This Sunday, 11-year-old Simon Myers becomes the second McConnell Golf member to compete in the Drive, Chip and Putt national finals at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., the annual site of the Masters Tournament.

On Sunday, April 7, 11-year-old Simon Myers becomes the second McConnell Golf member to compete in the Drive, Chip and Putt national finals at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., annual site of the Masters Tournament.

The 10^th annual Drive, Chip and Putt finals will be broadcast live, prior to next week’s start of the 88th Masters. Conducted in partnership with the USGA, the Masters and the PGA of America, Drive, Chip and Putt is a free, nationwide youth golf development program open to boys and girls, ages 7-15, in four age divisions. The three-pronged competition tests the skills essential to playing the game – accuracy in driving, chipping and putting.

Local qualifying began last May and was held at hundreds of sites across the country this past summer. The top three scorers per venue, in each of the four age categories in separate boys and girls divisions, advanced to subregional qualifiers in July and August. The top two juniors in each age/gender division then competed at the regional level in September and October. Regional qualifying was held at 10 courses around the country, including multiple U.S. Open and PGA Championship venues.

Simon, the son of Linda and Tim Myers, who are members at Treyburn Country Club in Durham, N.C., won North Carolina pre-qualifier events at Mill Creek Golf Course and Duke University Golf Course, before traveling to Nashville, Tenn., for the regional qualifier.

At The Golf Club of Tennessee outside Nashville, Simon ran away with the Boys 10-11 title, his 152 points giving him a 23-point victory over the next-closest competitor. Simon sported an Augusta National polo shirt during his regional win, a gift from his friend and fellow golfer, Simon Hall. At this year’s subregional qualifier, Hall placed third and gifted the shirt to four-time regional qualifier Myers as a good luck charm.

Simon is one of 80 junior golfers representing 31 U.S. states, one Canadian province and Australia to have earned an invitation to compete at Augusta National this year. One champion will be named from each age/gender division. Each national finalist will be scored based on a 30-point system, offering the player with the best drive 10 points, the player with the closest cumulative chips 10 points and the player with the nearest cumulative putts 10 points, in each separate skill. The highest total composite score will determine the winner.

“I’m excited about the competition,” said Simon, who is a fun follow on Instagram (@simonmyers2012_golf). “The whole experience has been incredible.”

In 2016, another McConnell Golf member, Alyssa Montgomery from Holston Hills Country Club in Knoxville, Tenn., was 15 years old when she won her Drive, Chip and Putt division at Augusta National. She went on to earn All-ACC Academic Team honors during her four-year career at Virginia Tech, before joining the team at the University of South Florida as a fifth-year senior.

Simon — whose father played golf at Mississippi State and later tried his hand in professional developmental tour events — is the middle of three boys, and has played golf since he could walk. He regularly competes in Tar Heel Tour events, along with PGA Junior League, the US Kids North Carolina State Championship, and has participated in the US Kids World Championships since he was 6 years old.

This was Simon’s fourth Drive, Chip and Putt qualifying attempt, having made it as far as Duke during his three previous efforts.

Simon was able to meet his favorite golfer, Max Homa, during the 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow. Homa reached out to congratulate Simon on social media after he qualified for the finals at Augusta National, and Simon hopes to see his idol again this weekend, along with some of the other Masters competitors who will be on hand.

Augusta National provides each competitor with clothing to wear during the event, and Simon requested Masters green. He also received a custom Ping bag embroidered with his name.

“I’m really excited about seeing the course and meeting the pros,” said Simon, who added that he has reviewed TV footage from previous finals at Augusta National as part of his preparation. 

Tune in to Golf Channel or NBC Sports digital platforms from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. ET for live coverage of the National Finals. Check out the live leaderboard on DriveChipandPutt.com.

For more information about Drive, Chip and Putt, please visit www.DriveChipandPutt.com.

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Rich history makes the grass that much greener at McConnell Golf’s PGA events

Growing up on the Jersey Shore, Kerrie Debbs started playing golf when she was 8 years old. Little did she know that, years later, when she joined Raleigh Country Club in 2013, she would get to stand within easy putting range of some of the game’s biggest stars during the Wyndham Championship.

“My biggest thrill was seeing Freddie Couples up close. I mean, what woman doesn’t want to see Freddie Couples up close?” the certified financial planner says. “I saw Davis Love III and Sergio (Garcia) and some other players up close, which is a real treat.”

The private club is one of three McConnell Golf properties that play host to PGA tournaments each year, including two Korn Ferry Tour events. And that’s part of what makes these so special for McConnell Golf members.

