Links to Legacy | South Florida PGA Junior Tour Alumni Spotlight | Drew Steiner

South Florida PGA Junior Tour Alumni Spotlight



For many young golfers, competing at the collegiate level and beyond is a distant goal. For one alumni, that dream became a reality, and his journey through junior golf, college athletics, and into a professional role with the LPGA is truly inspiring.


For Drew Steiner, a former South Florida PGA Junior Tour Member and current Player Content Producer at the LPGA, one moment stands out in his junior golf career: winning the 1st Annual SFPGA High School Championship with the Spanish River High team. The victory at Qual Ridge Country Club reinforced the teams talent but it was the comradeira shared that aided in the win. Spanish River was the strongest in the field and Steiner led the way, capturing the overall Individual Boys Championship with a 1-under par performance.


"It wasn’t just about winning; it was about how strong we were as a team," Steiner shared. "Winning that event together really showed us how much potential we had as a group."


The moment was more than just winning a golf tournament, it further helped him secure a spot on the Lafayette College men’s Golf Team, allowing Steiner to fulfill his dream of playing Division 1 golf. 


"It gave me the confidence to pursue my goal of playing college golf," he explained. "And doing it with my teammates was a perfect way to prepare for the next chapter."


As he transitioned to college golf, the experience playing on a competitive, high-caliber team became even more valuable. "I loved the camaraderie of college golf. It’s just more fun to win as a team than individually,” Steiner recalled.


Unlike many who stumble upon the idea of college golf too late, Steiner always knew it was where he wanted to be.


 "I played all sports up until high school, but once I focused on golf, I knew that was the path," he reflected. "My goal from eighth grade onward was to play college golf and use the sport as a vehicle to get a great education."


College golf, especially at the Division I level, was everything he expected. "It wasn’t just about golf. It was about the connections you make, the experiences, and the opportunities that come from being a part of a program."


However, the transition from high school to collegiate athletics wasn’t without its challenges.


 "When you get to college, you realize it’s not just about showing up to class. You have to manage your time, juggle schoolwork, and maximize your practice time," he explained. "Coming from Florida to the Northeast also meant adjusting to the weather, which was a huge change for me."

Despite these challenges, Steiner  thrived in the competitive atmosphere and loved the camaraderie of the team. "If you're surrounded by good people and teammates, it makes it all worthwhile."


During his time at Lafayette in which he graduated in 2022 with a degree in Film and Media Studies, Steiner was an active member of the men’s golf team, further cultivating his passion for both the game and media. It was during this time that his two passions—golf and media—began to converge, ultimately guiding him toward his professional career.


Looking back, Steiner knew he was fortunate to work with mentors like John Brooks and Shane Riser, who guided him through the recruiting process, and he looks to share that same knowledge. 


"Don’t be afraid to reach out to coaches, whether at Division I, II, or III schools. While also being aware of the player you are, the education you want to receive and if you wish to continue to work towards a tour card. The key is getting exposure, and you need to play on competitive teams to get better, no matter the level,” he explained.


He also emphasized the importance of choosing a school that fits you, beyond just the golf program. 

"Go visit the campus. Make sure you like the dining halls, the facilities, and everything around the school. You need to imagine what it’s like in all (weather) seasons."


After graduating from Lafayette, Drew was ready to take on the world. Initially pursuing a career in sports journalism, he eventually shifted gears to focus on social media and content creation within the world of golf.

Steiner’s  journey took him to the PGA of America and the PGA Tour before landing his current role with the LPGA. "I’ve been with the LPGA for a year now, and my day-to-day involves creating video content for player channels—hype videos, graphics, and other creative pieces," he shared.

With 13-15 events a year to cover, his job allows him to travel, meet amazing people, and experience the sport in a whole new light. "It wasn’t a planned transition, but I’ve learned so much and I’ve just been taking it all in day by day."


Reflecting on his journey, Drew credits much of his success to the experiences and connections he gained both on and off the golf course. From the lessons learned in junior golf to the valuable connections made in college, it’s clear that his time spent in the game has shaped his career path.

For any young athlete aspiring to follow in his footsteps, his advice is simple: "Maximize every opportunity. Whether you’re playing junior golf, going through the recruiting process, or figuring out your career path, take advantage of the resources around you."

As Steiner continues his work with the LPGA, it's evident that his passion for golf—both as a player and now in the industry—has taken him to new heights… And the journey is just getting started.


