Bruce Berlet

Sheary in Florida waiting

2012-02-03T18:41:27Z

West Hartford native Natalie Sheary has returned to an old stomping grounds to prepare for her first full season on the LPGA Futures Tour.

Sheary is living and practicing at the Leadbetter Golf Academy in Bradenton, Fla., where she spent her senior year of high school with the golfing Lendl sisters and their tennis Hall of Fame dad, Ivan.

Sheary will be traveling the tour this year without her father, who also caddied for her in 2011, when she won $15,011 to finish 35th overall and sixth among rookies on the money list despite missing the first four events while completing her career at Wake Forest, where she was named the 2011 Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Sheary recently went back to Wake Forest to receive the 2011 Edwin G. Wilson Student-Athlete of the Year award. This recipients of that award are selected by a vote of all Wake Forest head coaches and athletic department administrators. Sheary earned a 4.0 GPA in her final semester as well as the All- American honors. Well done, Ms. Sheary!!!!

Finishing 35th on the money list earned Sheary a spot in the LPGA Tour qualifying finals, where she was in the top 20 through two rounds but struggled the next 36 holes and missed the cut for the final round. But she is fully exempt for the 2012 Futures Tour, whenever that begins. Sheary and everyone else is still waiting for the LPGA to announce the Futures Tour schedule, but she has been told there won't be another event in Connecticut at Wintonbury Hills Golf Course in Bloomfield.

If you want to keep tabs on Natalie, visit her new website at nataliesheary.com.

D.J. remains an inspiration

2012-01-31T21:44:21Z

D.J Gregory continues to amaze those he comes into contact with - and many who only know him from the many stories written about someone who has never allowed cerebral palsy to stop him.

And the 34-year-old Gregory continued to show his support for the First Tee of Connecticut in a major way on Tuesday, when he made a $30,000 donation from the Walking For Kids Foundation that he established in 2009.

Gregory, who has walked every hole of every PGA Tour event since the start of the 2008 season with a cane, some pain and a smile, made a $26,000 donation a year ago and then played an inspirational round in the Travelers Championship's Tournament Players Pro-Am at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell.

Gregory announced four more charitable donations Tuesday, with The First Tee of Connecticut again being among those to receive the highest amount of the $93,000 total. He also donated $30,000 to United Cerebral Palsy of Central Florida and the Wounded Warriors Project and $3,000 to the Cal-State Fullerton women's golf team to help needy children.

"My foundation has always said The First Tee and United Cerebral Palsy will always be one of the beneficiaries every year," Gregory said at a reception honoring him and his foundation at Dish Restaurant in Hartford. "But the first two years we've chosen The First Tee of Connecticut because of what they instill in kids, what they teach kids, what they embody as a whole and the different values that The First Tee stands for.

"The mission of our foundation is to help kids achieve their goals and dreams one step at a time, and I really believe that The First Tee really embodies the mission of my foundation."

David Polk, TFTCT's president and executive director, reiterated his and the organization's appreciation for what Gregory has done in helping reach the $2 million goal needed to build a learning center overlooking the four-hole "junior course" adjacent to the TPC River Highlands' state-of-the-art practice facility that opened in 2010. Construction on the learning center began in December, and Polk said most of it should be completed when the Travelers Championship is played June 21-24. The facility is scheduled to open in late August and will include a large main room, two classrooms, a kitchenette, four hitting bays that can be used at anytime, an indoor putting green and simulators on the first floor and offices on the second floor. The center, which is unique among First Tee facilities, will be opened up for big events or closed down for practicing and classroom work.

"D.J. is a heck of a generous guy, and we're very lucky to have him as a benefactor for the more than 46,000 youth that we serve," Polk said. "We have a lot of benefactors and a lot of friends and a lot of people who support us, but there's probably nobody that we appreciate as much as D.J. Gregory. And he has to be one of our favorite benefactors because he absolutely embodies what The First Tee is all about. He just exemplifies and personifies what perseverance is all about, and his generosity helps us be able to do annual programming and build the building. Without that, we wouldn't be able to do it, and it will be a golf headquarters for kids in Connecticut. Now we're trying our darnedest to get someone who might donate a simulator for us."

Before the luncheon ended, Polk surprised Gregory by announcing that one of The First Tee's nine core values (perseverance) that will be recognized with a banner hanging from the rafters of the learning center will be dedicated to Gregory and his foundation.

"It'll be hung like a retired shirt from the rafters of the XL Center," Polk said with a smile. "We're retiring his number, but we're not retiring D.J. It'll be a permanent recognition of his support of The First Tee and the assistance that enabled us to build the building. D.J. was very honored and very appreciative."

Gregory has been determined to march on since he was 2 years old and doctors told his parents their youngest of three children would never walk again because of cerebral palsy. Young D.J. quickly demonstrated he would have none of that talk. He initially got around by sliding with the use of his arms. As he grew, he learned to walk with two canes, and then one. Now, while visiting 45-50 PGA Tour events annually, Gregory covers more than 1,000 miles while walking nearly 3,500 holes, including playoffs and special events such as his season-ending Shark Shootout hosted by Hall of Famer Greg Norman, whose 88 wins worldwide include two British Opens and the 1995 Greater Hartford Open.

Gregory surpassed 200 tour stops earlier this year and flew 3,000 from San Diego to Connecticut on Monday to be on hand for his check presentation at the luncheon in his honor. He will leave Wednesday morning for the Waste Management Phoenix Open in Arizona, making it four weeks in a row that he has traveled cross-country for an obligation.

"It's what I do," Gregory said, "and I love what I do."

Gregory was previously in the Hartford area on New Year's Eve for the men's basketball game between Springfield College, his alma mater, and Roger Williams play in the Naismith Basketball Tournament. Then it was off to Hawaii for the season-opening Hyundai Tournaments of Champions at the Plantation Course in Kapalua, which remains the most difficult course for Gregory to walk because of its extremely hilly terrain.

"Without question it's the worst," Gregory said. "But it's the first week of the year, so once you get it out of the way, it's downhill after that."

Gregory hasn't returned to his home in Savannah, Ga., since he left for Connecticut at the end of 2011 and won't be back until a one-day visit the day after the Masters in April. But Gregory doesn't mind as his labor of love continues to be his No. 1 priority.

"I feel great, and I feel like I get stronger every day," Gregory said.

