The entire David Leadbetter Golf Academy family congratulates South Korea's Na Yeon Choi who won the LPGA Malaysia on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour victory of the season and fifth in three years, closing with a 3-under 68 to beat top-ranked Yani Tseng by a stroke. Na Yeon is coached by DLGA Master Certified Instructor, Kevin Smeltz.

David Leadbetter and the entire DLGA family congratulate Suzann Pettersen who collected an improbable win Sunday at the Safeway Classic that helped her move up one spot to No. 2 in the women's world golf rankings.

Pettersen trailed by nine at the start of the day and finished more than two hours ahead of the last group. Na Yeon Choi bogeyed the final hole to create the playoff, then Pettersen won with a par on the first extra hole after Choi found water with her second shot to the par-four closing hole.

Hee Young Park finished 3rd, completing the DLGA Trifecta.

Yani Tseng is still firmly the No. 1 player and Pettersen's move bumped Cristie Kerr to No. 3.

David Leadbetter and the entire David Leadbetter Golf Academy family congratulate Fredrik Jacobson on his 2011 Travelers Championship! After a great showing at Congressional during the U.S. Open, Freddie came back a week later and picked up his first PGA Tour victory. We are proud to congratulate Freddie and his instructor, DLGA's Sean Hogan, on a big victory!

[PGAtour.com] CROMWELL, Conn. -- Fredrik Jacobson promised 5-year-old daughter Emmie that he would get her a trophy this year like the ones she saw other players holding up on TV.

Promise kept.

Jacobson closed out his first PGA TOUR title Sunday, shooting a 4-under 66 in the Travelers Championship for a one-stroke victory over John Rollins and Ryan Moore.

"It's been haunting me," Jacobson said. "I've been on the board, I've been asked so many times from the kids, 'Did you get a trophy this week daddy? Did you get a trophy this week?' Nope, no trophy. So, I'm excited about that. I'm glad I'm not breaking that promise for her."

Jacobson, a 36-year-old Swede who joined the TOUR eight years ago and has three European Tour victories, had just one bogey in the tournament and finished at 20 under, two shots off the course record.

"I was hitting so many fairways," said Jacobson, who tied for 14th last week in the U.S. Open at Congressional. "It started clicking the end of last week. The last two days I struck the ball the best I ever have at the U.S. Open."

Jacobson hit all 28 fairways over the weekend.

Read More: Travelers Championship Wrap-up [PGA TOUR]

It was quite a match play weekend for Leadbetter students as Ian Poulter (World Match Play Championship) and Suzann Pettersen (Sybase Match Play Championship) broke out for victories.

Poulter held off Luke Donald (costing him a no.1 ranking) to win 2&1, and Pettersen battled top-ranked American Cristie Kerr, beating her 1-up for her seventh career victory.

"I don't know what it is about match play," said Poulter. "I've tried to work it out before and I haven't been able to.

"I just love it - I think I get more adrenaline and more up for it. I need to change that into stroke play."

The entire David Leadbetter Golf Academy family congratulates Sandra Gal on her 2011 Kia Classic victory!

Sandra Gal (coached by DLGA Master Certified Instructor Andrew Park) birdied the final hole Sunday, eking out a one-shot win at the Kia Classic for her first career LPGA Tour victory.

Gal edged third-round leader Jiyai Shin on No. 18 after the pair had approached the final hole all square at 15-under par. The two looked like they would need a playoff to decide things but Shin missed a 3-foot birdie putt, earning Gal the victory.

Gal -- only the second German to win an LPGA event -- fired a 2-under 71, finishing at 16-under 276 at Industry Hills Golf Club.

Shin carded an even-par 73, missing out on a ninth career tour victory.

Ending with a share of third place were I.K. Kim (70) and Cristie Kerr (66).

World No. 1 Yani Tseng (67) finished in a fifth-place tie at minus-nine with Na Yeon Choi (73).

David Leadbetter was honored recently by the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) with their 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes an individual's longstanding contributions to the game and business of golf.

"For more than 30 years, David Leadbetter has helped golfers shoot lower scores and enjoy the game more," said Mike Hughes, CEO of the NGCOA. "In doing so, David has helped make instruction a more vital part of the golf business for professionals as well as for course owners and operators."

The NGCOA went on to state that in addition to players coached by David - including Greg Norman, Nick Faldo, Nick Price, Ernie Els and Michelle Wie - winning more than a dozen majors and more than 100 worldwide events over the course of his career, the effect his innovative teaching techniques have had on golf as a whole contributed to his selection for the award.

David was extremely humbled to be honored by such a prestigious organization and looks forward to continuing his work with golf course owners across the country.

The award was presented on February 9th at the NGCOA's Annual Conference, held in Orlando, FL.

For the complete NGCOA article, CLICK HERE.

We congratulate DLGA student Will Strickler and his instructor (DLGA Director of Player Development, Andrew Park).

Strickler a former University of Florida Gator, secured his PGA Tour Card at PGA Tour Final Qualifying 2010.

Andrew Park with long time student Will Strickler.

More info on Will Strickler: Will Strickler on Wikipedia

Follow will on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/wstrick17

Congratulations to Ian Poulter on his Hong Kong Open Championship. As usual, hard work pays off with another win and a top 10 ranking.

(GolfChannel.com) - Ian Poulter held off a spirited challenge from Italian youngster Matteo Manassero to win the Hong Kong Open by one stroke Sunday, returning to the top 10 in the world rankings.

The 17-year-old Manassero shot an 8-under 62 at the Fanling course and finished at 21-under 259, but Poulter's 67 was enough to secure his 10th win on the European Tour.

"I felt comfortable the whole day, the way I was hitting it," Poulter said. "I was hitting it inside 12 feet at pretty much nearly every hole out there and I knew if I kept doing that I would be very tough to beat."

Simon Dyson tied Manassero for second after a 65, while American Anthony Kang finished fourth, a stroke further back.