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By Chance Bressler January 19, 2026
BOYNTON BEACH, FL - Hogan Blais and Angela Nip crowned champions at the 2026 Srixon South Florida PGA Winter Kickoff held January 17-19 at Indian Spring Country Club on the East Course.
By Kelly Elbin January 16, 2026
For Cameron Young and Justin Thomas, whose strong pairing at the 2025 Ryder Cup was preceded by the special memories they gleaned from separate appearances in the Junior Ryder Cup, there was the opportunity to pay it forward to the young golfers of today. This winter, for 24 talented juniors, such largesse on behalf of Young and Thomas will provide them with a riveting competition that begins with the inaugural playing of the Cameron Young/Justin Thomas South Florida PGA Junior Tour Challenge Cup.  Captained by Young and Thomas, this two-day Ryder Cup-style event will feature two teams of 12 players each (eight boys and four girls), and will be held at Emerald Dunes Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. There will be 27 holes of team play on the first day -- 9 holes using the Four-Ball or Best-Ball format; 9 holes utilizing the Scramble format; and 9 holes of Modified Alternate Shot. Twelve 18-hole singles matches will be contested on the final day of competition. The first team to reach 12 1/2 points will claim the Junior Challenge Cup. "Both Justin and I are sons of PGA of America Professionals, so it's really important for us to give back to a new generation of kids," said Young, whose father, David, was the longtime PGA Head Professional at Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Scarborough, New York. In the 2014 Junior Ryder Cup, Cameron Young contributed to a U.S. victory in Scotland. Last September, in his Ryder Cup debut, Young tied for the most individual points earned among the Americans, who fell short to the Europeans on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in his home state. Cameron Young and Justin Thomas teamed to win one of their two matches at Bethpage, and both captured their singles matches in dramatic fashion on the last day of the matches. Thomas, a two-time winner of the PGA Championship, was on the victorious American side in the 2010 Junior Ryder Cup, also played in Scotland. As is the case with David Young helping shape his son's skills, Thomas has worked closely over the years with his father, PGA of America Professional Mike Thomas. Justin Thomas's late grandfather, Paul, also was a PGA Professional. "Cameron and I had such a great partnership together at the Ryder Cup, and we looked at what we could do with this incredible opportunity through the PGA of America," Thomas said. "With both of us having family associated with the PGA of America, this runs in our blood. I'm excited that Cameron and I can do this together." Building on Thomas’ remarks, leadership from the South Florida PGA emphasized the event’s significance for junior golf in the region. "The South Florida PGA is thrilled to announce this exciting, new event and our partnership with Cameron Young and Justin Thomas," said Eric Veilleux, President of the South Florida PGA and the PGA Director of Golf at The Bear's Club in Jupiter, Florida. "This will be a premier event in junior golf, offering an exciting and competitive playing opportunity for some of the most talented juniors in our Section." Renowned golf course architect Tom Fazio designed Emerald Dunes in 1990 and oversaw renovations to the par-72 layout that were completed in 2012. "We at Emerald Dunes are truly honored to host the inaugural Cameron Young/Justin Thomas South Florida PGA Junior Challenge Cup," said Lee Stroever, the PGA Director of Golf at Emerald Dunes Club and the South Florida PGA Junior Golf Committee Chairperson."We are thrilled to welcome the best juniors in the Section for an experience that they will hopefully long remember and cherish." Eager for the inaugural event, Thomas is both proud to have paid forward the types of competitive opportunities that once came his way as a junior golfer and respectful of the level of talent that will be on display at Emerald Dunes. "I look forward to watching," Thomas said, "and, I'm sure at some point, playing against a lot of these players down the road." Click here to view all criteria and more event details.
By Caitlin White December 19, 2025
West Palm Beach, FL - The Srixon South Florida PGA Junior Tour is proud to recognize three Medalist Tour members as the 2025 Players of the Year. Through consistent performances, impressive scoring, and success in some of the Tour’s premier events, these players set the standard for excellence throughout the season.
By Caitlin White December 16, 2025
