Birmingham, England: Master Manager Peter Downie is among the latest group of PGA of Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I) Members who have achieved a new membership designation through the Association’s PGA Excel framework.

Launched in 2022 to replace the previous APAL system, PGA Excel enables PGA Members to demonstrate their impact, achievements and value to employers, golfers and the wider industry as they move up through the membership designations.

PGA Excel awards are presented every quarter, and following another period of assessment The PGA of GB&I has announced that 20 PGA Members have been awarded a new designation which demonstrates their impact and achievement within their membership category of PGA Professional, PGA Coach and PGA Manager.

On his new designation, and becoming only the 63rd PGA Member to achieve Master status, Downie, General Manager at Hong Kong’s Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club, said: “As a long-serving PGA Member, to say I am proud to have been awarded Master status may be a slight under-statement, and only shows the power of perseverance.

“To all my family, friends, and peers who have stood by me throughout my career, their contributions have been truly priceless. I also have to be grateful that I have mentors who push me. I studied, I submitted and I succeeded – thank you for helping me on my Excel journey.”

Among those to be confirmed as an Advanced Fellow Professional was Stephen Banks, Director of Golf at Vietnam’s Laguna Lang Co.

Commenting on the success of the latest cohort of PGA Excel awardees, Tristan Crew, PGA Executive Director – Membership, said: “Congratulations to all 20 PGA Members for being awarded new PGA designations through PGA Excel.

“These PGA Members have been through a rigorous application process where they have successfully demonstrated, in detail, their impact and achievement across their career in the golf industry. They have met the progression criteria that underpins PGA Excel and are clearly succeeding in their chosen fields.

“We are continuing to see more PGA Members each month start their PGA Excel application and the golf industry, too, is now better able to understand the importance of PGA Excel itself and the value of PGA Members advancing their designation status upwards to Advanced, Fellow, Advanced Fellow and Master.”

*The PGA of GB&I (Executive) and Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club and Laguna Lang Co (Facility) are Members of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.