Gregory also lives for days like Tuesday, when one of his biggest fans, especially in Connecticut, came to the luncheon with his parents. Nine-year-old Cameron Ledford of Durham was at the restaurant with parents Jim and Tricia, who said how inspiring Gregory is for youngsters such as Cameron.

Cameron was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at six months old, but the fourth-grader at Korn School in Durham now has "a sport for every season," according to Tricia. He plays golf, soccer, basketball and recently tried snowboarding.

"Every year the challenges are different based on age and what he's doing," Tricia said. "We're lucky that he's in with a great group of kids who encourage him and keep an eye on him."

Cameron follows Gregory on his website, www.walkingforkids.org, and Tricia said meeting D.J. for the first time last year sparked the realization that Cameron was different.

"He thought every kid went for physical therapy and occupation therapy," Tricia said. "At the meeting with D.J. last year and attending a clinic over the summer for kids with limited use of their limbs, you could just see all of sudden it was like, 'Wow.' It was hard to watch, but it was also wonderful because it showed him that he could do anything."

Cameron again demonstrated his feelings for Gregory with a hug and words of thanks in his first visit with one of his heroes since the 2011 Travelers Championship.

So why does Cameron like D.J. so much?

"It's interesting that he plays golf with a cane," Cameron said. "I don't have a cane, but I do have a flabby hand."

Everyone within listening distance had to fight back tears, including yours truly.

Cameron plans to be at the Travelers Championship again this year to visit with Gregory and pro Ricky Barnes. Cameron and his parents followed Barnes the last two rounds last year, and when Barnes finished on Sunday, he tossed Cameron an autographed golf ball.

"He threw it, and I got it somehow," a smiling Cameron said proudly. "It was awesome."

So Barnes must be Cameron's favorite player, right? Wrong.

"Tiger (Woods) is my favorite," Cameron said. "He won last year (in the Chevron World Challenge in December) and almost won Sunday (in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship)."

Cameron then proudly displayed the Tiger Woods hat he had brought to the luncheon.

While Woods remains a question mark for the Travelers Championship, Gregory will be a certainty and hopes to play in a pro-am on Monday or Wednesday. He's undecided about which player he will follow during the tournament, won by Fredrik Jacobsen last year, when Gregory walked 36 holes a day with defending champion Bubba Watson and Glastonbury native and University of Hartford grad Tim Petrovic, both of whom donated to D.J.'s foundation.

Gregory visited the emerging learning center Monday and Tuesday before heading off to another worthwhile venture, his generosity never to be forgotten by those who help develop many of golf's emerging stars in Connecticut.

Thanks, D.J. You're a tremendous inspiration to everyone you touch and continued best of luck with your foundation.

Begay to receive Bartlett Award

2012-01-31T16:23:50Z

Terrific news today that 2000 Buick (now Travelers) Championship winner Notah Begay III has been named recipient of the 2012 Charles Bartlett Award from the Golf Writers Association of America for his unselfish work for the betterment of society. Begay won at the TPC River Highlands in Cromwell with a 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole to beat Mark Calcavecchia. More importantly, Begay has put in countless hours to help Native American youth, most notably through his foundation, established seven years ago.

I'm delighted to post the release from the GWAA and say a hearty --- and well deserved --- congratulations to one of the game's most terrific guys who has proven that giving is much better than receiving:

HOUSTON (January 31, 2012) - Notah Begay, whose tireless passion, commitment and advocacy for the health and well-being of Native American youth led to the founding of the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation in 2005, is the recipient of the Golf Writers Association of America's Charlie Bartlett Award.

The 39-year-old Begay, who is half Navajo, one-quarter San Felipe and one-quarter Isleta and the only full-blooded Native American to play on the PGA Tour, founded the NB3 Foundation to battle the epidemic of childhood and Type 2 diabetes and obesity among Native American children. A four-time winner on Tour, Begay has raised more than $3.23 million in three years through this annual NB3 Foundation Challenge Golf Event to support the foundation's programs.

The award, named for the first secretary of the GWAA, is given to a professional golfer for his/her unselfish contributions to the betterment of society. Begay will be honored at the GWAA Annual Awards Dinner April 4 in Augusta, Ga.

Begay, who will play in next week's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, recently spoke at the "Building Healthy Communities" panel at the Clinton Founation Health Forum at the Humana Challenge. The panel included Susan Dell of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Annika Sorenstam and founder of the Annika Foundation, and Goldie Hawn of the Hawn Foundation. In 2012, the NB3 Foundation will be launching a two-year study to evaluate the impact of holistic interventions at San Felipe Pueblo to reduce the rates of childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes.

In the last three years, the NB3 Foundation has touched more than 10,000 Native American children in 11 states through soccer, golf, health and wellness and grant programs. The largest grant assisted the San Felipe Pueblo (NM) to build the tribe's first recreational facility -- a community park and soccer field, which is home to the San Felipe Soccer Club, another NB3 initiative.

Begay was also instrumental in building partnerships with two American Indian tribes -- the Oneida Nation of New York and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians -- to sponsor the NB3 Challenge which has served as the largest one-day fundraiser benefitting Native American youth.

Begay, who also has a course design firm (NB3 Consulting) and is a Golf Channel analyst, has an Economics degree from Stanford and, in addition to his four Tour wins, was a member of the 1995 Walker Cup and 2000 Presidents Cup teams.

He follows Lorena Ochoa (2011), Ernie Els (2010), Tiger Woods (2007), Greg Norman (2008) and Jack Nicklaus (2009) as recent recipients. Other former Bartlett winners include former Insurance City Open/Buick/Travelers Championship winners Arnold Palmer, Brad Faxon and Kenny Perry, Rhode Island native and longtime Buick/Travelers Championship supporter Billy Andrade, the Louisiana trio of Hal Sutton, David Toms and Kelly Gibson, Val Skinner, Betsy King, Tom Watson, Payne Stewart, Tom Lehman, Patty Berg and Andy North.

The GWAA will also honor Players of Year Luke Donald, Yani Tseng and Tom Lehman, William D. Richardson Award winner Maj. Dan Rooney, Ben Hogan Award winner Sophie Gustafson and Jim Murray/ASAP Award winner Faxon at their annual awards dinner April 4 in Augusta, Ga., where the Masters begins the next day.

