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Wisconsin golf pro’s Helminen and Terasa earn Player of the Decade honors

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Ryan Helminen

The Wisconsin Professional Golfers Association (WPGA) announced its Players of the Decade.  Earning the prestigious honor for the decade spanning 2010-2019 are Ryan Helminen, PGA of Ridgeway Country Club (Neenah) in the member race and Eddie Terasa, PGA of North  Hills Country Club (Menomonee Falls) in the senior race.

The Appleton native, Helminen has won the WPGA Member Player of the Year award five times, finished second twice and finished third twice.  These finishes helped him earn 213 points and win the award by an impressive 55-point margin.

Highlights during Helminen’s run included the 2014 Wisconsin State Open Title, four WPGA Professional Championship victories and seven one-day WPGA Classic wins.  Helminen has been a Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) member since 2007.  He will be recognized at an upcoming WPGA Tournament.

Madison native Terasa turned 50-year-old in June 2010 entering him into the senior standings for the upcoming decade.  Just one year later Terasa started a run of four consecutive years of achieving the Senior Player of the Year Award. [Read more…]

Helminen qualifies for PGA Championship

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Ryan Helminen

Ryan Helminen

Appleton’s Ryan Helminen’s 10th place finish at the PGA Professional Championship on Wednesday in New York, qualified him for his third consecutive PGA Championship in late July.

Helminen is a Teaching Pro at Ridgeway Country Club in Neenah.  He finished four-over-par during his final round on Thursday at Turning Stone in Verona, New York.  He finished 4-under par for the four round tournament and tied for 10th.

The top 20 qualifiers all secured a spot in the PGA Championship Field.  Rich Berberian Jr. rallied to win the event, holing a 30-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a one-stroke victory.

 

Helminen in second place at PGA Professional Championship

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Ryan Helminen

Ryan Helminen

Appleton’s Ryan Helminen stands in second place, just one shot off the lead after two rounds at the PGA Professional Championship at Turning Stone in Verona, New York.

Helminen’s ten birdies and two bogeys during the first two rounds, has him at eight-under par, one shot behind former PGA Tour player Omar Uresti, who shot a five-under par 67 on Monday.

The final top 20 will earn a spot in the upcoming PGA Championship at Baltusrol in New Jersey.  The low 90 scores and ties made the cut after the second round.  The 54-hold cut will include the low 70 scores and ties.

PGA Championship news

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Ryan Helminen

Ryan Helminen

Practice rounds continue today at Whistling Straits in preparation for the start of the 97th P-G-A Championship on Thursday.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy has declared himself 100-percent, as he gets ready to defend his title.

The World-Number-One has not played competitive golf since the U-S Open in mid-June.  In early July, McElroy injured left ankle ligaments while playing soccer with friends.

McIlroy arrived in Haven early, playing a couple of practice rounds over the weekend.

Former Badger Ryan Helminen, who is a teaching pro out of Ridgeway Country Club in Neenah, is in the PGA Field for the second straight year.  He missed the cut last year at Valhalla by 1-stroke and vows to play on the weekend this year.

AUDIO: Ryan Helminen on correcting mistakes from last year :21

Helminen gets the honor of taking the first swing of the tournament at 6:45 a.m. Thursday on No. 1 with playing partners Rory Sabbatini and Chesson Hadley.

 

Two State club pro’s earn PGA invites

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WHISTLING STRAITS ENTRANCEA pair of Wisconsin PGA club professionals have earned a spot in the 97th PGA Championship Field at Whistling Straits in August.

Menasha’s Ryan Helminen and Brent Snyder of Hudson both were among the top 20 scorers at the PGA Professional National Championship on Wednesday.

Helminen finished in a tie for 10th place and Snyder finished tied for 16th during competition this week.

Helminen is making his second straight PGA Championship appearance.  He also qualified for the 2014 event at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

Helminen wins second State Open

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Menasha’s Ryan Helminen eagles the 17th hole at the Bull at Pinehurst Farms yesterday and went on to win the 94th Wisconsin State Open.