“Unlike other tournaments, at Wyndham, you can get on the ropes and have a clear view of play,” Debbs says. “So this is a beautiful event, having these non-major tournaments played at our courses," she says.

Those events include Raleigh's UNC Health Championship; the Visit Knoxville Open at Holston Hills Country Club in Knoxville, Tennessee; and the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The latter tournament began in 1938, one of the oldest on the PGA TOUR.

And, speaking of history, all three McConnell courses grew from one of golf's greatest course designers: Donald Ross.

Ross was born in 1872 in Scotland, where he apprenticed under Old Tom Morris, the "Grand Old Man of Golf," at St. Andrews Links, the game's ancestral home. After arriving in the U.S. in 1899 with just $2 in his pocket, he went on to become, as he has been called, "the Michaelangelo of golf," designing some 400 courses until his death in 1948.

Ross’ last design happened to be Raleigh’s, located at what is now known as Donald Ross Drive as McConnell Golf commissioned the city of Raleigh to change the street name in the early 2000s.

Each summer as many as 15,000 fans walk that history at McConnell Golf ’s PGA events, which draw 156 top-of-their-game players pursuing million-dollar prizes.

Chris Kleinschmidt, Assistant Superintendent at The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation, says the tournaments require months of preparation.

His staff of nearly two dozen, along with contractors, spent weeks setting up stands and portable toilets, marking irrigation lines, and the like, working as many as 70 hours a week when Wakefield hosted the REX Hospital Open last year, he says. The tournament is now the UNC Health Championship. Oh, and he points out, “There’s a lot of detail work just pushing to get the course where you want it by early June.”

Adam McLaughlin, Raleigh CC’s Director of Golf, notes another grass-is-much-greener advantage that McConnell Golf ’s courses have throughout the PGA: support from sister courses’ agronomy experts.

“They put in long hours and do some pretty cool things,” he says.

Outside of McConnell Golf, preparing a star-studded stage takes a full year.

Just ask Brian Krusoe, Tournament Director for the UNC Health Championship, which sponsors the Korn Ferry Tour event that moved to Raleigh CC last June from another McConnell Golf property, The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation.

“The transition to Raleigh was pretty seamless,” he says, “and that’s because we have such a good partnership.”

Arguably, the most important partners include club members, who, after all, give up their beloved playing time for eight days a year, even a week or so before.

“One thing that might go a little under the radar is the amount of support it takes from your membership,” says Chris Dibble, Holston Hills CC’s General Manager and Director of Golf. “It’s a small burden on them and they’re very supportive and understanding as to the status of these events that we’re hosting.”

Dibble, who has worked there for 31 years and belongs to the Visit Knoxville planning committee, goes on: “Our membership has been really good about just jumping in and trying to help and support the event.”

McLaughlin, who previously served as Director of Golf at The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation, notes yet another member benefit.

“They see the winner make this putt, a 20-foot downhill putt,” he says, and next thing they know, they’re standing in the very same spot.

And the pride. As Debbs puts it, “You’re proud of your club because you’re putting your best foot forward. It’s kind of a bragging right that you know your course was worthy to host the tournament.”

Kleinschmidt echoes what McConnell Golf ’s other backstage pros experience at each tourney’s end.

“We see our courses every day, in and out, and we have a tendency to probably look at more of the flaws day-to-day than the good stuff,” he says. “It gets really, really rewarding at the end of the day. It’s a lot of work, but it really pays off, watching some pros play tournament-level conditions.”

Chad Culver is Senior Director of Sports Commission & Convention Sales at Visit Knoxville, which sponsors the Visit Knoxville Open. He gets even more, namely the branding bonanza at world-class links.

“Every year, it just gets better,” he says. “You go walk around Holston Hills Country Club, if you’re a golf fan or a sports fan in general—to walk around that place, I mean, you’re not going to find many places more beautiful.”

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Legacy members reflect on time well spent on the coastal course

Go ahead and take a few extra practice putts on the 14th hole at The Reserve Golf Club. Odds are you’ll hear Frank and Linda Butts celebrating in their backyard. The retired couple joined the club in 2007 and built their Reunion Hall home, bordering the fairway, in 2009. After permanently settling here from Richmond, they’ve embraced golfing their way through retirement on Pawleys Island in South Carolina.

“We started coming down to the Lowcountry in the 1980s,” Frank says. “When it was time to start thinking about this next chapter, we decided to build down here. We couldn’t be happier.”