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - Corinne de Nigris of Palm Beach Gardens is the 2025 Srixon South Florida PGA Junior Tour Don Law Service Award recipient for her time and dedication to the South Florida PGA Junior Tour and Foundation.
By Caitlin White December 16, 2025
West Palm Beach, FL - Ed Ficker embodies the true spirit of sportsmanship. His attitude, demeanor, and unwavering dedication to the game of golf reflect the exceptional character that has defined his career. As the Head Golf Professional at Tequesta Country Club for 41 years, Ficker set the gold standard for professionalism, retiring in 2006 with numerous honors. Among his achievements, he received several prestigious South Florida PGA awards, served as Vice President and Director of the PGA of America, and was inducted into the South Florida PGA Hall of Fame in 2001.
By Chance Bressler December 8, 2025
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - Matthew Marigliano, Jaime Baker, Lilly Parker, and William Lorberbaum, are crowned champions at the 2025 Srixon South Florida PGA Junior Tour Championship, held December 6-7 at The Park. The South Florida PGA Medalist Tour Championship is the final event of the 2025 season and is comprised of the Medalist Tour’s top players. Each spot was earned through a season-long qualifying process of Player of the Year Points. The number of qualifying spots was determined by the percentage of total Junior Members in each division. In the Boys 13-18 Division, Marigliano of Palm Beach Gardens fired a round one score of 3-under, trailing Xingrun Piao of Winter Garden by three strokes. Marigliano came back in round two with a 7-under round, and managed to seal the final championship of the 2025 season by two shots over Piao. The Girls 13-18 Division finished their final round in darkness. After round one, Parker of North Palm Beach and Jaime Baker of Lake Worth were neck-and-neck with Parker leading the event by one shot. In round two, Parker finished 1-over, while Baker finished even-par, forcing a playoff. After two playoff holes, Baker and Parker could not continue due to darkness, awarding both players the title of Champion. In the Boys 11-12 Division, Lorberbaum of Delray Beach was leading after round one with a 4-over par round, two shots over Gabriel Shabashkevich of Boca Raton. Lorberbaum managed to scrape by in round two, shooting 3-over and winning the championship by one stroke. Shabashkevich came in close for second place, winning a scorecard playoff over Simon Bustos of Palm Beach Gardens, both finishing with a total of 8-over. Special congratulations to the following end-of-season award winners:: 2025 Female Ed Ficker Sportsmanship Award: Lilly Parker 2025 Male Ed Ficker Sportsmanship Award: Ryan Toole 2025 Don Law Service Award: Corinne de Nigris Congratulations to our Division Players of the Year: Boys 13-18: Tristan Rhodenizer of Palm Beach Gardens (1,360.00 points) Girls 13-18: Lilly Parker of North Palm Beach (1,426.00 points) Boys 11-12: Simon Bustons of Chattanooga, Tennessee (1,310.00 points) The South Florida PGA Junior Tour wants to extend its thank you to Brian Conley, PGA General Manager, Cody Sinkler, PGA Director of Golf, and Clay Myers, PGA Head Golf Professional for their continued support of all levels of the Junior Tour. Without the continued support of the PGA Professionals in our section we would not be able to have 100+ event days, 6,575+ rounds played, and 1,250+ members. The SFPGA Junior Tour 2026 schedule will be released on December 9th, 2025 and 2026 membership registration will open on December 11th, 2025 at 10:00 AM EST. Thank you to all players, spectators, and PGA Professionals for a great season and we look forward to resuming in the new year. Leaderboards | Event Photos | Social Media
By Chance Bressler November 24, 2025
VERO BEACH, FL – Jeremy Castellanos and Mila Zalsman crowned champions at the Srixon South Florida PGA Junior Medalist Tour event, held November 22-23 at Sandridge Golf Club - Dunes Course. After 18-holes, the Boys 13–18 Division was tied as Jeremy Castellanos of Windemere and Luke Harrigan of Hobe Sound finished at 3-under after round one. Castellanos kept the momentum, firing another 3-under round in round two to secure the title at 6-under over Harrigan who finished at even-par for both days. Harrigan placed second in a scorecard playoff over Reed Abdelnour of West Palm Beach, and Navraj Suri of Miami. In the Girls 13–18 Division, Mila Zalsman of Saint Petersburg was in fourth place at 1-over after round one, four shots behind leader Lilly Parker of North Palm Beach who finished round 1 at 3-under. In round two, Zalsman fought back with an even-par round to secure the win at 1-over total, two