The Barclays Golf Academy w/ Rick Murphy

The Barclays Golf Academy w/ Rick Murphy

The Barclays Golf Academy w/ Rick Murphy

The Barclays Golf Academy w/ Rick Murphy

The Barclays Golf Academy w/ Rick Murphy

Check out the full slideshow and all the great pictures of Rick at The Barclays Golf Academy here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/118031193884103002032/BarclaysGolfAcademy2011Part2?feat=email

Rick Murphy, a 30-year member of the Carolinas PGA, has been awarded the designation Lynn Blake Certified Master Instructor. Having satisfied extensive pre-requisites, including Senior Instructor status, Mr. Murphy participated in the program’s first Master Certification class and earned his designation on May 11, 2011.

Mr. Murphy, founder of the Rick Murphy Golf Academy in Greensboro, NC, is the 2008 Carolinas PGA Professional of the Year and the 2001 and 2009 Teacher of the Year. In January 2011, he was featured at the PGA Merchandise Show in a main platform presentation entitled Best Business Practices. He recently appeared on The Golf Channel in recognition of his leadership in the PGA of America’s Free Lesson Month and its goal to promote the growth of the game. He also serves on the PGA’s 2011 Instruction Committee, a select group chosen from more than 28,000 members.

This summer, Rick will be part of a select team of five professionals teaching at The Barclays, a $7.5 million PGA TOUR event and first In the FedExCup Series. There he will be a lead instructor conducting The Barclays Golf Academy for Barclays private clients and guests during all four days of the tournament.

“We are very proud that Rick is among the first professionals to have earned our Master Instructor designation. It is gratifying that a professional of his stature has chosen to pursue our training and has achieved its highest level,” said Meredith Kahan, Executive Director of the Lynn Blake Certified Instructor Program. “Rick has blue-ribbon credentials, and he is a true credit to our organization and the game.”

First Lynn Blake Certified Master Instructors in the Carolinas

Rick Murphy is the owner and PGA Director of Instruction of the Rick Murphy Golf Academy located in Greensboro, N.C.  Murphy will provide his expertise as a guest instructor to promote The PGA of America’s Free Lesson Month which runs through May.  He earned the guest spot through a promotion by The PGA of America, which granted a spot on the “The Golf Fix” to the PGA Professional who gave the most lessons during 2010’s Free Lesson Month.  Murphy and his award-winning PGA staff of professionals set an unofficial world record for the largest golf lesson given to more than 5,500 people at a Greensboro Grasshopper baseball game on May 15, 2010.

Among his many accomplishments, Murphy was one of the first instructors to achieve senior certification from well-known instructor and author of Alignment Golf, Lynn Blake, and was a co-presenter for the past two years at Blake’s blockbuster teaching and coaching summit in Greensboro.  He has owned and operated both of his facilities since 2001, and has supported many Play Golf America programs, Special Olympics efforts, and growth of the game initiatives through his service.  Beginning in 1988, Murphy has been named The PGA of America’s National Junior Golf Leader, the 2001 CPGA Teacher of the Year, the 2008 CPGA Golf Professional of the Year, and the 2009 CPGA Palmer Maples Teacher of the Year.  He was included on the 2009/2010 Golf Digest Top Ten Teachers in North Carolina, was a 2011 presenter at the PGA’s merchandise show best practices session, and is on the 2011 / 2012 PGA Instruction Committee.

The Golf Fix with Michael Breed is an instructional show broadcast on the Golf Channel every Monday night, offering insight and tips on the golf swing from Michael Breed, PGA.  Michael Breed, PGA was the Carolinas PGA Section’s guest instructor for the 2011 Big Week Teaching Summit.  Breed is currently the Head PGA Professional at Sunningdale Country Club in Scarsdale, N.Y. and penned the book The Picture Perfect Golf Swing. He is also listed as one of Golf Magazine’s Top 100 instructors and his students include Darron Stiles, Chris Smith, Kyle Reifers, Chris Parr and LPGA Tour player Meghan Francella.  In the past he has worked with Joe Durant, JJ Henry, Joe Ogilvie and many other PGA an Nationwide Tour players.

Though an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the “most people simultaneously taking a golf lesson” would not be certified, the world record is 632, set in China, on December 11, 2009.

PGA World Record Golf Lesson with Rick Murphy

Murphy taught participants the basic body motion of a golf stroke, the proper grip and the left hand and right hand alignments at impact, using the mascot “Guilford” in his lesson.

One of the most successful growth-of-the-game initiatives in the golf industry, PGA Free Lesson Month is a collaborative campaign spearheaded by The PGA of America, Golf Digest Publications and Golf Channel.