As the Greg Norman-designed course celebrates 25 years in the Grand Strand, the Butts are proud to have been here for most of that. “This is a beautiful club that has established a culture of hospitality,” the retired audiologist says. “It has exactly what you’re looking for in a club: the idea of a well-maintained course, a respect for the terrain and a respect for members. That’s what you’ve got here.”

Both of the Butts grew up playing golf in a country club environment; Frank in West Virginia and Linda in Pennsylvania. After taking time off to focus on careers and kids, they’re back in the game with each maintaining a 22 handicap.

“Oh, Linda beats me with great regularity,” Frank confesses with a chuckle. “She’s more athletically inclined. When I returned to golf, my game didn’t come back with me, but the pleasure of playing exceeded the frustration. Sometimes, golf is like a marriage to a bad woman. You don’t know why you do it, but you keep hoping it will get better.”

Linda looks on with a knowing smile. “We enjoy the sport together,” she says. “I played with ladies for a while, but now Frank and I will play two to three times a week. Sometimes it’s just the two of us, and sometimes we’ll pick up other members and play with them.”

Her life and golf partner scans the horizon of the 7,200-yard course that hugs the terrain, links fairways with charming bridges and showcases Grand Strand beauty.

“We hold a natural preservation designation because of what the club has done to preserve the wildlife that surrounds us,” he explains. “We’re right next door to the most famous botanical gardens in the region: Brookgreen Gardens.”

He marvels at the ingenuity Norman used to create the course that complements 160 acres of natural wetlands. “It doesn’t have tricked-up water hazards. It was designed with Augusta National in mind. The greens are all domed, without heavy rough. There are fairways and pine straw. It’s fair and doesn’t beat you up, but if you have a tight lie and not a lot of talent, it will give you a speech impediment.”

The Butts enjoy reciprocity with other McConnell Golf clubs, most recently having played Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech, The Cardinal by Pete Dye and Country Club of Asheville. Yet their favorite course is The Reserve, especially when all the kids and grandkids come to play. And their favorite hole? Frank sums it up best; “It would be No. 14. It epitomizes my relationship with golf. It’s beautiful. It’s home.”

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Italian Ricotta Cookie Recipe

This is my version of the Italian wedding/holiday cookie called “Tadal” which is traditionally flavored with Anisette and has a drier, crumbly texture. My Noni always made them, to the adoration and praise of family and friends. My grandmother was a painfully humble woman who shied away from any sort of compliment. Whenever she’d receive praise for these confections, she just shook her head and mumbled that they were just “stupid cookies.” Our family now refers to them exclusively as “stupid cookies” to this day. So as a pastry chef, this is my personal interpretation of them. I make them on holidays in reverence to that modest, selfless lady who was the first chef I ever idolized. To make them more shelf-stable and palate-friendly to adults and children alike, I created a recipe where ricotta cheese keeps them soft and chewy, and flavored them with vanilla. They lend themselves to any holiday, happy occasion, or cup of coffee.

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound Butter
• 3 1/2 Cups Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 30oz Ricotta Cheese
• 4 TBSP Vanilla
• 8 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 2 TSP Baking Powder
• 2 TSP Baking Soda

Glaze Ingredients:

• 8 TBSP Milk
• 3 Cups 10x Confectioners Sugar
• 1 TSP Almond Extract (optional)

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, ricotta and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and baking soda.
3. Add dry ingredients to the ricotta mixture until fully incorporated.
4. Chill & scoop; Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350°F depending on size.
5. Allow to cool on sheets before transferring.
6. Mix glaze, making sure it’s not too drippy.
7. Spoon glaze over each cookie and don’t forget to add desired sprinkles or décor before it dries!

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McConnell Golf Scholars make their mark at golf's highest levels

Raleigh-area native Akshay Bhatia earned a McConnell Golf Scholarship when he was 15 years old.

“This is one of the most exciting and rewarding programs in which we’ve been involved,” McConnell Golf Founder John McConnell said. “Our company is committed to amateur and junior golf. Some of the best junior golfers do not have access to practice facilities and good courses. Our goal is to provide this access and supervision in hopes of helping these talented young players move to the next level of play, and possibly allow them to elevate to the point where golf can become a means of helping them receive financial assistance for higher education and even play beyond the collegiate level.”

Bhatia, who was born in California, moved to Wake Forest with his family when he was an infant. He fell in love with golf at a public course just down the street from his house.

