“Trifecta” is a term usually associated with horse racing. But the turfgrass program in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences hit a trifecta of sorts this year in the world of professional golf.

Graduates of Penn State’s turfgrass programs – the largest turfgrass curriculum in the country – will oversee the courses hosting all three major U.S. tournaments in 2013:

– The Masters was played in April at Georgia’s Augusta National Golf Club, where Penn Staters Marsh Benson and Brad Owen are senior director of golf course operations and superintendent, respectively.

– The U.S. Open, scheduled for June 13-16, will be held at Merion Golf Club near Philadelphia, PA, which is managed by alumnus Matt Shaffer.

– The PGA Championship, slated for August 8-11, will be played at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, NY. Penn State graduate Jeff Corcoran is the Oak Hill superintendent.

It is the first time alumni from the same school are responsible for the tees, greens, fairways and roughs for all three U.S. majors in the same year. In fact, by the time these three tournaments have been held, Penn State will have educated course superintendents associated with 10 of the 16 major championships dating back to 2008.

Another first for the program also is a personal trifecta for another Penn State alumnus. Paul Latshaw is the only superintendent to host all three U.S. -based majors during his career.

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