Joining an exclusive list

It doesn’t happen very often, but at the PGA Section level it’s not unprecedented for a woman to win a section championship competing against men. Former PGA of America President Suzy Whaley did it in Connecticut in 2002, Taylor Collins won in South Florida in 2021, and Sanda Changkija won in North Florida in 2022. Arizona’s Kim Paez recently became the fourth woman to join this exclusive club. Paez, 37, is the first woman to win the Southwest PGA Championship in the 66-year history of the event. On Sept. 13, Paez shot a 1-over 73 in the final round on the Cholla Course at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club just outside Scottsdale to finish with a 6-under total and a one-shot victory over Jesse Mueller, who bogeyed three of his last six holes. “This is just so special, almost unbelievable and it really hasn’t sunk in yet” Paez told the Southwest PGA Section after her win.

With her win, Paez won $9,000 and earned a berth in the 2024 PGA Professional Championship. The winner of the section championship also gets an exemption into the PGA Tour’s WM Cha...