But it was the McConnell Golf Scholarship that Bhatia credits with propelling him to one of the best amateur careers in recent memory. He dominated numerous junior events, finishing runner-up in the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur and competing on the winning U.S. Walker Cup team in 2019. Homeschooled, he elected not to play high school golf, and instead of college, he chose to chase his dream and turn professional at age 17.

“I was very fortunate to get that scholarship,” Bhatia said during the 2023 Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club. “(John McConnell) offers junior golfers the ability to go play at some country clubs, which is great, and he owns so many now. You could go wherever, or you just call and you could go play. I was very fortunate to get that.”

“I grew up five minutes from a golf course from my parent’s house. But to get to that next level, I was able to start playing with a couple PGA TOUR players, a couple Korn Ferry players as a 15, 16-year-old. So, it was definitely nice,” Bhatia said. “And now I’m an honorary member at Wakefield Plantation, which is very special because they’ve treated me like family and to have that when I come back and not worry about where am I going to practice or where I’m going to play is a nice feeling.”

Bhatia’s first breakthrough came in January 2022, just before his 20th birthday. During his first official and sixth overall start on the Korn Ferry Tour, the lanky left-hander eased away down the stretch to win the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic by three shots. Along with the $135,000 winner’s check, Bhatia became just the third teenage winner on the tour, along with future PGA TOUR stars Jason Day and Sungjae Im.

Bhatia did not qualify for the PGA TOUR for 2023 but made it into the Puerto Rico Open in March and finished second for a $414,200 payday. That earned him special temporary membership status on the TOUR. After a ninth-place finish at the Barbasol Championship, Bhatia won his first PGA TOUR event in July at the Barracuda Championship in Truckee, California, played opposite of the Open Championship.

The 21-year-old ended up with four top-10 finishes on the PGA TOUR this season, including three top-4s, earning just shy of $2 million. “I’ve had a lot of ups, a lot of downs,” said Bhatia, who is now a full-time member of the PGA TOUR for 2024. “But I knew I was going to get here. It was just a matter of time.”

Grayson Murray received a McConnell Golf Scholarship in 2008 and two years later, when he was 16 years old, became the second youngest player to make the cut in a Web.com Tour event when he played the weekend at the REX Hospital Open, at Wakefield Plantation. By 2016, the former Leesville Road High School golfer had earned his full-time PGA TOUR card by finishing among the top 25 money winners on what is now the Korn Ferry Tour.

“I received the McConnell Golf Scholarship in the eighth grade, and it was perfect timing. It elevated my game so much just getting to go out to Raleigh Country Club every afternoon after school,” said Murray. “Learning how to play that course. Putting in the hours out there was huge. I don’t think I would have been the player I am without that scholarship. Five years at Raleigh Country Club was huge.

That’s a place where you can really improve your game. It was good preparation for college and then the pros for sure.”

“In all honesty, I don’t think Grayson could have made the type of progress he’s made in such a short period of time without the McConnell Golf Scholarship,” his father, Eric Murray, said. “It has provided him with a fantastic environment for him to practice in and to play.”

“I can’t tell you how much it has meant to Grayson,” says Murray. “We couldn’t have continued to put Grayson in the national tournaments he needs to play to keep his game moving forward, and also belong to a club of that caliber. It’s been really, really nice to be able to go over a world-class facility like Raleigh Country Club and practice. It’s been a dream, really.”

Murray recorded seven top-25 PGA TOUR finishes in 2017 and ’18, along with his first PGA TOUR win at the 2017 Barbasol Championship, earning more than $1 million each season. While Murray has experienced some lows during the past few years, the past season appears to have brought him some light at the end of the tunnel. In May, the 29-year-old won the Korn Ferry Tour’s AdventHealth Championship and he also had a pair of top-10 PGA TOUR finishes.

“I probably haven’t reached my prime yet,” Murray told the Golf Channel. “I can get on a good solid 10-year run and that’s what I plan on doing. I’m in such a good spot right now where I don’t want to change anything I’m doing.”

One of Murray’s high school golf teammates was Raleigh native Carter Jenkins, a 2010 McConnell Golf Scholarship recipient. In 2011, Jenkins earned a spot in the REX Hospital Open after winning a local qualifier to earn a spot in the field as an amateur. He made more waves in the fall of 2012 by shooting a course-record 59 at Wildwood Green.

Jenkins had outstanding success in amateur golf, winning eight Carolinas Golf Association titles, including the 2015 North Carolina Amateur and three consecutive Carolinas Amateurs. He became the first player in 92 years to win the Carolinas Amateur for three straight years. He played one and a half seasons for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill golf program after beginning his collegiate career at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. He won two events for the Spartans and earned All-Southern Conference and SoCon Rookie of the Year honors.