Helminen fired a 5-under par 67 in yesterday’s final round, beating Beaver Dam native Daniel Woltman by one shot.  He finished 9-under par for the tournament.

Woltman, a two-time State Open champion, finished with a 2-under par 70.  Kenosha’s Jordan Elsen had the low round of the day, shooting a 6-under par 66 and finished third.

Helminen earned $7,200 for the win.  He also captured the State Open in 2008.

McIlroy leads PGA, Stricker in the hunt

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Steve Stricker

Steve Stricker

World #1 Rory McIlroy fired a 4-under par 67 and takes a one shot lead to the third round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

The 25-year-old McIlroy is trying to win his third straight tournament.  He takes a one-stroke lead over Australian Jason Day and Jim Furyk into the third round and is two shots in front of Rickie Fowler, Ryan Palmer and Mikko Ilonen of Finland.

McIlroy said his goal for the weekend is to try to put as much distance between him and his pursuers as he possibly could.

It’s a crowded field though.  Fifteen players are within four shots of the lead, including 2005 PGA champion Phil Mickelson, who climbed into a tie for seventh with a 67.  Madison’s Steve Stricker shot a 3-under par 68 who stands with Mickelson at 5-under.

Day shot the low round of the day (65).  He’s looking for his first major victory.  Day’s tied for fourth at the U.S. Open in June. [Read more…]

Kelly & Stricker in the hunt at the PGA

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Madison’s Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker are in the mix after the opening round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky on Thursday.

Kelly, who only made the PGA field when Dustin Johnson withdrew, fired a 4-under par 67 and finds himself just 2-shots off the lead.  He made six birdies in his opening round.

Steve Stricker, who is playing with a torn labrum in his left hip, shot a 2-under 69 and is four shots off the lead.

Kevin Chappel, Lee Westwood and Ryan Palmer are the first round leaders, firing 6-under par 65’s.  There’s a group of five players at -5, including Rory McIlroy, who is looking for his 3rd straight victory on the PGA Tour.

Menasha’s Ryan Helminen scrambled to shoot a 2-over par 73.  He put himself in a decent position to make the cut and play on the weekend.

Tiger Woods struggled, shooting an opening round 3-over 74.

Stricker to assist Ryder Cup squad

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Steve Stricker

Steve Stricker

Madison’s Steve Stricker has accepted Tom Watson’s invitation to serve as his third and final vice captain on the U.S. Ryder Cup team, set to face the Europeans Sept. 23-28 at Gleneagles in Perthshire, Scotland.

Stricker joins friend Andy North and Raymond Floyd, who had previously been added by Watson as assistant captains.

Watson introduced Stricker at a news conference on Wednesday, the day before Stricker will play in the 96th PGA Championship in Louisville.

The 47-year-old Stricker played on the 2008, 2010 and 2012 Ryder Cup teams and has a 3-7-1 record in 11 matches.

Europe has won five of the last six Ryder Cups.

PGA Championship

Stricker is joined in the PGA Championship field this week by fellow Madison golfer Jerry Kelly and Menasha’s Ryan Helminen.

Tiger Woods, despite withdrawing from the Bridgestone Invitational last week because of a back injury, announced that he’ll be playing in this weeks PGA Championship.

Jason Dufner is the defending champion.

Helminen qualifies for PGA Championship

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Appleton’s Ryan Helminen is headed to golf’s final major, the PGA Championship.

Helmimen is an Appleton East graduate and current golf pro at Ridgeway Country Club in Neenah.  He won a playoff at the PGA Professional National Championship on Wednesday, earning one of 20 spots awarded for the PGA Championship.

Golf’s final major is Aug. 7-10 at Valhalla in Louisville, Kentucky.

Helminen has made it to the PGA Professional National Championship every year since 2008.  His best finish prior to this year was a tie for 24th in 2011.

Helminen has been named the Wisconsin PGA player of the Year six of the past seven years.