The full ceremony from the 2025 NYSGA Hall of Fame Dinner & Induction Ceremony at Yahnundasis Golf Club on Friday, November 7, 2025.
0:00 – Doug Vergith
4:46 – Bill Moore
5:30 – Howie Shaffer
12:31 – Craig Harmon
18:15 – Ed Furgol
23:49 – Debbie Austin
34:25 – George Zahringer III
56:34 – Moira Dunn-Bohls
1:12:04 – Wayne Levi
My name is Doug Bergus and I’m chairman of the Hall of Fame committee of the New York State Golf Association. It’s my pleasure to welcome you to what I know is going to be a highly enjoyable evening as we celebrate the accomplishments of seven new inductees to the New York State Golf Association Hall of Fame. It’s a great group and we’re really looking forward to tonight. By way of introduction, I’d like to give you a little bit of background information on our Hall of Fame. But before I get to that, I want to briefly acknowledge the work of our previous chairman, Joe Enright. Joe passed away of a heart attack unexpectedly in September. He was our leader for the selection process for the outstanding group of people that we’re honoring this evening. Joe was passionate about the Hall of Fame and had served as chairman since 2017, being responsible for four of the six classes that we have previously inducted. Joe is also a longtime member of the executive committee, had been president of the association from 2001 and 2002, and he was a senior rules official. Terrific guy. I’d like to dedicate this evening’s ceremony to Joe’s memory. [Applause] Thank you. Now, a bit of background about the Hall of Fame and our selection process. The Hall of Fame started in 2012 and our first class was inducted that year. The Hall of Fame is governed by a charter that runs to eight written pages and is very specific about the process of selecting candidates. If I may, I’d like to read you brief uh part of the mission statement of the our Hall of Fame. The mission of the NYSGA Hall of Fame is to identify, recognize, and enshrine the state’s finest amateur and professional golf competitors and those individuals who’ve made outstanding contributions to the game of golf in New York State. The category of competitor doesn’t need a lot of explanation. It’s outstanding players and five of our seven inductees this evening fall into that category. The second broad category of inductees comes under what we call contributors and our contributors break into four categories. One is golf teachers, coaches, mentors, often PGA professionals. Secondly, volunteers and administrators, including those who have been leaders, volunteer leaders of the NYSGA. Thirdly, journalists. And fourth, golf course architects. We’ve been inducted several golf course architects from the old time during uh the last several years. In a few instances, our inductees have qualified, if you will, in both categories of competitor and contributor. The charter lays out the role of the Hall of Fame committee in great detail, and it includes making and soliciting nominations, participating in discussions about the candidates, and then voting by secret ballot to select each class of people inducted into the hall. On the subject of nominations, I should point out that in addition to nominations that come through the committee, any member of the public is eligible to make a nomination for a Hall of Fame member. And there’s a link on our website to the process for doing that. If you want to uh if you have someone in mind or if you’re inspired by tonight’s program, uh please we’d love to have you help in that way. With tonight’s ceremony, we have a total of 33 members of our Hall of Fame. So again, welcome. Thank you for coming. And to kick off our ceremony, let me introduce Bill Moore, the executive director of the NYSGA, who will serve as our master of ceremonies for tonight’s program. Bill. [Applause] Well, it’s my job to take you tonight as a tour guide through some golf history. I’m super happy to be here again. I’m Bill Moore. I’m executive director of the New York State Golf Association. And fittingly tonight, our first inductee is Cheryl Sherman. Every day when I walk into the New York State Golf Association offices, we have a sign with listing all of our past presidents. And for the rest of time, Mr. Sherman is going to be right at the top of that list. Tonight to talk about Cheryl and his accomplishments and his I’ll add a little color to his story will be Howie Schaefer. Howie [Applause] It’s my privilege, it’s my delight to uh be participating in induct um inducting Cheryl Sherman into the New York State Golf Association Hall of Fame. Mr. Sherman was born in Utica in 1883. He was the son of the US Vice President James Schoolcraft Sherman. As you can imagine, being the son of the vice president, he grew up in a household where service and where leadership was expected. Now, fortunately for all of us, Mr. Sherman decided to apply those qualities not to politics, but to golf. And I think we can all agree that the world already had enough speeches from politicians. But what it needed was someone who could organize golfers. As a young athlete at Utica Free Academy at Hamilton College, Cheryl Sherman showed strong competitive fire in multiple sports. But it was his lifelong dedication to golf, both as a competitor and as a builder. And as Doug said, as a competitor and a contributor that truly marked his contribution. When the Empire State uh amateur game lacked a unified home, it was Cheryl Sherman who stepped forward on August 9th, 1923. Right here at the Yanandas Golf Club in New Hartford, delegates from across New York gathered and unanimously elected him the first president of the US uh the New York State Golf uh association. With his steady hand and his collaborative spirit, he helped to set the standards, the governance, the championship structure, the camaraderie among clubs that laid the foundation for statewide amateur golf. He understood that golf’s traditions and its rules needed more than just individual brilliance. They needed structure. They needed consensus and a shared vision of fellowship and fair play. But Mr. Sherman didn’t just build institutions. He built respect and cooperation among clubs. He fostered community in a sport that can sometimes seem solitary. He was relentless in encouraging clubs to cooperate, to share best practices, to engage in friendly competition, and to welcome members from all corners of New York. And he recognized that a state as large as New York needed a body that could unite these clubs under common purpose with agreed upon rules and regulations. And he made it happen. And while many of his contemporaries were focused on the singular goal of winning golf tournaments, Cheryl Sherman had uh an eye for the bigger picture. He believed that golf should be inclusive and have a broad reach. At a time when many civic and sporting organizations closed their doors to the participation of women, he promoted the idea that uh golf should uh be open more broadly and that women should be encouraged to play. He did this decades before it was fashionable, decades before it was expected or required. So simply put, Sherman helped to shift amateur golf toward greater openness. And he also contributed in tangible architectural ways. He led his hand and his heart to many golf courses across central New York, in Canada, in Clinton, in Governor, in Asiggo. His fingerprints are on the turf, the bunkers, and the tea boxes. Uh in the case of the Anandas uh the club that we’re at today, legendary golfer and renowned architect Walter Travis laid out the general scheme of this club, but he only came up once at the beginning of the construction of the course. It was Mr. Sherman who as the Greens chairman uh and chairman of the Greens committee and a close friend of Walter Travis. He gave his time and attention to all the hundreds of details which in the end marked the difference between a mediocre or a highass course. And of course, Mr. Sherman wasn’t merely a golf visionary. The man could play. He competed in 18 consecutive US amateur championships. He reached the semi-finals in 1915. He won nine club championships at the Yanni over 27 years, a span long enough that many golfers today would have retired to pickle ball by then. And in fact, in 1941, Sherman won the New York State Men’s Senior Amateur Championship, and he was the first sitting member of the NSGA Executive Committee to win a statewide competition while in office. You guys hear me over there on the executive committee? He won while he was on the executive committee. It’s also important to note that his brother Tom Sherman was also an an exceptional golfer. His daughter-in-law, Fran Sherman, was a top amateur golfer. your trophies in the cases out there with their names all over them. One particularly elegant and historic trophy which is over near the entrance to the to the bar club room is the Mclofflin Cup. It’s it’s the was first contested in 1905 here at the Anandas. It’s played annually between the Anandas and the SAT Aquatic Golf Club. He gave life to what is now recognized as the longest continuously contested interub golf competition in the United States. So more than just a trophy, the Mclofflin Cup, among other