The nearly 900-member professional organization takes an active role in protecting the interests of all golf journalists, works closely with all of golf's major governing bodies and the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Extra duty for Sheehan, Cink

2012-01-18T14:34:28Z

University of Hartford grad Patrick Sheehan and two-time Canon Greater Hartford Open (now Travelers Championship) winner Stewart Cink will be doing more than just hitting shots and putting and enjoying their families this year.

Sheehan, who earned his way back onto the PGA Tour in qualifying school last fall, and Cink are among the new members of the 16-member player advisory council for 2012. The PAC advises and consults with the PGA Tour policy board (board of directors) and commissioner Tim Finchem on issues affecting the tour.

Other members of the 2012 PAC are Ben Crane, Jason Day, Charley Hoffman, Matt Kuchar, Justin Rose, Webb Simpson, Scott Verplank, Mark Wilson and newcomers Ken Duke, Harrison Frazar, Carl Pettersson, Chris Stroud, Bo Van Pelt and Joe Oglivie.

Player directors are Paul Goydos, Davis Love III, Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk, who was PAC chairman in 2011.

Hope to see a lot of these players at the Travelers Championship on June 21-24 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell.

Congratulations, Suzy

2012-01-15T23:27:58Z

Congratulations to Suzy Whaley for being among the Top 50 U.S. Kids Golf Teachers for 2011.

It's the second time the Farmington resident and teaching pro at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell has received the honor recognizing pros across North America who focus much of their time and energy on developing young golfers in their communities. The instructors are judged on various criteria, including percentage of time devoted to kids programs, creativity, communication and efforts to grow the game.

Whaley, who played in the 2004 Buick (now Travelers) Championship at TPC River Highlands, and the 49 other teachers will be recognized Jan. 27 at the PGA of America merchandise show in Orlando, Fla.

Glover WDs; Casey hurt, too

2012-01-07T00:56:25Z

The PGA Tour's opening event of the year lost another player Friday.

Not easy to do when the no-cut Hyundai Tournament of Champions is in Kapalua, Hawaii.

But Travelers Championship winner Fredrik Jacobson withdrew last week because of a lingering thumb problem, and 2009 U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover followed suit after injuring his right knee in a paddleboard accident last weekend. That left the winners-only event with 27 players.

Glover, who won the Wells Fargo Championship to earn entry into the elite field, sprained the medial collateral ligament when he fell of the board on Saturday.

"My foot caught on the edge of the board," Glover told the Associated Press. "My body went one way and my knee went the other. I knew immediately I had done a little something. I just wasn't sure how bad."

Glover had hoped to play in the pro-am Thursday, but when he went to the range he realized he couldn't transfer his weight from the right side. He said he could have played "if you put a gun to my head" but decided to rest instead in hopes of competing in the event.

Glover, who had difficulty even getting in his car, was scheduled to tee off at 4:35 p.m. EST with Chris Kirk. He will not be replaced in the field and will share unofficial last-place money with Jacobson, Dustin Johnson and Brandt Snedeker.

Defending champion Jonathan Byrd shot a 6-under-par 67 for a one-stroke lead over Steve Stricker, Michael Bradley, Martin Laird and Webb Simpson, runner-up to Bill Haas for Player of the Year in 2011. Haas shot 73 and is tied for 14th.

Jacobson and Glover aren't the only recent casualties. After battling a rib injury and turf toe much of the last two seasons, Englishman Paul Casey was looking forward to a fast start in 2012. But his season debut has been delayed after he dislocated his right shoulder in a snowboarding accident and will be out the first two months of the year, according to the AP.

So Casey will miss the European Tour's Middle East swing, including the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship where he is a two-time champion. His participation in the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, where Casey has two runner-up finishes in the last three years, could be in doubt. The tournament is end of February.

Casey ended 2011 on a strong note with top-10 finishes in two of his last three PGA Tour starts as well as third at the Chevron World Challenge. He won twice last year at the Volvo Golf Champions on the European Tour and the Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea.

The late start could hurt Casey's chances to make the European Ryder Cup team for the biennial matches in September at Medinah Country Club in suburban Chicago. He was ranked among the top 10 in the world two years ago but didn't get one of Colin Montgomerie's captain's picks after failing to qualify automatically.

GWAA cites Faxon, 2 others

2012-01-04T14:35:50Z

I've been fortunate to have been able to cover -- and talk with -- Brad Faxon for more than 30 years.

Before the Rhode Island native was winning on the PGA and Champions Tour, Faxon was excelling in New England events and then at Furman, where he was a two-time All-American.. And regardless of where he traveled, Faxon always was willing to give you a few minutes of his time, usually with insightful responses to not-always-brilliant questions.

Faxon has also left his mark on several fronts regionally. He and Billy Andrade have been hosts for the CVS Charity Classic for a decade, raising more than $8 million for youngsters in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Faxon helped design the TPC Boston course that hosts the Deutsche Bank Championship, which is now one of the PGA Tour's four FedEx Cup playoff events.

In Connecticut, Faxon won his eighth and final PGA Tour title in the 2005 Buick (now Travelers) Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, where he helped design the four-hole First Tee of Connecticut course adjacent the new practice facility. He also has been a strong supporter of the tournament, often speaking on its behalf and helping recruit players.

So it's with great pleasure that I can announce on this blog that Faxon has been named the winner of the Golf Writers Association of America's ASAP/Jim Murray Award. He prevailed in one of the closest votes in history by seven votes over Stewart Cink, another of the game's cooperative and insightful people who has won twice in Cromwell, once in playoff. And it was a clean sweep for the Greater Hartford Open/Buick/Travelers Championship when 1995 GHO champion Greg Norman finished third.

Faxon's accessibility was epitomized after he won his first Champions Tour event, the Insperity Championship, last fall. He took a whipped cream pie in the face on the Golf Channel and then came to the media room still wiping the pie off his face and clothes.

It's the second major GWAA award for Faxon, as he and Andrade were honored with the 1999 Charlie Bartlett Award for their Billy Andrade/BradFaxon Charities for Children, Inc., which was formed in 1991. Faxon also won the 2005 Payne Stewart Award.

Faxon will be recognized at the GWAA awards dinner April 4 in Augusta, Ga., where the Masters begins the next day. He will be joined by Patriot Golf Day founder Major Dan Rooney, who will receive the William D. Richardson Award, given annually to recognize individuals who have consistently made an outstanding contribution to golf; LPGA Tour star Sophie Gustafson, who won the Ben Hogan Award for remaining active in golf despite a physical handicap or serious illness; and GWAA Players of the Year Luke Donald (PGA Tour), Yani Tseng (LPGA Tour) and Tom Lehman (Champions Tour).

