Local golf pro named regional PGA Golf Professional of the Year

A local golf professional has been named Regional PGA Golf Professional of the Year.

Local golf pro Jay Dufty has won the Professional Golf Association’s (PGA) Top Regional Award.
Dufty, director of golf at Washington Golf and Country Club in North Arlington, was named PGA Golf Professional of the Year by the PGA Mid-Atlantic Division (MAPGA) last week. According to a news release, the award is based on criteria that include overall performance, professional image, commitment to the MAPGA, leadership qualities, advocacy for golf and the ability to inspire other professionals.
Dufty, a PGA member for more than 25 years, was one of 13 golf professionals from Virginia, Maryland and Delaware to receive the award. Lives in Stirling.
Dufty’s father, a wrestling coach at the University of Minnesota Morris and an avid golfer, encouraged his son’s interest in golf at an early age. During his high school years, he worked and was mentored by then-PGA professional Larry Murphy.
With Murphy’s encouragement, Dufty joined New Mexico State University’s PGA golf management program. After graduation, he took an assistant role at Blueberry Pines Golf Club in Menaga, Minnesota.