The PGA are pleased to announce the next PGA Excel Awardees of 2026, with two Members achieving Advanced Fellow Status.
These awards are presented quarterly, and The PGA is proud to recognise 14 new awardees who have earned designations within the Membership categories of Professional, Coach and Manager.
The following PGA Members have been recognised in the following categories:
Advanced Fellow Manager
David Shepherd – South – Chief Executive at The Wisley
Advanced Fellow Coach
James Jankowski – East – Putting Coach at JJ Putting
Fellow Professional
Sam Smitherman – South – Head Professional at Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club
Brady Sherwood – Ireland - Director of Golf at Hogs Head Golf Club
Paul Stuart – South - Head PGA Professional at London Golf Club
Fellow Manager
Jordan Gallagher – Overseas - Director of Golf at Meydan Hotel Dubai
Michael Langford – Midlands - Director of Golf at Kenwick Park Golf Club
Sean Clark – East - Club & Company Secretary at Woodbridge Golf Club
Fellow Coach
Graham Roberts – North - Teaching Pro at 100 Yards and In/Eaton Golf Club
Sergio Coyle Diez – Ireland - Golf Coach at BioVis Sports Sloution Ltd
Deana Rushworth – South - Head Coach at Witney Lakes Golf Club
Advanced Professional
Simon Hanson – Scotland - Club Professional at Kemnay Golf Club
Victoria Mallett – Midlands - PGA Golf Professional at Victoria Mallett Golf
Gearoid O’Sullivan – Overseas - Head Professional at Masterswing Golf Vietnam Ltd
Tristan Crew, Executive Director - Membership, said: “Congratulations to all PGA Members who have achieved a new PGA Excel designation. PGA Excel awards those who have demonstrated their commitment, expertise and professionalism across coaching, management and the wider golf industry.
"PGA Excel enables individuals to showcase their impact and achievement within the industry as they strive for the highest standards within the profession.
"It is fantastic to see so many Members progressing through the framework and I would encourage all Members to explore the opportunities PGA Excel offers for personal growth, career advancement and professional recognition."
Having climbed the PGA Excel ladder, James Jankowski is now a PGA Advanced Fellow Coach. Specialising in putting, Jankowski has managed to build a reputation which started from giving a friend advice about how to improve on the greens.
Jankowski, whose studio is based at Old Fold Manor in Barnet, coaches members of the Netherlands national team and other young European talents. He hosts coaching webinars and seminars, looking to pass on knowledge and information to other coaches. He is also approaching 50,000 followers on Instagram.
Jankowski believes the reflective nature of PGA Excel is one of the great benefits of the framework, and gave examples of what he outlined in his application and those who influenced him most along the way.
“What I found by doing it was really good reflection,” he said. “You never really get a moment to sit down and say, what have I done? How am I impacting the golf industry?
“The reflection of it is pretty cool. It gives you ideas of what else you could do. It’s great to have Advanced Fellow status.
“What are the things I’m good at? What are the things that are having an impact on other professionals? How can I do more? I've always been a fairly proactive person. It’s a nice thing to apply to and get some recognition for.
“I coach education, I've done webinars and seminars in person at Old Fold Manor where I coach,” he added. “Last year, I did a seminar in the Netherlands, which resulted in me coaching the national team, which is quite cool.
“In February, I did a seminar in Austria, and I’ve got two more in Iceland and the Czech Republic.
“I like the idea of coaches sharing information and sharing knowledge. To get to an elite level coach, it's not just - learn this from a seminar. Even if it's just sharing information, they take small bits from it, and they say this is cool and this is what I’d like to do.
“The biggest thing to me, I’ve had mentors over the years. I love learning, so I'm always doing what I can to learn. David Orr has always been a big mentor of mine. My late friend who passed away at Christmas, Biv Wadden, was a big influence.
“I'm always looking to learn and getting stuck in.”
Jordan Gallagher has been awarded Fellow Manager status. Once a Head PGA Professional working at Baberton Golf Club in Edinburgh, Gallagher is now Golf Club Manager at the Meydan Hotel in Dubai.
Having held various retail roles in the UAE, as well as being PGA Teaching Professional at the Address Montgomerie in Dubai, Gallagher joined the Meydan Hotel as Director of Golf in 2024, before becoming Manager earlier this year.
“The framework gave me an opportunity to reflect on a career that has been incredibly varied,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate to work in members’ clubs, corporate environments and overseas, as well as delivering coaching, carrying out custom fitting, running my own retail operation as a Head Professional, and leading teams in club management roles.
“When I looked back at the different roles and experiences I’ve had, I realised I had achieved a great deal throughout my career. The framework provided the perfect opportunity to recognise that journey and bring all those experiences together in one place.
“I found the process very worthwhile. It does require time and effort to gather evidence and reflect on your achievements, but it’s also a valuable exercise in recognising how far you’ve come professionally and identifying the impact you’ve had.
“I’m extremely proud to achieve Fellow Status. It’s a significant recognition from The PGA and reflects many years of hard work and development. Looking back through the different stages of my career was also very rewarding and gave me a real sense of accomplishment for what has been achieved so far.
“It's a very proud moment for myself and my family. My parents where incredibly supportive at the beginning of the journey and wouldn't have been able to do it without them.”
Victoria Mallett began her PGA training in 2016 and enjoyed a successful amateur career representing England. She is now a Leadbetter Certified Coach and she has become the only female Member in the Midlands with Advanced Coach status.
Mallett’s story is both remarkable and inspirational. In 2017 when she was a 19-year-old PGA trainee, she was involved in a car accident, a day after competing in a WPGA One Day Series event, in which she suffered a fractured neck, then a stroke and a temporary loss of sight.
Mallett took a year out of her PGA training to recover, then completed her second and third years to graduate.
“Having coached for the past 10 years, while continually refining my coaching methods and evolving my personal approach, the process provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on my coaching and continue developing my skills,” Mallett said.
“There are too many players, fellow coaches and mentors to thank individually for their support throughout my journey. It hasn't always been an easy path, and I never imagined I would be in this position when I first started coaching.
“I'm delighted to have achieved PGA Advanced Coach status. This qualification is another important step in my development as a coach, and I'm looking forward to applying what I've learned to continue helping golfers of all abilities enjoy the game and improve their golf.”
