BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Each September, juniors from around the state make their way to The Club at Quail Ridge for the FJT Pam McCloskey-Brosnihan. The two juniors that win each year get the title of Florida Junior Tour winners, but at Quail Ridge, they are simply known as Pam’s Champions.
The FJT Pam McCloskey-Brosnihan honors the longtime Quail Ridge Head Professional, Pam McCloskey-Brosnihan, who lost her battle with cancer in 2014.
“We call them Pam’s Champions around here and they are always welcome at Quail Ridge,” Dan Brosnihan, Pam’s husband and the Quail Ridge Director of Golf, said.
An Illinois native, Pam attended the University of Illinois from 1981-1986, where she played on the golf team and served as captain during her senior season. After graduation, she captured some major amateur victories, winning the Palm Beach County Women's Amateur Championship in 1986 and the Florida Women’s Amateur Championship in 1988, among 20 other individual titles.
But soon, Pam realized that her true passion lied in club life. She turned professional and began working for Quail Ridge in 1992 as the Assistant Professional.
“She really knew that she wanted to focus on the club life,” Brosnihan said. “She wanted to make an impact with members.”
Pam did just that. She was promoted to Head Professional in 1994 and held that position for 21 years until her passing in 2014. Shortly after she was promoted to head professional, she met Dan when he came to Quail Ridge in 1998. The two were married in 2002 and were coworkers for more than 15 years.
She did it all at Quail Ridge, according to Brosnihan.
“She impacted the membership so much,” Brosnihan said. “Even today, people will come up to me and say ‘I remember when Pam gave me this lesson’ or ‘I was thinking about what she taught me during my round.’ I hear that at least once a week and I love it.”
During her career as a professional, Pam was a proud member of the Professional Golfers Association, as well as the Ladies Professional Golf Association where she served as secretary from 2009-2010 and vice president from 2010-2012.
She dedicated her life to the game and even through her illness, she maintained a positive attitude and made an impact on the golf operations at Quail Ridge that will last forever.
“She was tough as nails,” Brosnihan said. “She was such a competitor, whether it was on the golf course or in her fight with cancer.”
After Pam passed, Dan was left wondering what to do next. It was a colleague who suggested starting a foundation in Pam’s name and the Pam McCloskey-Brosnihan Foundation was formed. The foundation is committed to giving back to the game while providing opportunities for junior golfers.
“We’re just trying to make a difference in a young person’s life,” Brosnihan said.
The inaugural FJT Pam McCloskey-Brosnihan was held in 2018 and is held annually in September at Quail Ridge. The 36-hole event for juniors is played on Quail Ridge's South Course. Quail Ridge gives the juniors first-class treatment during the event, with an ice cream social, free lunch and much more.
Each year, the newly crowned Pam’s Champions have their name etched in history on the permanent trophy inside Quail Ridge's clubhouse. Each year’s winners also receive a Quail Ridge playing and practice membership.
“I personally love looking at the trophy and the names on it now. I can’t wait in the future to see what these young adults do with their life,” Brosnihan said.
Partnered with the Pam McCloskey-Brosnihan Foundation, the FSGA also awards the Pam McCloskey Brosnihan Annual Scholarship to a local junior golfer who demonstrates not only the skill, but the determination, drive, and passion that Pam had for the game we all love.
Past scholars have gone to Southern New Hampshire University, the University of Tennessee, Howard University, and most recently to Eckerd College with Amelie Alcantara being named the 2022 Pam McCloskey Brosnihan Scholar.
“I think she would be so humbled and so proud of what we are doing with her name,” Brosnihan said. “She would be so thankful for the impact we are having with the kids.”
In addition to the foundation’s work with the FSGA, the Pam McCloskey-Brosnihan Foundation gives a large donation to the Evan Scholars Foundation, sending someone to University of Illinois, primarily in Pam’s name. The foundation also partners with the South Florida PGA.
“She was just too important to let the story end,” Brosnihan said.