competitions, became a tradition of friendly rivalry, sportsmanship, and connection. That was his gift. He didn’t just build clubs and organizations. He built community. And we must recognize and acknowledge one of the best bits of Sherman golf war that Cheryl Sherman is credited as being the first player in golf history to use a T in competitive play. Until that point in time, golf balls were teed up on little heaps of sand or dirt that were provided in a little box. This explains the commonly understood historical name of tea boxes for what today is officially known as the teeing ground. So, imagine showing up to a tournament with a little wooden peg and having everyone look at you like you’re trying to cheat or gain an unfair advantage. Today, we literally can’t tee up a ball without feeling perhaps a bit of Sherman’s spirit under our fingertips. So tonight, we welcome him to the New York State Golf Association Hall of Fame. We give thanks. Thank you, Mr. Sherman, for standardizing, institutionalizing, and elevating the game of golf. Thank you for building bridges among clubs around the country and around the globe. Thank you for welcoming a broader community into the sport. Thank you for designing courses that challenge and charm, for organizing championships that inspire, and for leading with vision, and for humility. Cheryl Sherman left us in 1962, but his legacy remains in our rule books, in our club competitions, in our tea boxes, and in any golfer who has ever discovered a lifelong friend through this game. Thank you very much. [Applause] Right here, guys. [Applause] It’s nice to learn about our first president a little more than I I knew and get some color on his life. Our second inductee this evening is Craig Harmon. A native of New Rashelle. You could please clap right now for a native of New Rashelle. Craig was certainly born into golf royalty. The son of Claude Harmon senior, the 1948 Masters champion, Craig grew up along with Butch, Dick, and Bill, all of whom became renowned teachers and professionals. A standout amiter, Craig won two Westchester Amadore titles. But it was his professional career that defined him. Under Harman stewardship, Oakill became synonymous with championship golf. For more than four decades, Craig Harmon served as the face of Oakill Country Club, guiding it through some of golf’s most historic moments and leaving an inedible indelible mark on the game. Serving as their head professional, he oversaw eight major champ eight major championships in addition to his favorite event, the 1995 Rder Cup. As an instructor, Harmon’s impact was equally as impressive. He served as the one and only coach for Jeff Slumman, our 2022 NYSGA Hall of Fame inductee, shaping his game from junior golf through professional success. He was named to Golf Magazine’s top 50 teachers list, Golf Digest top 25 instructors list, was a four-time WNY PGA teacher of the year, and was named the National PGA Professional of the Year in 2004. In 2024, he was part of the inaugural class of the PGA of America Hall of Fame. Craig wasn’t able to be with us tonight, but we do have a video, he said. If everyone can direct their attention to my left. Hello everybody. Uh, first and foremost, I can tell you that it’s an absolute thrill to be inducted in the 2025 class of the New York State Golf Association Hall of Fame. I might add, I am very honored to go in with Ed and Cheryl, Wayne, George, Mariah, and Debbie. Uh, that kind of kicks it up several notches for me. You know, I read the bio that you sent me, and I guess you were showing people there at the big dinner, and I couldn’t believe all the things that I have accomplished in all my years on this planet as a golf professional. uh you actually dug deep for some things that I don’t even think about and it kind of reminded me of a story. I was at a national meeting for awards and this guy from Texas got a major award and in his speech he gave one of most heartwarming things I’ve ever heard of. He’s driving down one of the back roads of Texas. He stops his car. He sees this big turtle on top of a fence. He had to get out of his car. He looked at that turtle. He said, “How the heck did that turtle get there?” And with that, he segueed into all the people who helped him get on top of his fence. And I feel the same way. How did this Craig Harman turtle get on top of this fence uh to be honored to be in the New York State Golf Association Hall of Fame? And really, it starts with the maestro, I guess you could call him, maybe the greatest club professional of all time with my dad, Claude Harmon. Uh he was a mentor to so many people. He gave us guidelines on how to be successful in his job. And when I got the job at Okal, I was age 25 years old. And I had to hire this big staff, shop managers, system pros, shop staff, etc. I said, “Dad, what do I look for? I got to hire all these people.” He says, “You know, Craig, it’s very simple. You hire ladies and gentlemen first, and you turn them into golf professionals or shop staff. Uh if they aren’t a lady or gentleman by the time you get them, it’s not going to work out very well.” So, for 42 years, I surrounded myself with assistant professionals, shop managers, shop staff who are all ladies and gentlemen. I can’t tell you how they helped me reach whatever goals I was successful in reaching around that dad had a unique way about them uh to instill confidence in you. You can do this stuff. He always said that as a golf professional, we have to have a duck’s back. Meaning the water doesn’t get inside the feathers. Uh so if you have a member who bothers you somehow, you can’t let him bother. You have to find something good about him. whether it be his wife, his children, his grandchildren because you don’t want the water to get inside your feathers because you got to see them all the time. And so advice like that helped get this Craig Harman turtle uh near the top of the fence. And of course, it goes without saying my three other brothers, Butch, Dick, Bill, all successful in the golf business, guided me through all this period also. They helped me out quite a bit. So to have a a chance to call my dad with a question, Butch, Dick, or Billy, to help me out in my business, uh, what an advantage. What a I had the foot in the door. Didn’t even know it. I remember my first months on the job at Oakill. Dad had good humor, by the way. He came and visited. He’s at this big table. And at this table, probably 10 people could sit there and they’re all telling my dad what a great job your son is doing. And we’re so proud of him. And you’d be proud of him, too. And my dad said, ‘You know, if his name was Craig Schultz, he never would have gotten the job. And I, you know, we laugh. You might think that’s something harsh, but it’s kind of true. And so, the main guy to get this Craig Harman turtle on top of that fence with Claude Harmon. Uh, without further ado, I know you have a long evening. I am truly honored to be a part of the class of 2025, New York State Hall of Fame. Uh, it’s something I never thought about, didn’t anticipate. Uh, it’s kind of a neat thing for me and I appreciate you all very much. Thank you so much. Truly one of the the great golf professionals uh in New York State and really in our in our great country. Moving forward, it’s my privilege to present the newest inductee into the New York State Golf Association Hall of Fame, Ed Fergle, a native of New York Mills, whose career stands among the most accomplished in New York golf history. Like many great players of his era, Ed was introduced to the game through catting, a job that not only sparked his passion for golf, but also helped support his large family during the Great Depression. But Fergle almost ruined his pro golf career before it even got started. In a childhood accident, and not a disease, as some reports later would would tell it, he fell off a playground gym set onto asphalt, trying to impress some of the older kids. After three surgeries and five weeks in the hospital with constant fear of amputation, Ed was released, but not without the final result, a left arm that was 10 in shorter than his right and limited mobility in his left hand. By age 17, he began competing and just 5 years later claimed his first title, the 1939 Utica City Championship. That same year, he qualified for the US Amter Public Links. And in 1940, he repeated as Udica City Champion and once again qualified for the Public Links, this time setting a new 36-hole qualifying record with a 600par 138. Ed rose to national prominence with a defining victory at the 1945 north and south amter at Pinehurst. one of the most prestigious amateur tournaments in the country. Later that year, he turned professional and began a PGA Tour career uh later that fall. Those days on tour were difficult, I would say, especially for most golf professionals. And Ed, who was newly married to Helen, eventually ran out of money and took a club professional job in St. Louis in 1952. But the highlight of his career came at the 1954 US Open. Held on the lower course at Baltus Roll Golf Club. The first US Open to be nationally televised, by the way. For the first time