ican golf pioneers – John Shippen, Bill Spiller, Ted
Rhodes and the legendary boxing champion Joe
Louis – was rewarded, with posthumous PGA
membership bestowed on Shippen, Spiller and
Rhodes. Joe Louis Barrow (his given name) was recognized as an Honorary PGA member.
During that General Session, delegates also
watched a moving video tribute to Max Elbin, the
last three-term PGA President, who died last
December at age
88. By the end of the day, the
same delegates applauded as Sue Fiscoe of the
Northern California PGA Section became the first
female PGA Professional elected to the national
PGA Board of Directors.
PGA Professional Andy Weissinger of the Middle Atlantic Section was honored with the 2009
Patriot Award (see story, page
62) and the Midwest
Section was feted for winning the 2009 Herb Graffis Award for extraordinary contributions to player
development.
Finally, the delegates passed the four resolutions
that went before them for vote (see separate story,
page
42).
“They say you can’t turn back time, but you can
do your very best to make it right,” PGA President
Jim Remy said at the outset of the tribute to the
four African-American golf pioneers. The PGA’s
Caucasian-only clause, which was part of the Association’s constitution from 1934 to 1961, prevented
individuals such as Shippen, Spiller and Rhodes
from attaining membership.
Bill Spiller Jr., son of one of the new PGA members, admitted during his speech that when he first
received word of his father being elected a PGA
2009 marks final McGladrey Team Championship
At the 93rd PGA Annual Meeting in New Orleans, The PGA of America nnounced that RSM McGladrey has decided not to continue its
sponsorship of The McGladrey Team Championship.
“We thank RSM McGladrey for their support of our Association and PGA
Professionals, and we wish them well,” said PGA President Jim Remy, who also
noted that RSM McGladrey will continue to invest in golf in other ways.
member, he was unsure how to react after years of
having watched his father suffer indignities
because of the color of his skin.
“But The PGA of 1950 is not the same PGA in
2009,” Spiller said. “My family and I are very happy
that this decision has been made. We’re happy to
know that our father’s legacy has come full circle.”
The day prior to the tears and cheers of the General Session, the delegates laid the foundation for
the 2010 PGA Blueprint. Well-respected employers Dana Garmany (a PGA member), Jim Hinckley,
Peter Hill and Henry DeLozier joined Bishop and
Libby for a highly informative, 90-minute panel
discussion moderated by PGA Past President Gary
Schaal.
All four employers stressed that PGA Professionals are the keys to success and have before them
the wherewithal to shape the economies of the golf
industry.
“This is a time of great opportunity for PGA
Professionals who have the ability to refocus the
way they do business,” said Henry DeLozier, Prin-cipal/Partner of Global Golf Advisors and former
Vice President-Golf for Pulte Homes/Del Webb.
“Now is the time to recalibrate what a PGA member is and does. You need to be
22,000 sales man-
Opposite from left:
PGA President Jim
Remy, Hanno
Shippen-Smith,
Deborah Rhodes
and Bill Spiller Jr.,
pose after PGA
membership was
awarded to John
Shippen, Bill Spiller
and Ted Rhodes.
Below: Top, from
left: Hanno
Shippen-Smith,
Joe Louis Barrow
Jr., Bill Spiller Jr.,
Bernard Stewart.
Bottom, from left:
Jackie Barrow,
Adele Cadres,
Peggy White,
Pamela Spiller-Stewart, Deborah
Rhodes, Marcy
Smith during the
African American
Golf Pioneers
Family Dinner.
MON TANA PRI TCHARD/ THE PGA OF AMERICA