Congratulations to all of them, especially Faxon, whom I've admired for three decades -- on and off the course.

Here's the release from the GWAA:

HOUSTON (January 4 2012) - Patriot Golf Day founder Major Dan Rooney, Sweden's Sophie Gustafson and Brad Faxon have been honored with three prestigious awards given by the Golf Writers Association of America.

Rooney, who flew three combat tours in Iraq, was honored with the William D. Richardson Award, given annually to recognize individuals who have consistently made an outstanding contribution to golf. Gustafson, who battles a severe stuttering problem, won the Ben Hogan Award for remaining active in golf despite a physical handicap or serious illness. Faxon, a 28-year veteran on the PGA/Champions Tour, was honored with the ASAPSports/Jim Murray Award, which recognizes a golfer for cooperation, quotability and accommodation with the media.

They will be honored, along with GWAA Players of the Year Luke Donald, Yani Tseng and Tom Lehman at the Annual GWAA Awards Dinner, April 4 in Augusta, Ga.

After Rooney, a former F-16 pilot, returned from his second tour in Iraq, he founded Patriot Golf Day and the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides scholarships to spouses and children of military members disabled or killed in service. Patriot Golf Day has raised more than $12.8 million in its first five years and has given more than 2,600 scholarships. In 2008, Rooney was honored as one of ABC World News Tonight's Persons of the Year and one of People Magazine's Heroes of the Year. The owner of two golf courses and a PGA of America professional, Rooney has received the White House's Presidential Volunteer Service Award, the Air National Guard's Distinguished Service Medal, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and the PGA of America's first-ever Patriot Award. He was a runaway winner over East Lake re-developer Tom Cousins and the PGA Tour Wives Association.

Gustafson has been on eight Solheim Cups and won five LPGA events in her 13-year career, but hasn't gotten the attention that such a record would merit because of her stuttering problem. Last fall, she opened up and went "outside my comfort zone" to do a pre-Solheim television interview with incredible grace and dignity. She often lets her thoughtful - and fun side -- and her sense of humor show through on her blog and in her tweets. She edged Bryce Molder for the Award. Heath Slocum finished third.

In one of the closest votes in GWAA history, Faxon won the ASAP/Jim Murray Award by just seven votes over Stewart Cink, while Greg Norman finished third. Faxon has won eight PGA Tour events and won his first Champions event -- the Insperity Championship - last fall and is one of the most accessible players. He has played more than 700 rounds and has likely been approached by a media member after at least 95 percent of them. After winning at the Insperity, he took a whipped cream pie in the face on the Golf Channel, then came to the media room still wiping the pie off his face and clothes. Faxon and Billy Andrade were honored with the GWAA's 1999 Charlie Bartlett Award for their Billy Andrade/BradFaxon Charities for Children, Inc., which was formed in 1991 and has donated more than $8 million to youngsters in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Faxon also won the 2005 Payne Stewart Award.

Past recipients of the Richardson Award, named for The New York Times' William D. Richardson who was instrumental in the founding of the GWAA in 1946, include Jack Burke, Jr., the Harmon Family, Furman Bisher, Pete Dye, Louise Suggs, Judy Rankin, Nancy Lopez, Sandy Tatum, Dan Jenkins, Judy Bell, Babe Zaharias, Jack Nicklaus, Ely Callaway, Ben Hogan, Pres. Dwight Eisenhower, Patty Berg, Gene Sarazen, Arnold Palmer, Ben Crenshaw, Harvey Penick, Peggy Kirk Bell, Frank Hannigan, Kathy Whitworth and Lee Trevino.

Former Hogan award winners include Rankin, Tom Watson, Barbara Douglas, Ken Green, Erik Compton, Denis Watson, Hubert Green, Bruce Edwards, Jeff Julian, Scott Verplank, Jose-Maria Olazabal, Casey Martin, Paul Azinger, Robert Allenby, Lee Trevino, John Mahaffey, Jim Nelford, Ken Venturi, Terri-Jo Meyers and Steve Jones.

This is the 10^th year for the ASAP/Jim Murray Award. Previous winners were Steve Stricker, Padraig Harrington, Juli Inkster, Palmer, Nicklaus, Lopez, Nick Price, Fred Funk, Jay Haas and Gary Player.

The 900-member GWAA takes an active role in protecting the interests of all golf journalists, works closely with all of golf's major governing bodies and the World Golf Hall of Fame.

No surprise for POYs

2011-12-29T17:39:26Z

Not surprisingly, Luke Donald, Yani Tseny and Tom Lehman were named Players of the Year by the Golf Writers Association of America. Those were my three choices, but I considered Keegan Bradley on the PGA Tour since he won twice, including a major (PGA Championship), which Donald didn't do. But it was hard not to vote for someone who made history: the first to win the money title in the United States and Europe. Here's the GWAA release:

HOUSTON (December 29, 2011) - Luke Donald, Yani Tseng and Tom Lehman have been named 2011 Players of the Year by the Golf Writers Association of America.

It is the first GWAA POY award for Donald and the second for both Tseng and Lehman. They will be honored at the GWAA's Annual Awards Dinner April 4, 2012 in Augusta, Ga.

All three players were runaway winners in the GWAA balloting. Donald received 88 percent of the votes (180 votes) for Male POY to nine percent (19) for Keegan Bradley. Webb Simpson was third (3) followed by Rory McIlroy (2). Tseng received 95 percent of the vote for Female POY (194) to two percent for Stacy Lewis (5). Suzann Pettersen (2) and Lexi Thompson (1) also received votes. In the Senior race, Lehman grabbed 86 percent of the vote (177) to eight percent (16) for John Cook. Mark Calcavecchia (10) was third.

Donald won four times world-wide, took over the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Rankings and became the first player to win the money title on both the PGA Tour and European Tour. He also won the Vardon Trophy for the lowest adjusted scoring average. His wins included the BMW PGA Championship and World Golf Championship-Match Play Championship and he had an amazing 14 top 10s in 19 tournaments. Donald came from behind with a closing 64 to win at the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic to win the PGA Tour money list and finished third at the Dubai World Championship to win the European money list. Donald, who lost his father in November, also won the Golf Writers Trophy (a vote of the Association of Golf Writers) and European Tour POY honors. It's the third time in four years a European-born player has won the GWAA award.