At UNC, Jenkins earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors in 2016 after leading the Tar Heels in stroke average (72.09), rounds under par (14 of 32), rounds in the 60s (seven) and percentage of rounds counted (30 of 32, .938). In 2016, Jenkins decided to forego his final year of collegiate eligibility and turn professional, making his pro debut on the Mackenzie Tour in British Columbia, Canada.

After going back and forth between the PGA Canada and Korn Ferry Tours, Jenkins finished T39 at the Final Stage of Q-School last fall, earning his first full campaign on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023. A tie for 14th at the season-opening The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay set him on the right path, and he’s gone on to add three more top-20 finishes.

His professional golf experience has given Jenkins, who lives with the neurological disorder epilepsy, a more positive outlook on the game—and life. “These past couple of years have been good for me in terms of the way I’ve approached the game from an emotional and mental perspective to bring myself a lot of peace and calm,” he said. “Golf is a game of life, and just like in life, nothing is going to be perfect. Trying to be perfect on the golf course is only going to make yourself frustrated. You’re just going to get in your own way. I’m just trying to play with a calm over me, accept variables and adversity, and move forward.”

All three professionals credit the McConnell Golf Scholarship Program for allowing them to reach their full potential.

“I am very proud of this program that started in 2008 and seeing how well all the juniors have developed and matured both on and off the golf course,” said McConnell Golf Vice President of Golf Operations Brian Kittler. “These players were all talented and accomplished golfers when they entered the program, but having access to our courses, instruction and practice facilities, they were able to take their game to the next level.”

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Pumpkin Orange Cookie Recipe

Growing up around the Pennsylvania Dutch area, there were a lot of German-style recipes I got to try. During the autumn time when pumpkins came into season, there were a lot of pumpkin foods going around. One place I worked at, my coworker would bring in two of my favorites: pumpkin rolls and pumpkin orange cookies. I made sure to get both recipes from her before I moved down south. Here is the cookie!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 TSP Baking Soda
• 1/2 TSP Salt
• 1 Cup Butter
• 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Can 15oz Pumpkin
• 1 Large Egg
• 5 TBSP Orange Juice, divided
• 1 1/2 TSP Orange Zest, divided
• 1/2 Cup Almonds, chopped
• 1 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar, sifted

Directions:

1. Preheat a convection oven to 350°F.
2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. 
3. Combine butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl; beat until creamy.  Add pumpkin, egg, 2 tablespoons orange juice and 1 teaspoon orange zest; beat until combined. Gradually add flour mixture; beat until combined. Stir in almonds. 
4. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets.
5. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until edges are set. 
6. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
7. Combine powdered sugar, remaining 2-3 tablespoons orange juice and remaining 1/2 teaspoon orange zest in medium bowl until smooth. Spread each cookie with about 1/2 teaspoon glaze.

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Matt McConnell reminisces on an unforgettable 20 years at McConnell Golf

I will never forget where I was when it became public that my father, John McConnell, agreed to pay off creditors and fund operations in return for ownership of Raleigh Country Club. It was August 2003 and I was working at Bennie Dean’s driving range, Falls Golf Complex, in North Raleigh. Golfers would come inside to cool off after hitting balls and casually discuss the possible sale of Raleigh CC. As I stood behind the cash register, they’d ask, “Wait, are you related to that McConnell guy?” With a red face I would answer, ‘Yes, that’s my dad.’ This would be the first of many times I’d find out through the newspaper that Dad was looking to acquire a golf course. Looking back, I would never have imagined his company would start with Raleigh CC and grow to what it is today.

In December 2003, Dad officially acquired Raleigh CC and McConnell Golf was born. That next summer I had my first job for the family business at the club’s pool grill. My dad would come around the turn to find me sitting inside the air-conditioned grill on a hot, slow day. And when I say “slow” it was slow compared to today’s member count. It didn’t take long for him to pull me out of there and say, “I’m not paying you to do this job anymore.” Soon after, I started working for the Director of Outside Operations, Maryland Scott, and for many summers to come, I loved it. I got to meet the members who made the club great.

Sam Ruby, who joined Raleigh CC in the early ’50s, was certainly one of those great members. I remember Mr. Ruby coming into the golf shop one day and asking Brian Kittler, “Where are those new clubs I ordered?” Brian replied, “I’m sorry Mr. Ruby, they haven’t come in yet. “Damn it I could be dead by now,” Mr. Ruby jokingly responded.

