YOUTH PLAYER DEVELOPMENT AWARD HONOREE IS ZACH ABELS
Zach Abels has been named the recipient of the 2021 Youth Player Development Award in the Rocky Mountain Section PGA. Abels has been a member of the PGA of America since 2014 and has always been focused on making an impact on junior golf.
The Youth Player Development Award bestows special recognition upon a PGA Professional who has displayed extraordinary and exemplary contribution and achievement in this field. As Zach is the PGA Head Professional at Canyon Springs Golf Course in Twin Falls, Idaho, he takes great pride in his dedication to everything “Junior Golf”. Zach is currently a member of the National Player Development Junior Committee, captains an annually growing PGA Jr. League program, serves on the Idaho Golf Association Junior Task Force, and captains the Idaho Boys Junior Americas Cup Team, to name a few of the youth activities he is part of.
Perhaps the most significant part of Zach’s junior offerings come in the form of the Magic Valley Junior Golf Foundation which he founded in 2014. This Idaho non-profit foundation recently hosted its 7th annual tournament & auction raising funds for college scholarships, practice facility upgrades, and equipment for junior golf programs. Scholarship awards now total more than $160,000 !!! In addition, Abels has added significant space to the MV Jr. Golf Foundation’s indoor practice facility which provides opportunities for area youth to play and practice free of charge.
This is the second time Abels has garnered the Youth Player Development Award having previously done so in 2016 and is his fourth overall Section honor. He will be presented with the 2021 RMSPGA Youth Player Development Award next May at the Section Annual Meeting and Awards presentation.