Tseng dominated women's golf with a dozen wins, including two more majors - the LPGA Championship and the Women's British Open - to win her second consecutive GWAA POY award. Tseng became the youngest player to win five majors, led the LPGA in scoring and money and won the Rolex Player of the Year award. She had 14 top 10s and won almost double the amount of money ($2.921 million) as second-place Cristie Kerr ($1.47 million)

Lehman won three times in 2011, including his second Champions Tour major, the Regions Tradition, in a playoff over Peter Senior. He had 12 top-10 finishes to lead the Champions money list and win the Charles Schwab Cup and Champions Tour POY honors. Lehman, who won the GWAA's Male POY award in 1996, became the first player to win POY honors on the Nationwide, PGA and Champions Tours.

The GWAA, founded in 1946, takes an active role in protecting the interests of all golf journalists, works closely with all of golf's major governing bodies and the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Extra Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T22:57:01Z

University of Hartford grad Jerry Kelly had an extra special Christmas this year.

Kelly and 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson beat Mark O'Meara and 1993 Greater Hartford Open winner Nick Price to win the ADT Golf Skills Challenge at The Breakers in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Kelly and Johnson rallied from last place in the four-team, four-skills competition to earn a total of $286,000. They beat the defending champions in the final reverse scramble (worst-ball) event after not failing very well in the initial individual skills.

"We like those Cinderella stories," Johnson said. "We came back nicely and hit some good shots down the stretch. Obviously what carried us was our putters in the last skills challenge. My partner led us off, and I just followed in his footsteps."

Kelly admitted being "definitely nervous" in the first few skills challenges, but all's well that ends well.

"It's a fun format, and it doesn't matter who you are, it can get to you," Kelly said.

But Kelly and Johnson each made a 6-foot par putt in the final event to dethrone O'Meara and Price, who have won a total of five major championships.

Hall of Famer Nick Faldo, winner of six majors, and Rocco Mediate finished third. The first all-female team in the 20-year history of the event, Morgan Pressel and retired Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam whose 72 LPGA Tour titles included 10 majors, were fourth.

Merry Christmas to all -- and to all a healthy and prosperous 2012!!!!!!!

Donald, Bradley cited

2011-12-13T21:18:43Z

Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley were named PGA Tour Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year on Tuesday. Here's the release from the tour:

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL -- The PGA TOUR announced today (Dec. 13) Luke Donald as the PGA TOUR Player of the Year and Keegan Bradley as PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year, as voted on by the TOUR's membership for the 2011 season.

"On behalf of the PGA TOUR, my congratulations to Luke and Keegan for their award-winning accomplishments in 2011," said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. "Both players had significant and impressive performances throughout the course of the year, and the member vote reflects the respect their peers have for them."

Luke Donald - PGA TOUR Player of the Year

Donald, who turned 34 on Dec. 7, is the first player from England to be voted Player of the Year since the award's inception in 1990.

Donald won the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship and the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic in 2011. He never trailed in any of his six matches at the Accenture Match Play Championship, including a 3&2 finals victory over Martin Kaymer. Donald's win in his final start of the year at the Children's Miracle Network Classic clinched the money title with $6,683,214, earning him the Arnold Palmer Award. He also wrapped up the Byron Nelson Trophy and Vardon Award for lowest adjusted scoring average (68.86).

Currently No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking, Donald led the PGA TOUR with 14 top-10 finishes in 19 starts with runner-up finishes the RBC Heritage (playoff) and the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational (T2). For the second consecutive year, Donald finished third in the season-long FedExCup competition, posting top-five finishes in three of the four PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup events.

Donald, who will receive the Jack Nicklaus Trophy as Player of the Year, was selected over Keegan Bradley, Bill Haas, Webb Simpson and Nick Watney.

Keegan Bradley - PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year

Bradley, 25, earned playoff victories at the HP Byron Nelson Championship and the PGA Championship, becoming the first rookie since Todd Hamilton (2004) to win twice. With his PGA Championship playoff victory over Jason Dufner at Atlanta Athletic Club, Bradley became the first player since Ben Curtis (2003) to win a major championship in his first major start.

On the season, the Vermont native totaled four top 10s in 29 starts and finished 20^th on the final FedExCup points list. Bradley became just the fourth rookie to play his way into Playoff finale, the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, since the inception of the FedExCup, joining Brandt Snedeker (2007), Andres Romero (2008) and Marc Leishman (2009).

Other players nominated for PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year were Chris Kirk, Charl Schwartzel, Scott Stallings, Brendan Steele and Jhonattan Vegas.

Kolinsky tournament back

2011-12-12T17:41:05Z

I'm delighted to report that the Connecticut Sports Writers Alliance will again be hosting the Bo Kolinsky Scholarship Golf Tournament in 2012 after a three-year hiatus.

The event will be June 28 at Lyman Orchards Golf Club in Middlefield and have a noon shotgun start with a shamble format. It is named for the longtime high school editor of the Hartford Courant and past president of the Alliance who died suddenly on Dec. 14, 2003 only a few weeks after his 49th birthday. It was shock to all who knew Bo and especially his wonderful wife Jill.

Bo also was my best friend for many reasons, most notably that he was hard-working guy who would do anything for anyone. He would show up at events from high school awards banquets to funerals of coaches or parents of youngsters that he wrote about -- or just knew from reading about them in other papers. It's a major reason that he was in about a dozen Halls of Fame and many people waited close to three hours in the rain and the funeral home lobby to attend his wake. And those folks included the often-maligned Jack Cochran and an assistant coach, who didn't cut the line looking for preferential treatment as some people did. They waited nearly the entire three hours as the wake continued until 11:05 p.m., which was more than two hours after it was suppose to end.

And there were floral arrangements from Greenwich to Canaan from Thompson to Groton. You would be hard pressed to find ANYONE who didn't like, admire and respect Bo, truly one of the nicest people to walk the face of the earth and taken from us far too soon. I'm just fortunate to have known him and done as many things that we did together for his sudden death and that he's buried about a mile from my house so I can stop by and say hi virtually any time I want. And there's a few photos of the two of us adjacent the TV in our family room, so I actually get to say hello to him daily.

I helped organize a tournament in his honor in 2004, and I've always appreciated all the items that local pros donated to the cause as auction items, whether it be a foursome, a driver, a wedge or several dozen golf balls. Ditto for others who knew or had just heard about Bo who donated items for a live auction, notably the folks at Buick who provided a Tiger Woods golf bag that the former No. 1 was good enough to autograph. And special thanks, too, to TPC River Highlands and Lake of Isles that hosted the event for its first five years.

