(Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico) – The 2023 PGA Professional Championship begins on Sunday, April 30 at Twin Warriors & Santa Ana Golf Clubs in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. 312 players will be vying for the Walter Hagen Cup and the top 20 finishers will earn a spot on the Corebridge Financial PGA Team that will compete in the 2023 PGA Championship, played May 15-21 at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York.

The PGA Professional Championship has served as a showcase event for PGA Professionals since 1968. The 312-player field consists of past Champions, the top 20 players and ties from the previous year’s Championship as well as players qualifying through Section Championships. This year the Tennessee PGA will be represented by five Professionals who qualified through their finishing positions at the 2022 Tennessee PGA Professional Championship.  Allie Knight, Bill Breen, Josh Bevell, Johan Kok, and 2022 Tennessee PGA Professional Champion Casey Flenniken will all represent the volunteer state at this year’s event. Find their starting times for rounds 1 & 2 HERE.

“I’m looking forward to representing Tellico Village and the Tennessee PGA on the National stage competing at the highest level for a PGA Professional,” said Flenniken. “My goal is to be in contention to win the event and achieve the ultimate goal of playing in the PGA Championship.”

The Tennessee PGA has yet to have a representative win the PGA Professional Championship, but these five professionals will look to change that this year in New Mexico.

Twin Warriors Golf Club at Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa and Santa Ana Golf Club will host the 2023 PGA Professional Championship. Located at the foot of the Sandia Mountains just a mile apart, Twin Warriors and Santa Ana Golf Clubs are both critically acclaimed, while featuring very different designs.

Twin Warriors Golf Club, designed by Gary Panks and opened in 2001, plays through the high desert and is routed in and around 20 ancient cultural sites. Other attributes include beautiful grassy knolls, ridges dotted with Juniper and Pinon Pine, dry washes (arroyos) and eroded land features, along with the sacred butte known as Tuyuna or “Snakehead.”

“Twin Warriors is really good,” said Bevell. “It provides some good challenges in length, but it rewards good shots.”

Heralded for its links style, Santa Ana Golf Club was designed by Ken Killian and former PGA Tour player Ken Green. At just over 7,300 yards and overlooking the Rio Grande River, Santa Ana couples significantly mounded border fairways with minimal forced carries from the tee. The course, which opened in 1991, has very little elevation change; severely sloping greens serve as its greatest defense.

“Playing at elevation is a new challenge as the ball is going a long way and it looks like we’ll have to contend with some windy conditions,” said Bevell. “Club selection and trajectory will be very important this week.” 

The Championship, which boasts a $715,000 purse, will have a 36-hole cut Monday to the low 90 scorers and ties, and a 54-hole cut Tuesday to the low 70 scorers and ties.

You can catch the tournament broadcast on GOLF Channel Sunday through Wednesday.

Television Schedule (All times listed CDT):
First Round, Sunday, April 30:   GOLF Channel 9:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. (Tape Delay)
Second Round, Monday, May 1:   GOLF Channel 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Third Round, Tuesday, May 2:   GOLF Channel 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Fourth Round, Wednesday, May 3:   GOLF Channel 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

For complete coverage click here.