in nine US Open appearances, though he traveled alone to the championship, leaving Helen back in St. Louis to mine the shot. However, he found himself after 36 holes. He trailed Gene Litler by only two strokes with defending champion Ben Hogan also in contention. Through steady play and Saturday’s grueling 36 hole final, Ed rose to the top of the leaderboard. On the 72nd hole, needing par to win, he scrambled from the trees and sank an eight-foot putt to capture his first and only major championship. Ed also distinguished himself on the international stage. He was both the individual and team titles for the United States at the 1955 Canada Cup and represented team USA in the 1957 Ryder Cup. Over the span of his career, he amassed six tour victories, and 11 professional titles. He competed in 21 US Opens, 16 Masters, 13 PGA Championships, and a British Open, solidifying his place among the most consistent professionals of his generation. His remarkable accomplishments have been recognized by the Greater Udica Sports Hall of Fame, the Metropolitan PGA Hall of Fame, and the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame. Today, we are proud to add his name to the New York State Golf Association Hall of Fame, where his legacy will continue to inspire generations of golfers across the state. I’d like to bring up his great nieces, Kimberly and Melissa, to accept his award. [Applause] scoot over one sec. [Applause] Ladies, while you’re here, the the Frugal family would like me to read a statement from them. I’m glad to do it with the with the ladies here. The Fergle family would like to thank the New York State Golf Association for this great honor for Ed. We’re sure Ed would have been very proud being presented this in his hometown area. We would also like to thank the NYSGA for all the dedicated years working in this area with Hank Senior and Junior. It is truly incredible what Uncle Ed accomplished with so many strikes against him. He had passion and guts and would not let his injury or any other obstacle stop him. At Ed’s winning US Open, he was a washed up club pro with a withered arm from a hard scrabble town. A guy with no caddy and no respect. Amen, baby. There was not a chance he was going to to stop Ben Hogan from winning his fifth US Open. But somehow with Ed’s strong will and determination, he was able to accomplish just that. Ed was quoted in saying, “If a man wants something long and hard enough, and if he puts every ounce of his ability and self-control behind that wish, he can attain it.” I think my open victory proves it. We are very proud of Ed’s incredible career and of all of our family’s recognizable accomplishments in golf. More importantly, they were able to create amazing careers and lives around this prestigious sport they truly love so much. Thank you again. [Applause] Okay, we’ve reached the turn this evening and for reasons I can’t quite explain, the region where we sit this evening has developed some of New York’s finest golf talent. Our next honore, Debbie Austin, spent her summers walking the fairways of nearby Onidita Community Golf Course before embarking on a remarkable 19-year career on the LPGA tour after dominating dominating the amateur game in both New York and Florida. Debbie can’t be here tonight due to a prior due to a prior commitment, but she sent along a video that we’ll play for you. Now, can I start out by thanking uh the New York State Golf Association Hall of Fame Committee for honoring me with this great prestigious award. I grew up on the United Community Golf Club. Uh we had nine holes in the front of my house. Um and we had to go over the railroad tracks to get to the first tea. And then years later, pro probably four or five years later, they put the back nine and it was right in the back of my house. So, I was totally surrounded by golf. G golf uh 18 holes of golf and that was so fantastic. My parents both played. My brother played. In fact, my oldest brother Jim was probably the best player in the whole family, but he had terrible arthritis and he had to give it up at an early age. I would say that um my experiences winning the New York State Junior Golf Association was one of my highlights in New York State because it was on my golf course, Tuga. My dad was um with Onida uh Silver and he had a membership at Tuchica so I could play at Tuchica and I was so nervous that that uh week because Gail Sykes was playing, Lance Smith, um a couple of other gals, uh Nancy Barren I think um are people that I remember. And you know, everybody expected me from the club to do well because I was a member there and I played there all the time and I was probably as nervous as I’ve been in any tournament because I really wanted to win it for myself and also for the club. So, and as it turned out, I did and that’s history. when I played in the New York State women’s up at Whiteface Mountain um in the finals the last day we stopped for lunch because we were playing 36 stopped for lunch and I left my glasses somewhere and they weren’t to be found. So, I had to play my last 18 holes without seeing it as good as I could. Betty was Betty was a great friend of mine. She would she was from McConnell’s and she would come down and we would go on to one of the the areas that you could hit balls at Onida and we would work on our golf swings together. We had a great time and I know that Betty was always in my corner whether it was, you know, me going out and playing on the tour or just uh being around her and talking to her about all her activities with all the girls she was so supportive of. and I would end up giving her all my old golf clubs and she loved it and she was just a a super person. I I can’t tell you enough about her. She just was wonderful and I miss her dearly. It’s been a long time, but uh since she’s been gone, but um you know, and it’s it’s amazing when I think about how long ago it was that I was playing golf in New York State. I mean, it was 60 years ago, I think. And of course, the other thing is that I had great um times in Syracuse Women’s District Golf. They were very very good to me. Uh I played in a lot of their tournaments. Um played with Jenny Allen who was a fabulous player. Um and and we we had a lot of good times playing at different golf courses. El Reynolds, he was the pro at Tuga and he he started me out in my golf. I ended up going up to Lafayette Country Club where Auggie Nordone was the pro. I don’t know whether you remember him, but he was one unbelievable player at the time. and he would take me I would go to Lafagat at like 8 or 8:30 in the morning and we would hit balls all day and then we’d play golf in the afternoon and go right up until almost dark. Augie taught me a lot of different shots and it was just a wonderful wonderful experience. And then of course my last person that um I’ve had uh a great admiration for was my last boss who was the golf professional at Westchester Country Club where I spent 10 years as a teaching professional. And John Kennedy was a wonderful, wonderful um mentor. He taught me a lot of great things. He taught me a lot of things in my teaching. Also, um I worked with um him running all the outings at Westchester. So, there were a lot of a lot of good things that I learned. And of course, we had a huge membership there and they were all awesome. The um at the end of my time there um we put together uh TE’s for the juniors and that was one of my fondest memories. And in probably the last uh eight years or so, we’ve done the same thing at my club here in Orlando. We’ve we’ve gotten a forward tea so people can get up there and enjoy the game of golf. And that’s what’s so important because we’re not all playing in the New York State Golf Association tournaments. We’re playing for a quarter or a dollar Nassau or five dollar Nassau. It’s great to be able to have the variety of tees for all different kinds of people and players and both men and women. It’s just great being able to be in there with those terrific players. Lancy Smith and I played a lot of golf together. Jenny Allen and I played all the time. Um, Daddy Pepper, how about she’s in the hall, which is terrific. You know, I played with her many, many years ago in Hilton Heet and when she was still an amateur and she was playing terrific golf then. and you know to see where her career has gone is wonderful. Cookie Burger, I played with Cookie Burger, Jean Trainer. Um the you know, these are the ladies, but they were all they were all terrific. It’s it’s a wonderful, what am I going to say? wonderful to be able to be a part of this association and hopefully, you know, I can look back at it another four or five years and say, “Hey, look where I am. Look what happened back in 2025.” And thank you all so very much for making me a part of your very prestigious New York State golf hall of fame. I hope to meet Debbie someday. She seems uh she seems like a lot of fun to to have a conversation with in a glass of wine. It would be a riot. Moving on, I have the honor of It’s rare in this business after 22 years that I I get to introduce a golf administrator that’s been in the business longer than me, but today is that