But there were dozens of others who were title or corporate sponsors and a major reason that the Alliance raised more than $90,000 for scholarships that went to kids whom Bo loved to cover more than anyone. Forget "major league" sports like baseball, the NFL or UConn basketball and football. Bo was more interested in the "common athletes" on the high school scene and covered them better than anyone in the history of Connecticut journalism.

A dramatic decline in the newspaper business led to the loss of many of Bo's longtime colleagues and the end of the tournament. It hurt deeply to have to shut it down, but I had no choice at the time as I simply couldn't run it with limited help while in a difficult physical condition. But we've got some "new blood" in the Alliance, some of whom hardly knew Bo or even met him but have heard how much he had done for journalism and the Alliance.

So here we are, back in business and hopeful the response for the tournament will be as big as it was in the past. We've been fortunate to have most of our former corporate sponsors return, and Integrated Benefit Partners has come aboard as our new title sponsor thanks to Rob Tedoldi, one of the top amateur golfers in the state and one of the real good guys anywhere. We're still looking for more sponsors, so hopefully there are others out there who will join a terrific cause in honor of an even more terrific individual.

Entry fee of $170 includes a box lunch on the course, buffet dinner that I already know will be terrific from past events that I've played at Lyman Orchards, prizes and silent and live auctions. The first 132 entries will play the Robert Trent Jones Course and the other entries will play the Gary Player Course. Dinner only is $50.

Entries should include names, handicaps and a contact phone number or email address and sent to me at 202 Carriage Drive, Glastonbury, Ct. 06033. Those wanting to attend only the dinner should send a check to me. Checks should be make payable to the Bo Kolinsky Scholarship Fund, the tournament beneficiary. The Bo Kolinsky Scholarship is given to a Connecticut high school senior planning to attend a four-year college in pursuit of a career in sports journalism and is renewable. It has already provided $24,000 to eight students, three of whom are still receiving funds.

Besides our new title sponsor, early corporate sponsors to sign on are Ahead, the Connecticut Section PGA, Connecticut State Golf Association, Connecticut Whale, Elkinson and Sloves, Hartford Courant, May, Bonee and Walsh, SignPro, Travelers and the Travelers Championship.

A title sponsorship of $5,000 includes three foursomes in the tournament, a tee sign, a company spokesperson addressing the players at the pretournament instructions and awards dinner and inclusion in our press releases, the tournament and Gold Key Dinner programs and on the tournament sponsors banner. A corporate sponsorship of $1,300 includes one foursome in the tournament and inclusion in press releases, the tournament and Gold Key Awards programs and tournament sponsors banner. Tee signs are $150.

Anyone wishing to become a sponsor, purchase a tee or donate an auction item should contact Berlet at the above address, 860-633-8733 or golfwrtr@aol.com, Alliance president George Albano at 203-434-2329 or truckin114@aol.com, Bob Mayer at 860-234-4380 or Robert.mayer@patch.com or Courant sports editor Jeff Otterbein at 860-242-6434 or jotterbein@courant.com. Or if you know an Alliance member, tell he or she that you would like to play or donate an auction time. For more information and an entry form, visit www.ctsportswriters.org.

Thanks again to all those who have been involved in the past, and here's hoping you and others will help revive memories of one of the best people ever and raise even more money for deserving youngsters who want to continue the tradition that Bo helped build. I'm certain there will be continued stellar service -- and enjoyment -- at Lyman Orchards, and I look forward to hearing from you and greeting you on June 28. Best wishes, Bruce

Early Christmas for First Tee

2011-12-09T19:42:08Z

Christmas arrived early for The First Tee of Connecticut this week.

Ground was broken on the state-of-the-art 7,500-square foot David & Geri Epstein Learning Center adjacent the 23-acre practice range and the four-hole Karl Krapek Family Learning Links at the TPC River Highlands in Cromwell.

The learning center will feature classroom, computer labs, indoor practice range and putting green, training facility, family viewing area and The First Tee of Connecticut administrative offices.

"In effect, when completed (next year), the David & Geri Epstein Learning Center will be Connecticut's home office for youth golf," David E. Polk, president and executive director of The First Tee of Connecticut, said in a statement. "Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of David and Geri Epstein, the youth of Connecticut will experience a learning center that will fit them to a tee. It is truly a one of a kind education center that will not only teach golf skills but life skills."

Geri Epstein, who lost her husband to cancer last Dec. 15, donated an additional $500,000 to The First Tee enabled the local chapter of the organization to have a practice facility, mini-course and learning center in the same area. The Epsteins' earlier donation of $1 million had made them one of Connecticut's three national First Tee trustees, joining Krapek and John Lundgren. The additional $500,000 put The First Tee of Connecticut over the $1 million plateau needed to build the learning center.

"David was basically interested in education and health," Geri Epstein, 72, told me during The First Tee of Connecticut's annual patron's "Breakfast Tee" to thank its supporters and workers on the morning of June 25 before the third round of the Travelers Championship. "He founded our foundation to benefit Memorial Sloane-Kettering Cancer Center (in New York) that helped keep him alive, but I talked him into The First Tee.

"He learned how to play golf on a public course in Bridgeport, D.F. Wheeler, from his father at 7 or 8 years old. He just loved golf, and I thought this would be a great thing for him. I twisted his arm a bit, but they invited us to be a trustee and I said, 'David, you have to do it' basically because he enjoyed the game so much and had played so many great courses.

"So we just figured it was a really worthwhile cause, especially with the children. I heard my husband describing it to somebody, and he made a point to saying all these values, and I was amazed he even remembered them all. So that was our reason for wanting to help The First Tee. David would have loved to be here, but I'm sure he's enjoying it somewhere."

Joe Louis Barrow Jr., CEO of The First Tee national organization that has 4.7 million youngsters in 50 states and six countries, said the David and Geri Epstein Learning Center will make the three-prong facility unique.

"This is going to the brightest, shiniest jewel in our crown of First Tee facilities in this country or the world," Barrow told me. "We probably have five or six facilities that have a learning center and a course, but nothing like this. Without question, this is going to be the most special facility we have in the entire network because of the proximity of the Krapek course.

