LINCOLN, NE – Mike Schuchart, PGA of Wilderness Ridge Country Club in Lincoln, NE was elected as the 41st President of the Nebraska Section PGA at the Section’s Annual Fall Meeting this past Monday. Schuchart will be third member within his family to serve as a Nebraska PGA President after his father Bob Schuchart and grandfather Bill Schuchart.

The following Nebraska PGA Members were elected as Section Officers:

  • President – Mike Schuchart, PGA of Wilderness Ridge Country Club
  • Vice President – Phil Palmer, PGA of Miracle Hill Golf & Tennis Center
  • Secretary – Bobby O’Keefe, PGA of Oak Hills Country Club
  • Honorary President – Dawn Neujahr, PGA of Champions Run Omaha

The Schuchart lineage goes way back in Nebraska PGA’s history and Mike’s recent election is another chapter of the story.

“Both my grandfather and father loved being a PGA of America member, with a passion for growing the game and serving the member. I think both would be excited and proud that I have chosen to follow in their footsteps. I’m excited to continue to build off of the great work both of them put into our Section”, said Schuchart.

Schuchart will also follow in the footsteps of Dawn Neujahr, the Section’s outgoing President and someone Schuchart learned a lot from.

“I feel incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to follow Dawn as the President of our Section. With her being the first female president of our Section and getting to witness her dedication to the Association and our Nebraska PGA Membership, I learned a lot from her. She’s taught me so much about courage and what it means to be passionate about leading the Section”, said Schuchart.

Five years ago, Dawn Neujahr of Champions run was elected to presidency becoming the first female to do so in the Nebraska Section.

“When I ran for office, my goal was not to just be the first woman, but I felt it was my time to give back to our Association that has afforded me a wonderful career and some amazing life experiences. I wanted to help continue the vision of the former leaders of our Section and keep us moving forward in the community and growing the game”, said Neujahr.

Five years later, she undoubtedly left her mark both on the Section and the PGA of America Association as a whole. Neujahr’s leadership continued to reach far outside of the Section as she served her third consecutive term on the PGA Membership Committee under PGA of America President, John Lindert, PGA. In November of 2022, Neujahr was instrumental in advocating for a resolution to add an inclusionary statement to the PGA of America’s Constitution where there once was an exclusionary statement. This resolution passed unanimously! For those reasons and many more, Dawn was selected as the 2022 Nebraska Section Golf Professional of the Year!

As Neujahr steps out of her role, she’s confident in Schuchart as he takes over as the Section’s newest President.

“I’m super excited to have Mike step into the role of President. With him being a third generation PGA Member, he has lived and breathed golf his entire life. His experience as a player, operator and teacher will set him up for success. He is all in for the PGA Member and making their lives better”, said Neujahr.

In addition to Schuchart taking over as President, Phil Palmer, PGA was elected as Vice-President and Bobby O’Keefe, PGA joined the team of Officers as he was elected Secretary.

“I have really enjoyed my two years as Secretary and the duties that went along with it. As the new Vice-President, I look forward to learning more about our Section’s finances and continuing our work on the Board of Directors. Serving our Section’s PGA Professionals means a great deal to me and I am truly honored to be able to serve”, said Palmer.

Bobby O’Keefe is excited to begin his journey alongside the other Nebraska Section Officers and he looks forward to making an impact of his own.

“One of the things that motivated me to run the most is sitting next to my peers in meetings and seeing all the good things they have accomplished in their career and what they have given back to the game. I felt that it was my time to do the same. Being elected means a great deal to me in the hopes that I made a difference not only in the eyes of our PGA Professionals, but also my family”, said O’Keefe.

The Officers as a whole believe this is a “crucial time” to continue to elevate the Nebraska Section PGA with the Centennial on the horizon and they look forward to building off of the momentum Neujahr and company built.

About the Nebraska Section PGA

The Nebraska Section PGA is a non-for-profit organization comprised of over 340 PGA Members and PGA Associates who strive to promote the enjoyment and growth of the game of golf.  The Nebraska Section PGA encompasses the entire State of Nebraska, western fifth of Iowa and a small portion of South Dakota including Dakota Dunes and Yankton.  The Section office is located in Lincoln, NE and acts as a resource for local and national golf information for the golf professional and amateur player alike.  Our members are often referred to as “Club Professionals”, not to be mistaken as PGA Tour Professionals.

Each Nebraska Section PGA Professional serves as an expert in the ever-changing business of golf.  They are the leading expert players and teachers, skilled business managers, community leaders, and superior merchandisers who have dedicated their careers to the local delivery of these services.