PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – Faith, family
and honor. Those fundamentals of life were oft-repeated Wednesday night as seven
celebrated members of the golf industry gave due credit for sustaining them
throughout respective careers that culminated with their names etched in granite
as the newest inductees into the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame. With the
latest additions, the Hall of Fame roster advanced to 148 since its origin in
1940.
The esteemed group was led by Samuel
Henry “Errie” Ball of Stuart, Fla., who played in the inaugural Masters and will
turn 101 on Nov. 14; and was anchored by PGA Honorary President Jim Remy of
Ludlow, Vt., whose signature moment of his professional career, he said, was
welcoming into PGA of America membership the families of black pioneers who were
long ago the victims of injustice.
An overflow crowd of 400 at the PGA
Museum of Golf and adjoining PGA Education Center honored a class that also
included former PGA Chief Executive Officer Jim Awtrey, of Windermere, Fla., a
trio of past PGA Teachers of the Year – Jim Flick ofCarlsbad, Calif.; Jim
Antkiewicz, of Aliquippa, Pa.; and Jack Barber of Indianapolis – as well as “Mr.
New Mexico Golf,” Guy Wimberly of Elephant Butte, N.M. Awtrey, 67, was the only
inductee unable to attend the ceremony after undergoing heart bypass surgery on
Oct. 31, in Orlando. PGA Past President Pat Rielly of La Canada, Calif.,
accepted the Hall of Fame plaque for Awtrey.
“It’s the greatest honor I’ve ever
received,” said Ball, a native of Wales, and the last surviving member of the
inaugural Masters field of 1934. Steadied by his cane, which he called “my new
5-iron,” Ball was joined by his bride, Maxie, who with him celebrated their 75th
wedding anniversary last Sept. 26, an event they said had less fanfare. “I am so
very honored to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and I certainly owe an awful
lot to my many friends in this country. “The pros that are here (Wednesday) are
my great friends. And those who I have played, well, they have beaten the hell
out of me. But I want to thank my family, my friends, and my good, fellow
professionals who have helped to get me where I am today.”
Maxie Ball, 96, a native of
Richmond, Va., who met her husband on a ship returning from England to America,
said, “This is the best thing that has happened to him since I’ve known him. Not
too many things excite him anymore, but this certainly did. We both love the
game and it is one of the nicest things a couple can do together.”
Remy, 57, a former professional
skier, said “to come from a tiny town in Vermont and to be considered in the
same sentence as these great PGA Professionals is an honor that exceeds my
dreams.”
“It is amazing what this sport does
for you,” said Remy. “To be in a Hall of Fame is so special. When I became a PGA
member, all I wanted to do was just be involved in something special.” Remy
stated that the most significant moment of his career occurred in 2010 at the
PGA Annual Meeting in New Orleans, when The PGA posthumously welcomed into
membership African-American golf pioneers John Shippen, Ted Rhodes and Bill
Spiller; and granted honorary membership to boxing legend turned diversity
advocate, Joe Louis Barrow Sr. “I
apologized to those families,” said Remy. “It was an unscripted moment and one
that I felt long overdue.” Remy added, “We are changing and we are changing for
the better.”
IN ADDITION TO having coached more
than 200 Tour professionals, including the legendary Jack Nicklaus and major
champion Tom Lehman concurrently, the 81-year-old Flick also set what may be
insurmountable longevity marks in teaching. The current ambassador for
TaylorMade Golf in Carlsbad, Calif., is one of the most prolific active PGA
teaching professionals whose 51 years as a PGA member includes teaching the game
abroad in 23 nations and leading more than 1,000 multi-day golf academies. “I’ve
enjoyed every minute,” he said. “The game has meant so much to me, and if I can
be forgiven, I have been struggling for 72 years due to the ‘drug of golf.’ That
drug, however, has done so much for all of us. If it wasn’t for golf, we never
would have heard of Arnold, never would have heard of Jack or Tiger.” Among the
many Flick thanked was his mentor, another teaching legend, Bob
Toski.
In accepting the Hall of Fame plaque
for Awtrey, Rielly portrayed on the first CEO of The PGA as someone who “always
kept his priorities in strict order – religion, family and the Association.”
Rielly also recalled that Awtrey put himself at the forefront of change in the
game, particularly the ending of controversial discriminatory membership
practices of clubs that would host The PGA’s championships, stemming from the
controversy surrounding the 1990 PGA Championship at Shoal Creek Country
Club.
“Jim Awtrey’s ability to think and
prioritize under pressure, difficult circumstances, resulted in so many benefits
for the future of The PGA of America and golf in general,” said Rielly. During
Awtrey’s PGA term, membership rose from 15,000 to 27,000 and the Ryder Cup
evolved into one of the greatest events in sport. Awtrey would oversee the
formation of PGA Properties, including the debut of PGA Golf Club at PGA Village
in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and the purchase in 2000 of Valhalla Golf Club in
Louisville, Ky.
Antkiewicz, 54, the 2008 PGA Golf
Professional of the Year and the PGA director of golf at The Club at Nevillewood
in Presto, Pa., thanked PGA Professional Roy Vucinich of Moon Valley Township,
Pa., for giving him his start in golf. “Roy not only was a mentor to me, he also
daily proved the significant role that teaching and playing have in our
profession,” said Antkiewicz.
Barber, 61, the 2009 PGA Golf
Professional of the Year, is the PGA head professional at Meridian Hills Country
Club in Indianapolis. He is the fourth member of the Indiana PGA Section to be
inducted into the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame. “Jack Barber is a Hall of
Famer every day, and that is what he brings to the job every day,” said outgoing
Meridian Hills President Mark Ford during a video presentation.
The eldest of four brothers, Barber
stated, “family is what it is all about,” and spoke about the sacrifice that his
family endured throughout his career. “There are 37 hats that can be identified
as what a PGA Professional wears,” said Barber. “The one hat that we all need to
do a better job with is time management and establishing a balance in our
life.”
Wimberly, 72, is remembered for many
things in serving selflessly for over four decades in advancing golf in New
Mexico. He was a co-founder of the Sun Country PGA Section, and perhaps his
greatest legacy is educating the next generation of players. While serving from
1971 to 2004 at Arroyo del Oso Golf Course in Albuquerque, Wimberly elevated
municipal golf on many levels, including employing more than 100, and mentoring
a dozen PGA Professionals and assistant professionals.
“I once was asked by a young man
‘Why do I have to be a PGA member?’ ” said Wimberly. “I replied that you should
become a member in order that you may learn what you need to do to be a part of
this game, to promote this game in this country. This is a game that gave me the
opportunity to make something out of myself.”
About the PGA
Golf Professional Hall of Fame
Originated in 1940 at the suggestion
of famed sportswriter Grantland Rice, the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame was
relocated in 2005 to the PGA Museum of Golf at PGA Village in Port St. Lucie,
Fla. The Hall of Fame recognizes all PGA members who have made significant and
lasting contributions to the building of The PGA of America and the game of
golf. The inductees include PGA Presidents, PGA Golf Professional of the Year
award winners as well as those PGA Professionals who also distinguish themselves
as competitors and/or while in service to The PGA of
America.
About The PGA of
America
Celebrating its 95th year, The PGA of America has maintained
a twofold mission of its founders: 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 PGA
enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective
career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in a multi-billion
dollar golf industry.By creating and delivering dramatic world-class
championships and exciting and enjoyable promotions that are viewed as the best
of their class in the golf industry, The PGA of America elevates the public’s
interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to
the game for everyone, everywhere. The PGA of America brand represents the very
best in golf. |