"And the beauty about this one is the learning center is actually designed to really cater to The First Tee. The entire interior floor plan and the way they are designing it is really going to complement our core curriculum in a way that's really going to allow them to develop in one of the most effective ways throughout the country. No other facility has all these components, and sometimes they were not designed with the entire curriculum in mind in terms of the computer rooms.

"So it's really a building built for The First Tee and its curriculum, and for the Epsteins to be able to provide the resources to be able to build it is an extraordinary commitment on their part."

The First Tee of Connecticut is an initiative of the Connecticut Golf Foundation, which has been running youth development programs since 2000. The organization now serves more than 46,000 youth annually throughout Connecticut. Its mission is to positively impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.

Connecticut, and especially its youngsters with an interest in golf, should make sure they thank Geri Epstein and her late husband for their generosity. It's always terrific to have something that no one else does.

Top juniors commit to colleges

2011-12-08T20:20:03Z

Several of the top junior players in Connecticut have committed to play in college.

John Flaherty of Glastonbury and Zach Zaback of Farmington will be attending the University of Connecticut. Jenn Whaley, older daughter of Suzy and Bill Whaley of Farmington and TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, committed to Quinnipiac University in Hamden.

Elizabeth DiVincentis of Durham, former Connecticut Section PGA girls player of the year, will attend Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Victoria Fagan of Berlin is going to Long Island University and Nathalie Filler of Bloomfield committed to the University of Delaware.

Good luck to everyone -- on and off the course.

Reynolds a Hall of Famer

2011-12-07T18:01:17Z

Gary Reynolds has done about all there is to do in golf, won virtually every major Connecticut Section PGA award and been named national winner of the Bill Strausbaugh Award for service.

Reynolds, who retired as Hartford Golf Club head pro in 2008 after 26 years at the West Hartford club, rightfully earned a spot in the Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame on Tuesday during the Connecticut State Golf Association's annual meeting at Race Brook Country Club in Orange.

Though honored and humbled about reaching the pinnacle of his profession, Reynolds demonstrated why he is among the most distinguished golfers/administrators in state annals. He was joined Tuesday by longtime CSGA official Art "Ace" Williams and Ron "Red" Smith, a top amateur and pro player who started at Manchester CC before spending 30 years at Webhannah CC in Maine and then retiring as pro and club manager in 2004.

When asked what he was most proud of about his career, Reynolds harkened back to 1982, his first year at Hartford GC, where wife Mim was nearly as integral a part of the operation as the golf shop manager. Reynolds spoke of the many bag room boys and assistants that had worked for him, notably Rick Gross of Avon, a member of his first staff whom he still dines with several times a year and has offered a helping hand when most needed. Like the year that there was a large members' tournament at Hartford GC after most of the help had returned to school and Gross volunteered to fill the void while taking time out from his job at Discovery.

"I'm most proud when I hear back from some of my kids who worked for me or my assistants who have really become successful," Reynolds said. "I keep in touch with a lot of them, including Rick. He had already worked for Bob Bodington (Reynolds' predecessor at Hartford GC) for a year or two when I arrived, we've always stayed in touch and I take his kids to hit some balls at the club.

"All the kids that you find out have got out of college and are going to law school and have already become successful, you like to feel you had a little something to do with it. Every once in a while you get a note back from them, and they say, 'I want to thank you. You really made a difference.' That's everything. Your juniors grow up, and you want your junior golfers to turn out great, but they're not all golfers. Most of my bag room kids weren't players. They were just good kids who went on to great things, so I think that has been the most fun thing for me."

Reynolds said he also thoroughly enjoyed "joining the gang" in the Hall of Fame, notably past and present Hartford GC members such as former CSGA executive director Russ Palmer, Jim Healey, Carol Patton and Lida Tingley, as well as section members such as Walter Lowell, Frank Selva and John Murphy.

Reynolds has been a PGA of America member for nearly 40 years, most at Hartford GC, where he was a highly respected pro and distinguished leader. He is the co-founder of Connecticut Section PGA Golf Foundation and has also been heavily involved with The First Tee of Connecticut since its merger with The First Tee of Hartford in 1999 and where he still does plenty of volunteer work. He has served on the section board of directors since 1985 and was president in 1993-94. He has earned numerous awards from the section, including three Bill Strausbaugh Awards, two President's Awards, Merchandiser of the Year and Golf Professional of the Year, the highest honor a section pro can receive. His outstanding character and civic and charitable work within the community was recognized by the PGA of America in 2001, when he was awarded the national Bill Strausbaugh Award.

Williams has quite a playing record, including back-to-back victories in the Connecticut Junior Amateur Championship in 1938-1939 before moving to New Jersey and winning the junior title in that state in 1940. He also was captain of the Yale University golf team in 1940, won numerous local and club events and made a memorable hole-in-one on No. 10 at famed Winged Foot GC in Mamaroneck, N.Y., site of several major championships, to qualify for match play in the prestigious Anderson Four-Ball Championship. It earned him the nickname "Ace."

But Williams' dedication and contributions to Connecticut golf far exceed his competitive success. He served as CSGA president in 1981-82 and has volunteered as a rules official for more than 40 years. A Marine Corp fighter pilot in World War II, Williams also served as Brooklawn CC president in 1963-64, and it was his presentation of an amicus curiae brief before the Supreme Court of Connecticut that served as the foundation for special tax assessment relief for golf courses that helped to launch the CSGA into an organization that he describes as, "One that is proactive in matters relating to the health of the game."

"The CSGA has been a wonderful experience," said Williams, who played against state legends such as Julius Boros and Dick Siderowf and was contacted about his election to the Hall of Fame two days shy of his 90^th birthday. "Anything I've done for golf pales to what I've gotten out of it.

"This is the greatest non-playing golfing thing that's ever happened to me. It's been a great ride, and I've loved every minute of it."

Smith won the CSGA Amateur and New England Amateur in 1964, the same year he was recognized as the New England Amateur Golfer of the Year by the Boston Sports Writers Alliance. He was unable to defend in 1965 as he was leading the University of Houston to the NCAA championship. He would come back to win the CSGA Amateur again in 1966 but was unable to defend in 1967 because of his deployment to Vietnam with the Marine Corps.

Smith's stint with the Marine Corps delayed but did not deter his golf career, which boasts numerous individual pro titles that include the New Hampshire Open, Maine PGA Championship (six times), two appearances in the U.S. Open and one in the PGA Championship. Smith was at Webhannet CC for 30 years before his retirement in 2004.