day. Uh, introducing George Zaringer III is Metropolitan Golf Association longtime employee and and we consider him a legend in our business, Gene West Morland. [Applause] Thank you for your kind words there, Bill. And congratulations to all of the 2025 inductees. You all have so much to be proud of. You know, the MJ shares a wonderful relationship with the New York State Golf Association. I feel privileged to vis visit Yandasus Golf Club, not only the birthplace of the New York State Golf Association, but an important club in the history of golf in America. Thank you for having me. Given my long association with the MGA and Tournament Golf in Metro New York, I’ve often been asked who I believe the MGA’s best amateur ever was. Comparing eras is very difficult and generally dangerous. How do you compare the amateur career of PGA Tour winner, Rookie of the Year, Rder Cup star, and four-time MGA champion Cameron Young with Yacht Nadasus legend Walter Travis, who won three US amateurs, four Met amateurs, and the British amateur, or Travis’s much younger arch rival, Jerry Travers, who won five MET amateurs, four US amateurs, and the 1915 US open or Dick Citro, a five-time Met amateur champ who played on and then captain three Walker Cup teams. Comparing eras is impossible. Courses and the way the game is played has changed so very much. Our courses play so differently. Think Greenspeed. Because of the conditions provided by today’s super talented golf course superintendent and Tiger, he had a lot to do with it. He made it cool for the best high school athletes to play golf, train like Olympians, and hit it a mile. Today, almost every college age tournament winner turns pro. So, George Daringer is something of a unicorn. He took up the golf early and for sure he was better than most of the other kids. He recalls playing in only one junior tournament, qualifying for the Met Jr., and that one of the Harmon brothers won. He was a solid member of the Iona Prep and Stonehill College teams and capped off his school boy days by winning the Massachusetts Intercolgate in 1975. That’s what about when I met George. But I only started paying attention when I started running MGA tournaments in 1978. I recently asked him when he knew he could compete with the best amateurs. George told me that in 1978 he qualified at the sectional level for the US amateur, then qualified over 36 holes on site, moving on to match play, then won a match. The following year, he won the Westchester County Amateur and qualified again for the US Amateur. That’s when he felt he could compete. He had just turned 26, an age when most of today’s US amateur winners have given up on their dreams. George was just getting started. Over the next 30 years, let’s make that 40 years, George created a legacy that will never, and I repeat, never be duplicated. An active and successful businessman with a growing family, George limited his torn and play to only the majors. He still compiled 20 MGA championship titles and another 20 significant wins at events like the Travis Memorial at Garden City Golf Club, the Hawkster Memorial at Quaker Ridge, the Westchester Amateur, the Long Island Amateur, the New York State Amateur, the British Senior Amateur, and the USGA Mid Amateur. He has been the MGA player of the year a record 10 times, knocking heads with a select group of people like the Corvilles, Jeff Thomas, winner of both the USGA mid amateur and public links championship, and a seventime New Jersey amateur champ, Hall of Famers John Baldwin and Bob Henin, and every hot shot college senior on their way to Q school. His list of wins includes the legendary Met Open. In 1985, he became the first player to win both the Met Amateur and the Met Open in the same year. He narrowly missed becoming the first player and the only two-time amateur Met Open winner by losing in a playoff to highly regarded pro Bobby Hines at Beth Paige Black. interviewed following his win. Hines, who spent a couple years on a PGA tour before start settling into a life as a club pro, said that he was very proud of this win because every pro knows that George Xaringer is the best player in the Met area. George would remain a Met Open contender for the next 25 years with a bunch of top 10s. He was low amateur nine times. George won the US Mid-Amur. That’s for players 25 and over. George was 49 at the time. Today’s US amateur is dominated by college players from around the world. Advancing to match play goes on players resumes. George did it at age 54. Just qualifying for the US amateur is something scratch golfers brag about. George did it at age 64 when he became the oldest player to qualify for the US amateur. That was his 57th USGA championship. George started working with a young assistant pro during his teenage years at Westchester Country Club. Jim Mlan was not the household name and PGA Hall of Famer in golf instruction the way he is now. He and George have remained good friends to this day. He wanted very much to be here, but world travel got in his way, so he prepared a short video to congratulate George. Thank you, Jean, and congratulations to all of the inductees tonight. I’d like to tell you a little bit about George Zaringer, who I met in 1975, my first year at Westchester Country Club. So, we’ve been friends for 50 years now. I watched George play a lot of golf. I I played with him. I worked with him a lot and I saw him progress tremendously until I remember in about 1982 he came up to Sunnydale, my first head professional job and we played 18 holes and I saw something really special. Man, this guy could really play. Uh, and there was no doubt about it. That year he won his first Metropolitan amateur. And then of course you’ve seen all these trophies up here of all the tournaments he won. 1986 he won the Met Open against the professionals and we had some really fine players in the in the MetPGA like Jim Alvis and Bruce Leiski were good tour players and uh Daryl Kner and many others but George was the best player and I knew that and I think he he knew it as well. Um then of course he’s done many other great things and I’ I’d like to mention a few of them. One was of course winning the United States uh men amateur the year after he’d lost in the finals. He called me to come up for that last round and I flew up and we had dinner the night before and we had breakfast in the morning, talked a little strategy and then he went out and played Jerry Kville at Standwich and won. And I thought that might get him on the United States Walker Cup team and it did. And you know, you think about a real amateur who who took the winners off completely, didn’t play, hung them up, and lived in New York City and made the United States Walker Cup team. It’s just mindblowing. Um, George would also qualify for seven United States Senior Opens and he was a low amateur three times and one year he would shot the low round, the last round, 69, of all the players. Um, one year I also wanted to mention I I had my biggest check because of George. We played in the US FNG Skins game. It was a big deal for a few years. We had to qualify in the Northeast first in New York. And then we went down to Florida and qualified for the East Coast. Then we had to go out to California and qualify out there to get in the Final Four. And we played uh over the weekend uh on Thanksgiving weekend and we won it. But George played just magnificent on TV. I mean, didn’t miss a shot. Just carried me to this win where I I got a check for $51,000. So, I George, I always thank you for that one. He’s just been a a incredible player. Uh so deserving of this award and this induction. And George, I hope you have a great night tonight. You really deserve it. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s my pleasure to introduce George Aringer and welcome him to the New York State Golf Association’s Hall of Fame. George [Applause] right here, guys. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Thanks very much. I I don’t think this microphone is working, so I’ll try to project my voice a little bit. Um, it’s great to be here at at the Yannodsus uh golf club, the founding club of the New York State Golf Association in 1923, over 100 years ago. I mean, that’s that’s very very special just in its own right. Um, I want to thank the NYSGA and the Hall of Fame selection committee and congratulations to the other Hall of Fame inductees as well. I’m really thrilled to join all of you tonight. There are so many people that helped me succeed in the Ammer game over the last 50 years that I’ve been a competitor. Um, starting with uh really I have to say my family. My father first introduced me to golf when I was 10 years old. There was a a a junior clinic at the Golden Horseshoe Club in Williamsburg, Virginia, which is where I where I first swung a golf club. And I was very fortunate that I was a good athlete, had good hand eye coordination, good baseball player, and I had a lot of very early success, which in golf I think goes a long way. Um, I also had in addition to my father, I had the support of family for all these years. And you just don’t you don’t succeed in golf and certainly competitive golf. And I’m I’m sure uh Wayne and some of the other inductees here that have played competitive golf for many, many years uh would would attest to that. Um, I want to thank uh my wife Natalyia, my son Alexander, and my daughter Christina who who came up tonight. Thank you guys for being here. Um, and I want to also point out that that I was very fortunate to to grow up in the metropolitan New York area. Um, the um Metropolitan Golf Association is the premier regional golf association in the country. There’s no question about it. I’ve played all over the country and and Gene West Morland was and is an integral part of that success and reputation that the Met Golf Association has earned over the years. Uh, and Gan was was the tournament director for God, I don’t know, 20, 25, 30 years at the MGA. And I can absolutely say for certain certain that playing in the MGA competitions on the golf courses that we were so privileged to have in the med area that we played US Open venues all the time and we played them under competitive conditions both the setup uh the green speeds and and the tea boxes and I know that that experience contributed to my success nationally. I mean, it just did. And I was very fortunate to to have had that uh exposure to to the MGA. Um, and playing in those those great championship venues. Um, I also had numerous trainers, sports psychologists. It was, you know, I I had I mean, I didn’t have a an entourage like the professionals do nowadays and even the college players, but I had a lot of support. uh not only with Jimmy Mlan who was you know just a sensational teacher uh but I had a lot of support of a lot of other individuals over the years and just one one quick comment on Jimmy uh that was I really appreciate his taking the time to do that video. Uh but Jim went to University of Houston which was big time golf back then. I mean he played with Bill Rogers, Bruce Litzky, Krenshaw Kite that was the whole Lanny Watkins that was the whole crowd that he played in. And I went to a college uh just south of Boston, a school called Stonehill College. And we play I played soccer in the fall and golf in the spring. And Jim through mentoring me um through sort of some osmosis kind of transferred to me the the the experiences and the and the lesson the life lessons that he learned being exposed for for many many years to the ways that Bruce Litzky and Bill Rogers and and Lanny uh Kite and Crunch, how those guys thought and how they played competitively, how they went about managing their game and and that was a big part of my success for sure. um couple key moments in my amateur golf career and I chose to be an amateur and I it’s it’s a decision I made very early on and who knows uh it the the various of of psychology and so on and so forth if I could have been successful on on tour but I chose to remain an amateur and I absolutely have never regretted it to this day I’ve made great friendships and had great experiences um as as Jean said qualifying died for the uh US amber in 7879 was a big mental u uh comfort and achievement for me. Uh winning the medameter in 1982 was was was a big deal. The medameter uh then and and is now you you you had probably 7 or 800 entrance that got winnowed down um to uh 64 then players who went to the championship site. Um and then and we played 36 holes medal for a sweet 16. Uh and that sweet 16 played one match. Um uh played one match, one match, and then a 36 hole final. So it was so you played you played 36 1836. So it was a lot of golf and and to maintain you know you had to maintain physical conditioning, you had to have you know plenty of mental uh capacity as well. So, that was a big a big test for me to pass that. Winning the New York State AM in in uh 1984 was a huge accomplishment for me. It’s something I always thought about. I mean, I played my first state amiter in 1978 at Moonbrook Country Club in Jamestown. I was paired with Jeff Slumman. Jeff and I I mean I see Jeff, you know, you know, occasionally at senior uh PGA events, senior tour events, and you know, I’ll never forget how good Jeff was and how good Joey Synindelar was. These were guys that I got had the privilege of playing some amber golf with. I mean, Joey Sindelar had such a great swing. Club went up and went down and and it was and he was just and it was powerful. Um 85 met open and metam was a huge huge uh win for me. Um, I remember playing the Met Open on the final hole. I was paired with Billy Britain who was a tour winner and at the Mountain Ridge Golf Club in New Jersey and they had a crazy green green complex on the 18th hole and I hit a putt. I probably had a 30 30 to 35 foot putt and as this putt’s breaking left, it’s now going downhill and it’s picking up speed and and you know I got fortunate that the putt went in and I won I won the tournament by two shots but but if it didn’t go in it could have gone off the green and you just you know you get these these breaks every now and then. Uh and I I I have another break I want to talk about just briefly. Winning the medameter in 2002 uh was got me into the Masters in 2003 which which was great. Uh Wayne I saw played in nine Masters. I played in one, but I but it was it was a tremendous experience uh playing in the Masters and and that uh Midam win uh helped uh get me into the onto the 2003 Walker Cup team, which of course playing for your country was was a tremendous thrill. Um, I did have one, um, I did have one quick story. Uh, you know, and Wayne knows this better than a lot of people, having one on tour. And sometimes you need a break to win. And and and sometimes it’s maybe it’s a putt like I hit in the Met Open that just happen to catch the hole and go in. And sometimes it’s it’s your opponent uh or somebody in the field who’s right with you makes a mistake. And I had an experience like that in the US Midameter in in 03 uh and 02, excuse me, at Standwich Club in the quarterfinals. I’m I’m I’m I’m one down uh after 14 holes. And on the 15th hole, which was tough par, par4, dog leg left, I decide to play it safe and hit a 3-wood. It probably would have been a three-wood, four iron, something like that. And I I came over it and I hit it in the water hazard. left and and and I’m and and it’s a dog leg left. I know when I drop the ball, I’m going to have no shot at the green. So, I’m going to make five at best and probably a six. My opponent’s in the right rough. And I mean, he’s just not a big deal for him to make a five and probably a four. I go out to the to the to the water hazard. There’s a a rules official there. I said, “Well, where’d the ball go in?” He points up at a tree. says, “It hit this hit this branch and it went in over there.” So, I’m I’m going to go over to the spot where it crossed the cross the hazard and I’m about to drop the ball and all of a sudden out of the corner of my eye, I see my opponent is kind of running over to me and the official in my caddy and he’s about 60 or 70 yards away. He’s on completely on the other side of the hole and I’m going, “What?” I’m just start thinking to myself and he gets into an argument with the official about where the ball crossed the water hazard. Now the official was standing right at the water hazard and he I mean and the guy argued with him for about you know a minute or so. I ended up making a six. This guy ended up on the green and three three putting and made a six. instead of being two down with three down, I’m one down with with three to play. And I knew I had them and I I I won the next two holes. We have the 18 and and and that kept me in that kept me in the tournament. And I when I went on to win uh against Jerry Corville, but you get these kind of breaks, I’m sure I’m sure Wayne has, you know, seen these, you know, countless times over the years that you just, you know, they’re unexpected. and and you know I was very very fortunate in that in that instance. Anyway, in closing, uh, I just want like to say that I I was I read Scotty Shuffler’s quote, which got a lot of publicity about a month ago, and Scotty was saying that the rewards of winning can be fleeting. And I and I was thinking about that and and my inclusion in the 2025 uh class of of of 2025 in the in the Hall of Fame here, you know, has been tremendously rewarding after all these years. you know, I’m I’m I’m reflecting on some of the success I’ve had in golf. Uh, and you know, and the good fortune that I’ve had to have played the game successfully and enjoyably over the last 50 years. And it’s not a fleeting moment. I think with when Scotty gets inducted into, you know, his Hall of Fame, he’ll he’ll look back at all the success and I think he, you know, I’m I’m sure he’ll enjoy it just like I’ve enjoyed it. And I want to thank everybody for this wonderful honor. Thank you very much. [Applause] Thank you, sir. Moving on, it is is uh my honor for our next inductee will be Moira Dun Bulls and her presenter is Brian Funk. Ryan, [Applause] I wanted to first thank the committee for having my wife Teresa and I here this evening as your guest. It’s been an incredible evening and dinner. But most of all, I want to thank you for getting this selection 