant to the Long Beach State golf program, founder of the Smooth Swing Golf School, founder of the Jamie Mulligan Golf Camp and inventor of a putting device called The Ingrainer.

Jamie has found a niche with his stable of players by developing a coaching relationship from junior golf to tour life. He has coached three #1 World Amateurs. His longtime stable of players include PGA and Champions Tour winner John Cook, Paul Goydos, John Mallinger, Peter Tomasulo, Women’s British Open Champion Mo Martin, Luke List, Veronica Felibert, Brett Lederer and Patrick Cantlay who is currently the 7^th Ranked Player in the World. He has also acted as consultant and coach to Amy Alcott, Craig Barlow, Bill Haas, Gary Hallberg and Bill Lunde.