"It's wonderful to be back in Connecticut," Smith said. "Thank you for letting a non-resident accept this award."

CSGA president Jeff Witherwax presented a meritorious service award to Bob Goode, an avid player for 70 years and an active member at Hartford GC for more than half a century. Goode was recognized for more than 30 years of service to the CSGA, USGA and golf in general, particularly as a member of the CSGA executive committee of the board of directors in the 1980s and as captain the of the organization's two-part course rating team since its inception.

The Volunteer of the Year Award was shared by Chuck Claffey of Farmington Woods CC and Mike Violette of Tallwood CC in Hebron. The Club of the Year Award also was shared by Hop Meadow CC in Simsbury and Rolling Hills CC in Wilton, which are both celebrating their 50^th anniversary this year.

Witherwax also recognized Ron Drapeau, who is retiring as CSGA executive director on Dec. 31 after six years at the post. He will be succeeded by Litchfield native Mike Moraghan, the son of the late Marty Moraghan, who was a CSGA president and longtime tournament director and USGA rules official who was inducted in the Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame in 1991. Witherwax read a proclamation from Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy declaring Dec. 6 as "Ronald A. Drapeau Day" in Connecticut.

"It has been a rewarding and fulfilling experience, and I look forward to my retirement and being a volunteer for the CSGA," Drapeau said at the end of his final executive director's report.

Moraghan has come home

2011-12-07T04:23:42Z

Mike Moraghan is disproving the theory that you can't come home again.

Moraghan, a Litchfield native, has been on the road outside Connecticut for more than 30 years, first as a top amateur golfer who dabbled in the pro ranks before becoming the University of Virginia men's golf coach and then video guru in the athletic department.

But Moraghan is currently in transition as he learns the inner doings of the Connecticut State Golf Association before succeeding Ron Drapeau as executive director on Jan. 1. The 56-year-old Moraghan moved back to Connecticut last month and is currently working with Drapeau, who is retiring after six years on the job.

Moraghan is now trying to follow in the footsteps of his late father, Marty, a CSGA past president and longtime tournament director and U.S. Golf Association rules official who was inducted into the Connecticut Hall of Fame in 1991. Mike twice represented Connecticut in the Tri-State Matches against Massachusetts and Rhode Island and also competed in two U.S. Amateur Championships, a British Amateur, British Mid-Amateur, Bermuda Amateur, Canadian Amateur and Canadian Mid-Amateur, as well as professional tournaments throughout the United States and Canada.

After graduating from Wake Forest in 1977 and having his best season ever two years later, Moraghan turned pro in the fall of 1979 and played the Space Coast Tour in Florida and the open tournaments throughout the Northeast. He played for pay for two years before happening upon video production.

"A friend of mine and I were videoed one day, and I couldn't believe how much there was to it," Moraghan recalled.

So Moraghan founded and was president of Miridian Films, Inc., producing video programming for clients that included the USGA, the National Steeplechase Association and the University of Virginia, where he has been employed for 22 years. His players have included Steve Marino, who father is a Glastonbury native, and Driscoll, a three-time All-American who has played on the PGA and Nationwide tours for five years. His best finish this year was fifth in the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell.

Moraghan unofficially began his new duties in early November at a three-day conference of the International Association of Golf Administrators that he attended with Drapeau and other CSGA officials. Now after living in Virginia for three decades, Moraghan wants to help grow the game of golf, especially in his native land.

"The issue that everybody is talking about is how to grow the game," Moraghan said during the CSGA annual meeting and Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Race Brook Country Club in Orange on Tuesday night. "Even the USGA is finally talking about growing the game as part of their mission statement. They're not just talking about preserving amateur golf and doing club specs, they're talking about growing the game.

"We have to get more people playing. We have to get more people involved in the game, more people playing more rounds. The economy the last few years has hurt the industry, and the disappearance of the caddie has meant that maybe a lot of people didn't involved in golf that would have."

Moraghan said the key to growth is doing what possible for junior golfers, with the First Tee leading the way as far as expanding opportunities, getting youngsters involved and teaching them life skills and lessons.

"It takes almost constant effort and conversation coming up with ideas of how to invite someone who has never played before or introduce the game to someone who has never played before," Moraghan said.

But for now, Moraghan is trying to learn how the CSGA has been doing business and taking care of its 183 member clubs with more 40,000 golfers with a handicap card in the nation's oldest state golf association, established in 1899.

"I know the CSGA has a great reputation, always has, about providing great service to all the clubs and running great tournaments," Moraghan said. "And as the oldest association in the country, you're not reinventing the wheel. It's a matter of providing great service for the public and private golf courses and the thousands of players and continue to grow the game in ways that make sense."

That has been a major goal of Drapeau, who lives in Essex, graduated from Bentley College and became CSGA executive director on Feb. 1, 2006, replacing Bruce Wilson after his six-year tenure.

"During my tenure at the CSGA, the scope of our activities as the association of member clubs broadened significantly to include legislative issues and grow the game initiatives at a time when the general economy stumbled and discretionary income was reduced," Drapeau said. "I feel good that we were able to provide quality leadership on the new issues while maintaining the base mission. We completed and publicized a study reflecting the golf industry that delivers $1.1 billion to the State of Connecticut's economy while employing 11,500 with a payroll of $340 million.

"Working through the Connecticut Golf Alliance in concert with the Superintendents' Association, we were able to influence pragmatic, sensible regulation from the Department of Environmental Protection regarding ground water use. The creation of the Connecticut Clubs for Schools program has started to reap benefits with two CSGA champions in 2011 coming from these clubs. The position has been challenging and rewarding and encompasses a great six years of my career."

Before joining the CSGA, Drapeau was an executive manager for 35 years, the last 12 in the golf industry, most recently as chairman and CEO of Callaway Golf. He also has served as a director of Golf 20/20 and Play Golf America, both organizations focused on growing the game of golf, as well as a director of the National Golf Foundation.

"Golf is an extraordinary game," Drapeau said. "It is extremely difficult for most beginners and yet addictive at the same time. The handicap system allows individuals of varied skills levels to compete on an equal basis, and it is the only sport where competitors, both professional and amateur, routinely call penalties on themselves. While in retirement, I intend to play more than I have in recent years. I have enjoyed working at the CSGA so much I plan on becoming a volunteer."

Thanks, Ron, and welcome aboard, Mike.