100% correct. [Applause] not only for the game of golf, but for the state of New York. I learned quickly in Mora and I’s career together what Mo had done meant to the golf fans in New York. As we walked down tournament fairways at Locust Hill in Rochester or Corning Country Club or even Wagill and New Rochester, it was not uncommon for us to hear UNICA UDICA. [Applause] In fact, it happens so often that two other players on tour just called Mora Udica. One of those players actually called me Uica. Mora was super proud of that. Super proud that this was her home. She not only re represented here, but truly played for this home. I also learned quickly in our career together what Moira meant to me personally. I found an immediate respect for Moira in the way she approached golf as a way of living. It was just that is an incredible game that touches all of us to our very soul. But there is more to life than golf. There is family, there are friends, and there are loved ones. Mo found a deep appreciation in music. She found peace in road trips from one event to the next. And I feel that perhaps Mora saw the same thing in me when we first met. I met Mora on a Saturday at my first tournament on tour. I had missed the cut with a player that I was only working for for one week and I went back out to the course on Saturday to hopefully do some networking because I I knew no one. A college friend of mine was a a club rep at the time and was doing some work with Mora on a Louisville PCM driver and and hoping to recreate the pimmen. Uh we met had a quick conversation and hit it off so quickly that Moira asked, “Who are you cing for next week?” And I said, “I’m unemployed.” She said, “Let’s do it. We went to Atlanta. At the end of the week in Atlanta, Morris said, “What are you doing the rest of the year?” Um, sorry. I wouldn’t be the Caddy I am today or on the journey I am on today without more. She’s proud of you. Keep going. Come on, including meeting my lovely wife on this journey. Um, Webster’s dictionary defines unselfish as one who is willing to put the needs or wishes of others before before one’s own. And that is Mora. I am so honored to be here presenting for Moraura and so thankful that she is sharing such an incredible acco accomplishment with Teresa and I. This is certainly the testament of unselfishness that I speak of. It’s never all about her. I’m often asked who my favorite player on tour, who my favorite player to caddy for was on tour, and the answer is always more. She simply allowed me to do my job. She made me a massive part of her job. She trusted me to do my job and to do everything I could do to help hers. I truly love my job. I worked for a player who is incredibly courageous, persistent, and has an inner faith that drives her to believe. On Sunday, July 18th, 2004, Mora put all of those together and created one of the best rounds of golf I have ever witnessed and certainly been part of. Was the Giant Eagle Classic in Warren, Ohio, standing on the 15th Fairway. And if I get this wrong, it’s been a while, but I know you remember every part of this. standing on 15 fairway. We were called in for a weather delay for 2 and 1/2 hours. And I honestly don’t remember what we did for 2 and 1/2 hours. But when we returned to 15 and resume play, Mora hit it to three feet. Birdie. On 16, she hit it to 18 feet. Birdie. And how far did that putt break, Mora? About six feet. About six feet from above the hole. 17 was a par three where she proceeded to hit it to three feet. Birdie paring on 18 left the two playing opponents completely baffled as to what just happened when we came out of a weather delay. for Mora’s first LPGA victory. She somehow during that weather delay in two and a half hours found peace and came out and put it all together. How did Mora show her gratitude to me? She offered to buy Teresa a plane ticket to London to celebrate at the British Open in Sim. Complete unselfishness. Mora trusted me to do my job and unselfishly thanked me for doing my job. Mo, thank you for this honor as your presenter. Thank you for sharing this outstanding accomplishment and thank you for your tremendous trust and friendship. And remember, you can always get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right. Congratulations Hall of Fame committee. Moradon Bulls has never sought recognition and that is why you got this pick absolutely right. Thank you. [Applause] All right. Well, you’re gonna find out pretty quickly that I’m not a Hall of Fame at this stuff, but I appreciate being inducted here today. I’d like to congratulate the rest of this 2025 class. Such a great honor. Um, especially with the Central New York Flare. To be mentioned in the same name as uh same with class with Wayne Levy and Debbie Austin with their careers. Um, I didn’t know George’s career, but after hearing it is incredible. It’s an honor. Um, Craig Harmon, everyone in the country knows the Harmon family. So, to be in that uh class is just is wonderful. I’d like to thank yandas. What a beautiful meal, wonderful evening, beautiful space. All the New York State uh staff, Dan, Debbie, uh Andrew, I haven’t met Andrew, but Andrew, we had some contract as well. Bill, thank you for presenting everyone. Um, but this is really for me. Um, I’m going to warn you, this is probably going to happen a couple times, but it’s um, it’s about the people on this journey, you know. Um, Brian, he’s you can tell that he’s just a little segment of the people that were on this journey with me. And uh I have my golf family. I have my family here at this table. And I have um you know the New York State family. Um Betty Dey, this woman here. I was telling that you know the the staff the other day it was like she was your grandma out there, you know. And I I told them, you know, I felt like she was always rooting for me. I think she’s probably every she made everyone feel that way. You know, I can remember going to Courtland the first time I played in New York State and the only reason why I knew about it is because the next year Cedar Lake was was hosting the girls. So, our head pro Kevin Reed, who’s a great guy and we’ve recently lost um said, you know, maybe why don’t you go to Courtland and, you know, get a feel for this thing, you know, because certainly you’re going to want to play next year. and she was one of the first, you know, women I met and uh with the New York State and she was amazing. You know, she would go out and follow me in in Corning and Rochester. She’d come down and stay with Tom. You know, Tom I met Rey I met at at one of those events and um I think he probably smoked a few cigars with my dad at one time, maybe after one of my wins, I don’t know. But I have um I have a lot of people to thank. Um, and I’ve been very fortunate, you know, to find great people through golf really and truly. I met my husband at a golf course. Um, we played golf together and kind of went from there. Um, found some common interests and, you know, we’re still together now and he still supports this crazy journey that I kind of haven’t given up on yet. And I have um Herb Morland’s here who um I hope someday is in one of these classes and I come watch him and making a speech because I think he’s one of the greatest teachers and most knowledgeable people about golf. Um I didn’t know I [Applause] I didn’t know anything about golf until I met her Morland. I played golf but I didn’t know anything about golf. You know anything about the golf swing? I just I played golf and my dad let me do that which was amazing. He never forced, you know, teachers on me. You know, he’s been more he he’s more than a coach. I’ve worked with him for over 30 years. He’s a mentor. He’s a friend and he’s kind of he’s my big brother who plays golf. You know, my brothers didn’t weren’t really golfers, but Herb kind of became my big bro and his wife Judy Sier. I know every summer I was up here, he he sacrificed time with his family to um make me better and spend time with me. And I also have um my Cedar Lake family. They have some of the girls are here, some other members are here and um always supported me. I still go back there. That place um it’s amazing. I love it. It’s um it’s it’s part of me. Um, I can never not see him be there being there. Um, as I said, my husband Rick has been amazing. He still is. Um, he follows me around and and I I know he he loves it as much as I do and it’s it’s we’ve had a great journey together. Two of my brothers are here. Um, I don’t know how most people probably know I’m the youngest of eight. I have seven older brothers and two of my brothers here. Our brother Brendan and Deian is here and Brendan’s wife Michelle. My nephew Jonathan drove in from Boston this morning to be here, which is awesome. Is um how they’ve always been. Brennan and Michelle have probably seen me play um almost as many golf holes as my parents did. apparent they came to a lot of events and it’s just it’s a tough road and to see those familiar faces and again they’re really not golfers and the only reason why they’re there is for you is it makes all the difference in the world and um I just can’t thank my families you know my Cedar Lake family my