The two PGA Professionals serve about a mile apart as hosts at their respective courses for this month's 42nd PGA Professional National Championship. Each arrived at Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M., following his own life-altering journey.

Derek Gutierrez, a 39-year-old Albuquerque native and secretary of the Sun Country PGA Section, is head professional at Twin Warriors Golf Club. Next year, Gutierrez marks his 20th year in golf -- a sport he picked up by accident.

Dave Brown, 52, is the head professional at Santa Ana Golf Club, and a member of the Sun Country PGA Section for 23 years, 11 of those with the Santa Ana Golf Corporation.

From June 28 to July 1, the two professionals and their respective staffs will host 312 players in the PGA Professional National Championship -- the second time, and first since 2003 that the PGA Professional's showcase event has visited New Mexico.

Gutierrez and Brown shared a bond in making the Santa Ana Golf Corporation one of the most successful golf destinations in New Mexico and the Southwest, and in training young professionals and inspiring local youth and adult members of the pueblo to stay in the game.

They also share experiences that they will relate softly, but with quiet resolution and respect for what life has delivered to them.

Each PGA Professional recovered from near-death experience -- with Gutierrez turning around from tragedy to commit to a golf career. For Brown, he realized late in life that he has literally used up two of his "nine lives."

In 1994, while a young outside service attendant at Puerto del Sol Golf Course in Albuquerque, Gutierrez joined his mentor, PGA Professional Jack Hardwick, a past Sun Country PGA Teacher of the Year, in a pro-am event in Socorro, N.M.

Returning to Albuquerque that afternoon, Hardwick's Ford Bronco blew a tire at nearly 70 miles per hour and rolled some seven times. Hardwick and Gutierrez were each wearing seat belts. Hardwick perished in the accident, while Gutierrez, suffering lacerations, survived.

"It was my life-changing experience," said Gutierrez. "That did it for me. I was committed to following the example of Jack, who now has the Section Teacher of the Year award named in his honor."

Gutierrez earned PGA membership in 1999 and assisted in opening Twin Warriors Golf Club in 2001 as the first assistant professional. He was caddie chairman in 2003 when the course hosted its first PGA Professional National Championship, and was promoted to PGA head professional in May 2004.

It was quite a journey for Gutierrez, who had originally registered for tennis class, but took up golf as an elective in his sophomore year at the University of New Mexico. "I just fell in love with the game and I knew I would stay with it."

Gutierrez and his wife, Carolyn, are the parents of a daughter, Danielle, and a son, Joey.

"We have been privileged to watch Derek grow into one of the Section's most respected golf professionals," said PGA Professional Roger Martinez, general manager and director of golf for the Santa Ana Golf Corporation. "Derek is not just well spoken, he is well spoken of. He, like Dave, is PGA gold and blue, through and through."

For Brown, a native of Salt Lake City, Utah, survived two automobile accidents -- one as prep and the other after he had landed a head professional position in El Paso, Texas.

He rode passenger in a 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass the summer before his senior year with the class valedictorian. His friend raced, pushing the speedometer past 120 miles per hour. The car didn't handle a 35-degree left-hand turn and went airborne for some 30 feet.

Neither passenger was wearing a seat belt. The car's hood and driver's door were crunched like a tin can.

"It was the quietest moment of my life," Brown recalled. "I was in shock and could not feel anything. But, we both walked away. That changed my priorities."

In 1989, not long after securing a position at Santa Teresa Country Club near El Paso, a tired Brown was returning on the freeway.

"I fell asleep two exits early and I drove off a ramp and cross an arroyo, some 150 yards," Brown said. "The last thing I remember was hitting a light pole. The right side of the car and engine ended up in the passenger's seat.

"God was there, and I guess He felt there was something still good out there for Dave Brown."

A former walk-on at Eastern New Mexico University, Brown left school after his first year and decided to enter engineering. He found himself working on a construction crew "out in the boondocks."

"It wasn't a real bright picture, wanting to hit golf balls and here you are out in the cold and building power lines in Wyoming and Colorado," said Brown. "I returned home and tried hard to be a good playing professional, to do what it takes. I began teaching, and did so until 1984 before becoming an assistant at Albuquerque Country Club."

From there, Brown went on to Santa Teresa Country Club and remained until April 1998, when he was interviewed and successfully earned a position at Santa Ana Golf Club.

Martinez said Brown's job interview left an impact that has transferred into a dedicated PGA Professional.

"The one thing I will never forget about Dave was his response to one of the questions we asked in order to gauge the candidate's level of interest in our corporation," said Martinez. "He said, 'I want it worse than anything else in my life right now.' That closing remark has stayed with me to this day. He was hungry. His response really tugged at my heart strings. We made the decision to go with Dave and have never looked back. He is a true operations professional and very dedicated to our team. He has earned the respect of his staff, fellow managers and PGA Professionals. I am very blessed to have him on our team."

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Since 1916, The PGA of America's mission has been twofold: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf.

By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, the Association enables PGA Professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry.

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