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The Section Assistant Professional Championship began in 1972 and was won by Jim Dickson from the El Paso CC. It was not until 1976 that the winner from each Section would participate in the PGA National Assistants Championship.
The Sun Country PGA has a long-standing tradition of excellent assistant golf professionals who have been accomplished, competitive players. Even some have gone on to become stars on the PGA Tour such as Rich Beem, 2002 PGA Champion. Beem, an assistant at the El Paso CC won the 1998 Sun Country PGA Assistant Championship at New Mexico Tech GC in Socorro. He has joined other fine Section assistants with a great finish in the 1998 PGA National Assistant Championship by finishing third. Andy Boyd from the UNM Championship GC in Albuquerque also finished in a tie for third in the 1995 PGA National Assistant Championship. Murray Van Gundy, also an assistant at the El Paso CC, finished third in the National Championship in 2000.
In 2008, Chris Thomas successfully held off defending champion Trent Rommann to win by three strokes for his first Assistant Championship victory. A second round, course record of 62 cemented an insurmountable eight-stroke lead for Thomas. He shot rounds of 72, 62 and 75 for a three-shot victory at nine-under par. At the National Assistants Championship in Port St. Lucie, FL., Thomas finished in a tie for ninth at three-over par for a very solid showing.
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