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Inductee

Jim Sheerin, PGA

Through his service, dedication, contributions and professional accomplishments in the Granite State and New England, Jim Sheerin has earned his way into the New Hampshire Golf Hall of Fame.

Sheerin’s golf career started at the age of 11 at Andover Country Club in Massachusetts as a caddie.  By the age of 14, he worked his way up to caddie master and then up to managing the bag room before he enrolled in the PGA Apprentice program.  He earned a business degree from the Andover Institute of Business and became a PGA member in 1972. 

Three years later, in 1975, he became the Head Golf Professional at Abenaqui Country Club where he served his entire 40-year career.  One of his first contributions at Abenaqui was establishing the caddie program, which still exists today thanks to Sheerin’s commitment to the program.  His dedication to growing the game is evident in his Master Professional thesis titled “Junior Golf: Commitment and Purpose”.  In 1995, Sheerin achieved the status of PGA Master Professional, which is the highest status to be achieved in the PGA of America.

Outside of Abenaqui Country Club, Sheerin has dedicated much of his time to the New Hampshire Chapter of the New England PGA (NHPGA) and to numerous committees associated with the New England PGA (NEPGA), along with other notable organizations around the area.  He was instrumental is bringing The First Tee of New Hampshire to the Granite State and served on the first board of directors for the organization.  He also spent many years serving the McDonough Scholarship Foundation, which now has an endowed scholarship in Sheerin’s name for his work with the organization and for growing junior golf in the seacoast area of New Hampshire.

Sheerin is also a talented golfer having won many Pro-Am tournaments over the years, along with winning the New Hampshire PGA Stroke Play Championship eight times and the New Hampshire PGA Senior Stroke Play Championship 15 times.  He has also won the New England PGA Senior Championship three times.  On a larger scale, Sheerin has qualified and competed in three U.S. Senior Open Championships, three Champions Tour events and one Senior PGA Championship.

Sheerin has won numerous awards with the New Hampshire PGA and New England PGA, including being named the NHPGA Player of the Year in 1995 and 1998.  He has also been awarded Merchandiser of the Year in 1993, the Bill Strausbaugh Award in 1997 and 2005, and in 1998 was the NEPGA Professional of the Year.  Sheerin was inducted into the New England PGA Hall of Fame in 2015.

The New Hampshire Golf Hall of Fame is honored to be inducting Jim Sheerin into the 2021 Class of the New Hampshire Golf Hall of Fame.

 

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Press Release

Second Class to be Inducted into New Hampshire Golf Hall of Fame Announced

Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Golf Hall of Fame Committee is excited to announce the Class of 2019 set to be inducted into the New Hampshire Golf Hall of Fame in October.  Those being inducted into the second class include:  Phil Pleat; Thomas J. Leonard Jr.; Laura Shanahan-Rowe, LPGA; and Stan Lencki Sr., PGA.  These four accomplished individuals will join the ten inductees that were honored at the first New Hampshire Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in October of 2018. 

The New Hampshire Golf Hall of Fame was established in 2018 to recognize individuals for their contributions to the game of golf in the Granite State. The Hall of Fame seeks to identify those who have had a profound effect on the game through accomplishments in playing, volunteerism, teaching, or any activity that has made a positive impact on the game within New Hampshire.

New Hampshire Golf Association Executive Director, Matt Schmidt comments saying, “When the Hall of Fame was established in 2018, we knew of the deep talent pool of golfers that live and compete in the Granite State. Each year, the HOF Committee continues to be blown away by the accomplishments of our golfers and the Class of 2019 certainly represents that.”

“We have the most decorated male amateur golfer in our history, a USGA Champion, a six-time New Hampshire Amateur Champion, and the consummate PGA Professional”, continues Schmidt. “We’re excited to celebrate all of these worthy individuals this fall.”

The Hall of Fame ceremony will be held on Thursday, October 17 at Manchester Country Club. The event will be open to the public with tickets available for purchase at a later date.

Philip Pleat

20 seems to be a common theme for Phil’s golf accomplishments, winning 20 New Hampshire Golf Association championships and
qualifying for and competing in 20 USGA championships.  Phil is the most decorated male golfer in New Hampshire, collecting three New Hampshire Amateur titles, three New Hampshire Stroke Play titles, eight New Hampshire Mid-Amateur titles, and six New
Hampshire Senior titles in years ranging from 1981 to 2017.  He has been named the New Hampshire Thomas J. Leonard, Jr. Player of the Year three times and the New Hampshire Senior Player of the Year six times.  In 2011, he finished Runner-up in the 2011 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship and has competed alongside his son, James, in two USGA events, including the 2012 U.S. Amateur and the 2017 U.S. Amateur Four Ball.  He also won back-to-back New England Senior championships in 2016 and 2017.

Thomas J. Leonard, Jr.

“Tommy” Leonard is best-known in golf for winning eight New
Hampshire Amateur titles (1939, 1941, 1947-1952), which held up as a record for 48 years until Bob Mielcarz won his ninth title in 2000.  His record of six consecutive State Amateur wins still stands today.  Not only that, but he became the first amateur to win the New Hampshire Open, doing so in 1947.  He also competed in six U.S. Amateur Championships over the years. Through his accomplishments, the New Hampshire Player of the Year award is in his name.

Laura Shanahan-Rowe, LPGA

With accomplishments spanning both the amateur and professional side of golf, Laura Shanahan-Rowe is well-deserving of this honor.  On the amateur side, one of her greatest accomplishments is winning the 2001 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur
Championship, becoming the first female in New Hampshire to win a USGA event.  She also took home titles at the New Hampshire Women’s Golf Association Championship in 1999 and 2002 and the New England Women’s Golf Association Championship in 2002.  Professionally, she has competed in numerous LPGA events and The Legends Tour events, gathering top-3 finishing spots along the way.  Regionally, she won the 2014 and 2016 New England Women’s Open and finished second in the 2004 Massachusetts Women’s Open.  She competed in the inaugural USGA Senior Women’s Open in 2018 and again in 2019, with a top 20 finish.  Currently, she is a sought-after Teaching
Professional at Sagamore Golf Center in North Hampton, NH, a role which she has been in since 2009.

Stan Lencki, Sr., PGA

Stan Lencki’s service to the game of golf as a PGA Professional for over 50 years has earned him his place in the NH Golf Hall of
Fame.  Stan served as an Assistant Golf Professional under Joe Makara at Manchester Country Club from 1956-1979.  From there, he took over the position of Head Golf Professional at MCC from 1979-2000. In May of 2000 he was honored with a “Lifetime Achievement” award from the New England PGA and presented a lifetime membership to MCC for his 50 years of service.  Additionally, a permanently endowed McDonough Scholarship was named in his honor and in 2001, the McDonough Foundation created the Stan Lencki Distinguished Service Award.  He was well-known for frequently declining to be honored by the New Hampshire Chapter of the NEPGA for its “Teacher of the Year” and “Professional of the Year” awards, but finally accepted the “Professional of the Year” honor in October of 2000 upon the announcement of his retirement.