family my golf family because they have um they have changed my and they helped the trajectory of my career immeasurably. But the um the unfortunate part is is my my parents aren’t here. They’re here. I really hope they are because um none of this would have ever happened without them. the sacrifices they made being from a large family and the time they spent, um, driving me to tournaments, paying entry fees, um, making sure I I got the things I needed, um, is immeasurable. And I truly hope that they knew how thankful I was that I was fortunate enough to have parents of that caliber that they allowed me to do this for my whole life. And to do something I love and to play a game is just I could never thank them enough. And I’m just unfortunate that they aren’t here because that’s what this is about is to to thank the people that made the difference for you and they truly made that difference. So, thank you again. Thank you for this honor. It truly is an honor and I really appreciate you taking the time to listen to me and um letting me join this club. [Applause] Thank you, Mora. That was that was a lot of fun. Uh, and anytime we get to hear Betty Dey stories, that’s a win for the New York State Golf Association and those of us that knew Betty. Last but not least, it is uh my honor to introduce our last inductee, Wayne Levy. And he is so special here that he gets two presenters tonight. The first one is on video coming all the way from Fort Myers, Florida. Most of us just call him Dond Doe, but his name is Don Christian, and he’s got a few things to say about his friend Wayne. Good evening. I’d like to congratulate all seven newly inducted members in the New York State Golf Hall of Fame. I’d especially like to congratulate Craig Harmon, who’s my coach for over 25 years. Craig, I know you couldn’t make it to the ceremony, but I hope you’re doing well. Back in the fall of 1970, my brother and I were freshman at Swiggo State. Our coach gave one of our new teammates our number so we could call and we could play golf. My brother asked me who it was. I said, “I don’t know. I can’t remember his name.” Fortunately, he called back. We got to play golf. His name was Wayne Levy. We’ve been best of friends ever since. Wayne had a great career to swiggo. He was an individual Sunni Conference champion, helped our team to two great years. He also earned all-American honors, was eventually inducted in the Asiggo Hall of Fame. The two years Wayne was a Swiggo were two of the snowiest in history. He used to trudge through the snow, hit golf balls in the unheated fieldhouse next to the hockey rink. After two years of that, Wayne said, “I’ve had enough. It was time for him to get to Florida.” After a brief stint at the University of South Florida, Wayne turned pro and played the mini tours. Back then, there’s no texting or email, so Wayne would always write me letters. In one of his letters, he said he was really struggling with his game. There’s one thing he said that I’ll never forget. He said, “I’m going to make it if it’s the last thing that I do.” With 12 PGA Tour wins, two Champions Tour wins, a winning Rider Cup team member, a World Cup, many other professional wins, and most importantly, the 1990 PGA Tour player of the year. We can all agree that Wayne did make it. Great career, Wayne. As many good golfer, there’s always a team. Judy, I don’t know how you made it out there on tour with Michelle, Christine, Lauren, and Brian running around. It must have been a hard thing to do. I know you had a harder job than Wayne, and you’ll probably agree with me. And now there’s nine grandchildren for them to enjoy in their retirement. Andrew, McKenna, and Haron, I know you’re there. Hope to see you this winter. In 1985, my brother Caddyy for Wayne and the Masters. One evening, we decided to take one of the Cadillacs out to have ice cream. On the Wayne back way back in, Wayne said, “When we were in school, did you ever think that we’d be driving down Magnolia Lane in a Cadillac eating an ice cream cone?” Well, there’s no way we could ever imagine that. What an incredible career Wayne had going from that person that was hitting balls in the fieldhouse to PGA Tour player of the year. So, I’d like to introduce everyone one of the greatest golfers in New York State history and newly elected member in the New York State Golf Hall of Fame, Wayne Levy. [Applause] Now, a little a little sidebar for the levies here, but Uncle Don over here took about 27 takes to get that right. It was too windy. It was raining. He was inside. He was outside. It was in the morning. It was at night. We couldn’t get it right. Finally, Dondo came through for you, Wade. Secondly, I’d like to bring up his daughter, Michelle, to say a few words. Michelle. [Applause] Good evening, everyone. It’s such an incredible honor to stand here tonight and introduce someone who means the world to me, my dad, Wayne Levy. Now, I’ve been told to keep this short, but if you’ve ever played around of golf with my dad, you know that short really isn’t his thing. He’s been known to spend more time lining up his putts than I spent picking out my prom dress. Growing up traveling on tour was kind was a childhood unlike any other. By age six, we were experts at using the clubhouse scoring computer and the only time we were picked up early from the PGA Tour daycare was if my dad was leading. Traveling was always an adventure. Our favorite game at hotels was elevator tag and missing the cut meant missing the Saturday field trip. Thanks to my dad, these are all stories we now tell our families. And these are memories that will last a lifetime. When people think of my dad, they think of golf, the traveling, the tournaments, the trophies. But when I think of him, I think of family. I think of the man who rarely missed a basketball game, who coached us in softball and golf, and who somehow made every weekend about us, no matter how busy he was chasing his own dreams. Over the years, I got to see a side of him that few others did. The man who practiced what he preached, who never complained, who led by example, not because he wanted recognition, but because he was simply who he was. So tonight, it’s my absolute privilege to introduce not only a Hall of Fame inductee, but the best dad I could ever ask for. Congratulations, Dad. You’ve earned every bit of it. [Applause] [Applause] Lord. I’ll take that one. Okay. I I think I can talk loud enough so everybody can hear. Um, I want to congratulate all the other recipients recipients tonight for for their rewards and and thanks to uh Andrew Hickey, uh, Bill Moore, Joanne Wright, and all the New York State Golf Association staff for putting on this great event. Uh, I’d also like a special uh, thanks to Deb Spilman. I I talked with her a number of times to help. She did a great job uh taking care of my entourage that’s over here, this group. And uh you’ve heard that expression on the on TV, Deb, you’re a rock star. Yeah. [Applause] Um you know, I didn’t start playing golf till I was 14. Um, and that was kind of unusual for nowadays because people are playing five, six, you know, they got special teachers and everything and when they’re real young and that whole thing. Well, uh, like Donnie Christian said, uh, by the time um, I left high school, I was a New York State high school champ. And the reason for that is because I love to practice and I still do today. That’s why I had a back operation last month for spinal stenosis. So, uh, you know, uh, but like I said, I still love to practice. By the time I got to Asiggo, uh, one of the first, um, I’d say major events in my life happened. I I ran into a we were at the uh College Division Nationals and I ran into a team down there from the University of South Florida and like Donnie said, I said I they were telling me the same thing. He says, “You got to you got to leave us. You got to go come to Florida. You got to play golf all year around. You can’t, you know, give up five, six months a year up there in, you know, up north.” So, I did. And that was kind of like the first major event that that helped me in my career. The second was when I got down there to the University of South Florida, I ended up uh practicing a lot and I and and like you said, I joined the mini tours immediately because I I didn’t want to hang around and uh wait because I was in college college division at that time and so you had to wait out a year before when you transferred. So I I didn’t want to do that. I joined the mini tours. I didn’t I I I put up a lot of money that first series of money uh mini tour events. I made one check for $275. And at that time, I thought I was a lot better than I really was. And so I had to pack up all my clubs. I only had my clubs in my car. Had to drive back to New York. The next year I I played up here in the Northeast. I won a couple of tournaments, small ones. I made enough money really to get back to Florida. And uh this second time I ran into another uh event that uh I I I met this uh this uh he was a pro. He was a good golfer and got to be really good friends with this guy. His name was Rick Christie and he was a golf like I said he was a golfer and