Matt Cahill joins list of Seminole Golf Club head pros to play in the PGA Championship

JUNO BEACH — Matt Cahill knew he was living a dream in 2021 when he was promoted to Head PGA Professional at famed Seminole Golf Club, one of just nine men to hold the position in the 94-year history of the club.

This elite list includes World Golf Hall of Famer Henry Picard, legend Claude Harmon, Bob Jones Award winner Bob Ford and longtime PGA Tour member Jerry Pittman.

“When you look at the list of the other eight pros, I’m the only one I’ve never heard of,” Cahill said, smiling.

That’s about to change after Cahill finished tied for second in the recent PGA Professional Championship to qualify for this week’s PGA Championship at Oak Hill in Rochester, N.Y. It will be the first major championship for the 31-year-old Cahill, which gives the Palm Beach Gardens resident another link with Seminole’s previous eight head pros.

They just didn’t give lessons and run a high-powered club. They also had the game to qualify for multiple majors.

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“It’s definitely been in the back of my mind ... the history of this club with the head professionals being competitive in majors,” Cahill said. “It’s pretty cool checking it off my list.”

The first phone call Cahill made after qualifying for the PGA was to his former boss, Bob Ford, who played in 13 majors while splitting his time at Oakmont and Seminole. When asked Ford’s reaction, Cahill laughed.

“He said it’s about time,” Cahill said.

Ford chuckled when he was told Cahill’s comment. That description may have boiled down their conversation, but it was clear Ford was very pleased to hear of his protégé’s accomplishment.

“I’ve felt for a long time that Matt was just as good, if not better, than anyone else, and all he needs to do is go out there and do it,” Ford said. “He’s got the game.”

Ford also made it clear the Seminole membership is proud of the success of their head pros.

“Everyone talks about Harmon, Picard and Pittman, but the four ahead of them were also superstars,” said Ford, referring to Gil Nichols, Wilfrid Reid, Marvin Stahl and Morrie Welsh.

The second call Cahill made after qualifying was to Seminole president Jimmy Dunne – hey, you have to ask your boss for the week off, right? Good thing for Cahill that Seminole closed for the season on Mother’s Day, allowing him to travel to Oak Hill with a clear mind.

What made Cahill’s runner-up finish in the PPC more impressive was it was held just after Seminole hosted the prestigious George L. Coleman Invitational. Cahill was too busy running the amateur tournament to even think about hitting balls or putts in preparation for the PPC.

Cahill left the Coleman the day before it ended just so he could arrive in time to play the PPC in New Mexico. He had only one day on site, which meant he couldn’t play a practice round on one of the two courses.

“I just played that course conservatively, trying to avoid big numbers,” Cahill said. “The Coleman is a busy week for us, but I had time the previous week to fit in 30-minute practice windows, so that wasn’t a big issue.”

One thing seems certain: Cahill won’t be in awe of his surroundings at Oak Hill. Not when you rub shoulders with the stars he sees at Seminole on a regular basis.

“We have the Pro-Member every February with some of the top players in the world here,” Cahill said. “I might be a little less shocked when I get to the practice tee (at Oak Hill) because I’ve had the opportunity to play with some of these guys.”

Former British Open champion Shane Lowry of Jupiter was the first PGA Tour star to text Cahill and offer him a chance to play a practice round together. Cahill said he’s careful not to intrude on the top players’ preparations.

Ford, who will be at Oak Hill to watch Cahill hit every shot, had this advice he’s learned from playing in his 13 majors: “Don’t go up there and hit balls and play 18 holes a day. Maybe just play nine holes a day and play 18 holes once. The key is to be ready and fresh on Thursday.”

Cahill enjoying 'dream job' at Seminole

Cahill calls Seminole “his dream job,” and it’s easy to see why. He grew up in Boca Raton, playing the South Florida PGA Junior Tour and learning the game from his first coach, Dan Hager of the Links of Boynton Beach (Cahill now works with Jimmy Tirone of Jupiter Island.)

At the PPC, Cahill opened with 70 and 71 to move into contention. He was in the top five until he triple bogeyed the par-5 eighth hole and bogeyed the ninth to drop back to even.

“If you’re going to be a competitive golfer, you better have a short memory,” Cahill said. “My caddie, Jeff Kostelnik, said ‘Matt, you’re playing well. You got it to 4-under. Let’s get back there.’ ”

Cahill birdied the next three holes and cruised to the top-20 finish that got him into the PGA. He showed his game remains in good form last week when he finished third in the Fort Lauderdale Open, one of the South Florida PGA’s majors.

His goal at Oak Hill?

“To try and enjoy every minute of it,” Cahill said. “Make no mistake, I’m going to try and play the best I can. When I come away from this, I’ll know what I have to do to get back there.”

Chances are there will be more majors in Cahill’s future. That’s the history for head professionals at Seminole.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Matt Cahill joins list of Seminole head pros to play PGA Championship