Jokes aside, many would remember Mr. Ruby as a great man who didn’t need any attention. He loved to go out by himself and play a few holes, usually on the backside. There is no telling how many times he played No. 12 in his lifetime! If your group came up on him, he would emphatically wave you through and as you passed, he’d say “Go ahead, I’m just messing around.” And Mr. Ruby would head back to 12 tee and start the process again.

Mr. Ruby was there when Raleigh CC opened its new practice facility in 2004. Dad wanted him to hit the first golf balls on the range at the opening ceremony. It was a really special scene to watch Mr. Ruby look down the range, aim his driver and then smack the ball. Even though he was in the spotlight for this, which he generally preferred not to be, you could tell Mr. Ruby really appreciated the moment. He was a true Raleigh CC legend!

In 2006, Dad expanded McConnell Golf by adding The Cardinal Golf & Country Club to the portfolio. The investment was a big one as he hired the original course architect, Pete Dye, to fully restore the golf course he created in 1974. After the renovation was complete, Pete and his wife Alice came to the grand opening to play golf with my dad and brother, John McConnell Jr. My brother would be paired up to play with Alice while dad rode with Pete. I recall how proud my brother was when he smoked his drive on the first tee box in front of spectators and birdied No. 1. In his excitement, my brother hit the gas quickly on the golf cart and Alice said to him, “You need to slow down, you’re going to give me whiplash!”
Alice would have the last laugh as she beat my brother on every hole from there on.

In February 2011, the portfolio grew to add Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, the host of the PGA TOUR’s Wyndham Championship. That first year Dad played with local fan favorite Webb Simpson, who at that point, hadn’t won a PGA event. I recall Simpson struggling on the course that day and Dad whispered to my brother Will and I, “This guy is not even going to make the cut.” Well, he proved Dad wrong and won his first PGA event that Sunday.

There are too many memories from the Wyndham Championship to mention, but without a doubt my favorite would come in 2015 when Tiger Woods attended. Dad got to play with him, NBA All-Star Chris Paul, and Wyndham Worldwide CEO Franz Hanning in the Pro-Am Tournament. The number of fans who came to follow Tiger that Wednesday, and for the rest of the week, was remarkable. Tiger had been injured for quite some time and decided to play at the last minute, which brought better TV ratings to the Wyndham than the British Open that year. I was fortunate to be at Sedgefield during the Pro-Ams but this day was different.

Everyone was there to see Tiger. I remember standing there on No. 1 with my sister Kasey Outen and McConnell Golf CFO Stephanie Howard. When Tiger approached the tee the announcer yelled, “From Jupiter, Florida, please welcome Tiger Woods!” and the crowd roared. I still get chills thinking about it. Tiger proceeded to hit a great shot with cheering to follow. As the crowd calmed down, the announcer would take control and say, “Now please welcome President and CEO of…” With much anticipation, my Dad went ahead to tee up his golf ball in front of everyone and heard, “…Wyndham Worldwide!” Dad immediately picked up his golf ball and tee to get out of Franz’ way. Stephanie, my sister and I died laughing as if we were the only ones who noticed this.

Finally, the announcer said, “Please welcome President and CEO of McConnell Golf, your host John McConnell!” Dad then teed up his golf ball nonchalantly and striped it down the middle with a perfect draw. Chris Paul immediately yelled, “I’m taking that one. I’m dropping next to him.”

The crowd may not have been as loud as they were for Wood’s tee shot but it was a drive I will never forget from start to finish. Most recently, McConnell Golf added Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech in Radford, Virginia, to the portfolio. It is the closest property to where Dad grew up on a farm in the southwest part of the state in Abingdon.

Last September, we went up to The River Course to make the announcement to the employees there on how McConnell Golf would be managing the property. Vice President of Membership Lauri Stephens would present a video to educate the staff on what it’s like to work at the company. As the video went through the history of McConnell Golf, I looked at Dad and could see a lot of emotion on his face, something he has always protected. After it ended and he gathered himself, I just remember him going “Wow.” He paused, then added, “It’s crazy to think that is where we are today. Only in America you can go from growing up on a farm in southwest Virginia milking ole’ Bessie to this. Opportunity presents itself every day in a country we are so lucky to live in.” Dad would continue to inspire the employees with his words, but that was a fascinating moment.

It is crazy to think what started with one club 20 years ago has grown into this with continued growth on the horizon. Cheers to 20 more years of great memories with members, staff and John McConnell as the President and CEO of McConnell Golf!

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