Denver, CO, October 21, 2021 -- GOLFTEC, the world leader in golf improvement and club fitting, is proud to announce that GOLFTEC Spokane Coach Chris Runyan was recently presented with the PGA Patriot Award at this year’s PGA Annual Meeting.
While it was just recently presented, Runyan is the winner of the 2020 PGA Patriot Award (the PGA delayed their presentation by a year due to the pandemic). The Patriot Award is presented to the PGA Professional who personifies patriotism through the game of golf and demonstrates unwavering commitment and dedication to the men and women who have valiantly served and protected the United States of America. Runyan also won the Inland Empire Chapter of the Pacific Northwest PGA Section Patriot Award this year, and is now a seven-time recipient of the Section’s Patriot Award (’13-’16, ’18-’19, ’21).
Runyan, a Marine Corps Veteran, has long been helping Veterans assimilate back into their communities through the social interaction the game provides. He is the founder and tournament director of the Dan Kleckner Golf Classic, a tournament that has raised over $800,000 for local Veteran-centered charity organizations in the Spokane area. Runyan also founded VETS on the Green and co-founded Northwest Golfers for Warriors, two causes that help get Veterans on the course and enjoy the game of golf.
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“I started using the Dan Kleckner Golf Classic, VETS on the Green and PGA HOPE as rehabilitation tools,” said Runyan. “We owe everything to these people who have chosen to fight for our country because without them, we wouldn't be doing what we're doing right now. So, to think I've helped a lot of those people... it's unfathomable.”
Runyan has been a coach with GOLFTEC for over five years, and last month attended the PGA HOPE National Golf and Wellness Week with a team from GOLFTEC.
“The PGA Patriot Award is one of the highest honors bestowed on a PGA Professional,” said GOLFTEC CEO, Joe Assell. “Chris embodies everything about this award through his patriotism, integrity and community leadership. We are incredibly proud of his commitment to the organizations he started, and this national award is well deserved.”
Since 2016, PGA HOPE (Helping our Patriots Everywhere) has been the official charitable organization of GOLFTEC. GOLFTEC is proud to continue its support of military veterans with the DRIVE FOR HOPE campaign. During this campaign GOLFTEC will donate $1 for every lesson given in the month of November, with proceeds going to PGA HOPE.
About GOLFTEC
Since 1995, GOLFTEC’s mission has remained the same—to help people play better golf. The GOLFTEC experience is designed for golfers of all ages and abilities to work with an expert Coach to build a game improvement plan customized to their specific needs and goals. GOLFTEC’s cutting edge training systems, including new OptiMotion, gives our Students and Coaches instant and data-driven feedback. With millions of lessons given and more than 220 locations across the world, GOLFTEC is the world leader in golf instruction.