shots better than Vanessa Georgescu of Fort Lauderdale who finished at 3-over. Georgescu shot a round two score of even-par to secure a second place finish in a scorecard playoff over Parker. The 71-player field combined for four eagles and 244 birdies throughout the weekend. The Girls 13–18 Division scoring average was 77.84, while the Boys 13–18 Division was 78.01. The South Florida PGA extends its appreciation to Bela Nagy, PGA and the entire team at Sandridge Golf Club for their continued support of the South Florida PGA Junior Tours. The Srixon South Florida PGA Junior Medalist Tour welcomed 49 boys and 22 girls across two divisions. The Medalist Tour is the premier membership-based junior golf program of the South Florida PGA Section, and it will continue its season on December 6-7 at the Srixon South Florida PGA Tour Championship. Even t Photos | Leaderboards | Social Media
By Chance Bressler November 14, 2025
West Palm Beach, FL - The Srixon South Florida PGA Junior Tour announced its 2025 Prep Tour Players of the Year for its six divisions, recognizing outstanding performances based on season-long point standings. This year featured 463 Prep Tour Members competing in 26 total events for ages 9-18. Players were awarded points based on their finish in the events played.
By Chance Bressler November 9, 2025
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - The top 80 players on the Srixon South Florida Prep Tour Player competed at The Park for the Prep Tour Championship, November 8, 2025. The Prep Tour Championship was divided into six divisions and players were invited to the championship based on their point standings after all 25 Prep Tour events this season. In the Boys 13-18 Division, Ryan LaVoie of Port St. Lucie secured the top honor, shooting a five-under round to win by five strokes over Gabriel Rodriguez of Palm Bay. LaVoie managed only one bogey to go along with four birdies and an eagle over the 18-hole Championship During the 2025 season LaVoie placed in the top-five at four events with two victories—including the Prep Tour Championship title. The runner-up, Rodriguez, placed in the top-three at three events throughout the season. In the Girls 13-18 Division, Manuela Moreno of Doral shot a one-under round, claiming victory by five strokes over Jesera Mendez of Coral Springs. In 2025, Moreno placed in the top five at ten events. Of those ten events, Moreno claimed three wins. The runner-up, Mendez, earned four top-five finishes throughout the season. In the Boys 11-12 Division, Aiden Jim of Parkland prevailed in a scorecard playoff over Eli Widom, also of Parkland. Both players fired one-over rounds, with the tiebreaker determined by a single stroke. Jim claimed two wins along with 13 other top-five finishes throughout 2025. The runner-up, Widom, earned five victories including three other top-five performances. The Girls 11-12 Division came down to the wire, as Taylor Pedrique of West Palm Beach claimed victory by one stroke, shooting a one-under round, one shot better than Victoria Frias of Parkland. Throughout the season, Pedrique placed in the top-five in nine events, including three victories. The runner-up, Frias, tallied nine victories with 11 other top-five finishes in 2025. In the Boys 9-10 Division, Ozzy Novak of Wellington secured the win, shooting a four-over-par round to finish three strokes ahead of Julian Brandman of Delray Beach. Over the season Novak earned three victories and three other top-three performances. The runner-up, Brandman, collected five victories, including ten additional top-three finishes. The Girls 9-10 Division, Cheetah Baez of San Antonio, fired a seven-over-par round, claiming victory by a margin of five strokes over Joey Wolf of Lakewood Ranch. In 2025, Baez earned 11 wins on the Prep Tour. The runner-up, Wolf, earned four victories in seven events played. Congratulations to our Srixon Players of the Year: Boys Prep 13-18: Zachary Balfour of Delray Beach Girls Prep 13-18: Giuliana Walker of Hollywood Boys Prep 11-12: Jacob McMillan of Jupiter Girls Prep 11-12: Victoria Frias of Parkland Boys Prep 9-10: Julian Brandman of Delray Beach Girls Prep 9-10: Cheetah Baez of San Antonio This event concludes the 2025 Srixon South Florida PGA Prep Tour season. The 2026 season is scheduled to begin in February. The Srixon South Florida PGA Junior Tour will make its return to Sandridge Golf Club for the final Medalist Tour event of the season before the Tour Championship held at The Park.
By Caitlin White November 3, 2025
STUART, FL – Kenny Klein and Mila Zalsman earned division titles at the Srixon South Florida PGA Junior Medalist Tour event, held November 1-2 at Mariner Sands Country Club - Gold Course.