he caddy for me in a few of the tournaments down there and he said he he pulled me aside one day and he says you know you’re never going to be the top player with the particular setup and swing you have he pulled me like I said we went over the driving range he says here you got to make these changes to your swing. Now, I didn’t particularly like it, but I I I believed in him because I I’d already screwed up a few tournaments that I knew I I had and hit a terrible shots when I really needed, you know, a good one. Well, it took me a month of hitting balls, hundreds of balls every single day to hit a shot that resembled uh something a pro might hit. And I but I stuck with it and later I I you know it I tried to meld that into my game and again nothing really happened. Uh I played poorly number of times and but I trusted the swing and it and it was getting better and better. So by the time that you know that stent on the tours mini tours was over again I was broke. uh had my clubs, my car, pack it up, back up north again. Uh now I was starting to play better and bingo. I won a couple of tournaments. Uh I I probably uh there were small ones, you know, you you made first prize was maybe $1,000, maybe 1,500, you know, but by the end of the summer, I I I made, you know, a pretty good uh amount of money. Well, the third event happens that really changed my life and that’s when I met Judy. [Laughter] So, I met her and uh we dated for about I’d say two or three weeks. Uh but I told her I said, “Listen, I’ve got a you know, I’ve got a pretty good stash here. I got to head back to Florida because they got a couple of really good mini tours starting up.” Well, like I said, she didn’t like that too much. And and but I said, “I gotta go. I I got it.” So, I get down there and they had two series. The the the big one was it was called the Space Coast. And it was run by a guy by the name of uh JC Guussy. I you may have heard that name. He’s an old guy, older player. He used to play on the tour. Well, he was running this mini tour. So, there were two series of five tournaments. I ended up winning I think three or four of those tournaments and they were like $3,500 a piece and and in the meantime on the off days there were two day two-day tournaments. We there was another uh mini tour series called the uh Crystal River. Well, the first tournament at Crystal River, I’m leading and I get disqualified. Well, I went haywire. I got out out of that range and I practiced my hands fell off. I win the next four tournaments. I said, “Now we’re off. Now we’re now we’re in business.” Later that spring, this was this is probably end in March. Um the tour ends, the mini tours end, and this guy JC Goosey comes he comes up to me. He goes, “Um, what are you going to do?” I said, “Well, I I’m I’m going up to the big tour.” He goes, “Why are you doing that? You’re a rock. You’re a What do you What do you say?” He said, “Uh, you’re a legend down here on these mini tours.” I said, “Well, you know, that made me, you know, fine, but I’m going up to the big tour. You know, I want to play with Arie and Jack, you know, and uh he didn’t like it much, but hey, so I’m, you know, that that’s me. I’m I’m headed there.” In June, we see it was it was the end of June. There was I went to the qualifying school. Judy came down. We went to the qualifying school. There were 440 players there for 15 spots. I finished second. We got we got the tour uh card. Now you even though you got the tour card, that doesn’t mean you could get into a tournament. You had to go to qualify on Monday. It’s not like it is today. And so we qu I I qualified in a couple tournaments and by yeah it was now it’s late summer. It’s now October. I married Judy. We and uh we we hung out for a couple weeks and then we headed to Florida to the uh the Walt Disney tournament. It was the team event. Bingo. We win it with Bob man and I win the win the tournament. two-year exemption on the tour. We celebrated. We were hired in a kite. U we took off the we took off the rest of well the tour ended really. Uh in January we started the new year. We went out to Phoenix first tournament. Get out there. I’m all ready to go. The official comes up to me. He says, “What are you doing?” I said, “I’m practicing. I’m going to play.” He goes, “You forgot to commit.” So, you had to commit on the Friday before the tournament that you were going to play. I forgot. Well, Julie didn’t take that. Well, and she grabbed the commitment book. She says, “I’m taking that over.” So, she did. And I had a few good tournaments. By the time I think April, late April rolled around, I win the the Houston Open. That was my first individual tournament, 1979 Houston Open. And that was that’s that was the really set my career, you know, uh into this into the stratosphere really. And you know, the rest is history. And so and I just want to thank um all my family really that uh there’s no greater golf family sitting sitting right down there. [Applause] So, I’m going to just introduce everybody. Uh, the first one is is my daughter Michelle who was up here introduced me. And she’s had three three little boys. And that’s one of them, Angel, right there. He’s a great golfer. He’s on the he was uh he’s 15. is on the uh uh varsity golf team in in in uh in Connecticut. Um my daughter Lauren, she’s right here. She’s a great golfer and uh and she’s got a little do she’s got two little girls. They’re the only girls of the whole group. We got eight We got nine grandchildren, only two girls. And she’s got one of them here, McKenna. That’s That’s her over there with a cheetah with a cheetah dress she calls it. Okay, then my daughter Christine, he’s she’s got two little boys and one of them’s Haron right here. Wait till you see him. He’s going to be on the drive chip and putt uh at the Masters before long. He’s got he’s only five now, so he’ll be at seven. So I I took I I told my daughter I said you got to take some films of him chipping because the poor saps out there who can’t chip got to take this video and and look at it because even I do. He has the most perfect form chipping you’ve ever seen. And he’s fine. He’s going to be great. He’s going to be great player. And then my daughter and then my son Brian. Um he’s the best player of the group. He can really play. He gets one of these guys that hits at 300 yards and uh but uh and he was a pro for a while and he he he was started he started uh spending more money than he was making. So so now he’s he’s he’s a working stiff now. Yeah. But I still love playing golf with him. He I have a tough time beating him, but I once in a while I do. Yeah. So, thanks you guys for for coming. They came from all over the country to to be here. I love all of you. I love you. So, thanks again. Thanks for everybody for coming. Uh I appreciate it. Thanks again. Again, [Applause] thank you ladies and gentlemen. Thanks for coming. We never have a anything but a great evening when we get a group of golf lovers in a room like this and celebrate the game and celebrate the great people in it. I just have one last official duty if you’ll bear with me for a second and that’s to say thank you to some key people that made tonight happen. Um first of all to the Yannasus club did a terrific job with the arrangements. Staff was here all day. Let’s give him a big round. [Applause] And secondly, I want to I want to thank our uh staff members who were so responsible for making this evening a success. The association runs on volunteers, but we couldn’t do it without the great staff that we’re lucky to employ. And the main person here tonight that’s responsible for that is Deb Spielman. And if you’ll bear with me, [Applause] tell you a quick story about about Deb and today. One of the things about golf administration is one of the keys is attention to detail. Everything has got to be just so. Well, Deb doesn’t run golf tournaments, but she’s got that inundated inculcated in her from the rest of the staff of making sure everything is exactly right. When I wandered in here after the annual meeting today, Deb was standing with this table out in the middle of the room and she was ironing those curtains that you see hanging there and I said to her, “Did you Is that the club’s you know what a steam iron is?” I barely do, but I said, “Is that the club steam iron?” Oh, no. I brought it with me from home. I thought I’d need it for this. So, Deb is our manager of special events, and this has been special. Thank you, Bill Moore. Take a bow. Did a terrific job as our master chairman. Andrew Hickeyi. Andrew, please stand. [Applause] Andrew is our director of operations and is the staff liaison to the Hall of Fame committee. So really guides the committee, does all the counting of the votes and so forth. Instrumental part of everything that goes on at our association. In closing, I’d just like to quote Mora for a moment. I think I heard her say that she’s made a lot of great friends through golf. It’s one of the great things about our game. I think we’ve all made a lot of great friends through golf and I think we I hope you’ve all made an at least one new one tonight. Thank you for coming. [Applause]
