2019 OKLAHOMA GOLF HALL OF FAME Jim Awtrey: Your Single PGA's first CEO a Sooner Source For 405.359.0594 success story Corporate www.nfp.com/csok BENEFITS BY JOHN ROHDE play until somebody came by to get us.” Oklahoma,” Awtrey said. Local tournaments are where Awtrey Born in Oakland, Calif., while his father im Awtrey’s career in golf got out honed his craft – events such as the Chero- was stationed there with the Navy during of the starting gate thanks to a kee Strip Golf Classic in Ponca City, the World War II, Awtrey arrived in Shawnee Jhorse. Boom Days tournament in Seminole, the when he was 8 months old and would grow “My dad had taken me out to the course, Pokkecetu Tournament in Wewoka. into one of only two junior golfers from the but I told him I didn’t want to caddy for “It was like a mini-tour,” Awtrey said. area at that time. him. I wanted to play,” Awtrey said. “So I “Everybody played. College players played. Awtrey played at the University of Okla- sold a horse for $100 and bought my first As you got better, the better players want- homa and after graduating with an ac- set of golf clubs in the store.” ed to play and you got better. That’s how counting degree in 1966, he served as an Awtrey, a 2019 Oklahoma Golf Hall of we really learned to compete. There were assistant professional for 2017 Oklahoma Fame inductee, grew up in Shawnee, play- a lot of great players that you saw and you Golf Hall of Fame inductee Joe Walser at ing on courses with no irrigation and no aspired to be like them. Oklahoma was just Lake Hefner Golf Course in Oklahoma bunkers. a great place to be and grow up and learn City. “We used to have crabgrass-picking par- to play.” Fresh out of college, Awtrey spent three ties,” Awtrey said. “We didn’t care about Awtrey recalled qualifying for the Okla- years playing on the winter tour to earn the condition of a course. We just wanted homa Open at age 16, which resulted in a money. to play. I never even got to see a bunker unique experience for the junior pro-am “We drove everywhere and we didn’t THE RIGHT CORPORATE AND EMPLOYEE until I went to Oklahoma City (as a junior on Wednesday prior to the tournament. have a home,” said Awtrey, who was mar- player).” “There was one woman in the field, and ried and a father of one child at the time. Awtrey’s golf swing was self-taught. I’m paired with her,” Awtrey said. “All the “We didn’t have an apartment or a home BENEFITS STRATEGY IS THE ONE THAT’S “More than anything else, golf is an op- sudden I look up and I’m like, ‘Wow, she in Oklahoma. We drove from California, portunity in Oklahoma,” Awtrey said. “I can really play.’ ” to Florida, traveling in caravans with other started as a quarterback on the high school That lady was Susie Maxwell Berning, players. You do that now you’d say, ‘Well, RIGHT FOR YOU AND YOUR COMPANY. football team, but playing golf is some- who would win four major championships that sounds stupid.’ But back then, that was thing I wanted to do. I always wanted to on the LPGA Tour – three U.S. Women’s the dream.” play on the tour. We’d go out to the Elks Opens and the Women’s PGA Champion- Walser and fellow Hall-of-Famer Ernie Club and play all day long when we were ship – and 13 pro tournaments total. Vossler suggested Awtrey head to New 13 and 14. We’d start in the morning and “That’s kind of the world we live in York. At NFP, we empower you to take control of your company’s future. Contact us today to discuss how we can support your employee benefit needs. 18 WWW.GOLFOKLAHOMA.ORG GOLF OKLAHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019 BANK WITH US Rubbing shoulders with George and Barbara Bush and with fellow Oklahoma pros Ernie Vossler and Joe Walser. “They told me, ‘You play well up there, thereafter. later, he became Executive Director on an somebody will come along and sponsor First elected into the PGA of America interim basis and soon became the first FROM ANY BEACH you,’” Awtrey said. in 1969, Awtrey built an unfathomable re- PGA professional to hold the title. In 1993, After a brief stint in New York and two sume as an executive with the organization Awtrey was named the PGA of America’s years on the PGA Tour, Awtrey returned to that would span five decades. first-ever CEO, a position he held until his his alma mater as head coach from 1972-77, After leaving as OU’s coach, Awtrey retirement in November 2005. leading the Sooners to three NCAA tour- served as treasurer and president of the The PGA of America enjoyed unprec- nament appearances. PGA South Central Section, then joined edented success during Awtrey’s tenure. Awtrey’s playing and coaching abil- the PGA Rules Committee and its Board of Membership almost doubled to 27,000, ity are not what earned him a spot in the Directors. the PGA Championship gained in stature Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame, however. It In 1986, he joined the PGA of America as one of golf’s four majors, and the Ryder was a conglomeration of everything he did staff as tournament manager. Nine months Cup became the sport’s preeminent inter- MEMBER FDIC 12201 N. May Avenue | Oklahoma City, OK | quailcreek.bank | 405.755.1000 20 WWW.GOLFOKLAHOMA.ORG GOLF OKLAHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019 2019 OKLAHOMA GOLF HALL OF FAME President Bill Clinton greets Jeanne above, while the two flank Arnold Palmer at right. national competition. tor at the PGA of America, there were only South Carolina, even though the Pete Dye “We developed a strategic plan early and five hours of Ryder Cup television coverage design was still under construction at the we were able to get to all of them because in 1987. At the end of his term, there were time. Playing in the Eastern time zone we kept evolving and creating benefits out 26½ hours of coverage. rather than the Pacific allowed interna- of the money raised,” Awtrey said. “The It was Awtrey who boldly made the tional broadcast coverage to reach London plan was executed and it was a great time decision to relocate the 1991 Ryder Cup before midnight. Known as “The War on to do it.” from sweltering Palm Springs to the Ocean the Shore,” the United States recaptured When Awtrey became executive direc- Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in the Cup from the Europeans with a 14½- 13½ victory. “It turned out to be one of the greatest moves ever and one of the most dramatic Ryder Cups we’ve ever had,” said PGA of 1 S O A T OK 120 912 America historian Bob Denney. “I wouldn’t call him (Awtrey) a gambler, but I would call him a man who balanced things so well. He just handled things so easily. He was a man who also believed in the future in the game of golf. He helped build the pathway to diversity and it’s picked up in strength since that time.” Kerry Haigh, who is the Chief Cham- pionships Officer for the PGA of America, noted Awtrey’s vision. “Jim was able to get the team to work together beautifully, and at the same time he was able to look out 10, 20 years from now. Most of us are looking day-to-day, week-to-week, year-to-year,” Haigh said. “The decision to move the Ryder Cup from Palm Springs to Kiawah at the time may have seemed risky, but in truth when you heard of all the details and the facts that were involved, it really was a very smart BUILDER and a great decision as the outcome of the Ryder Cup proved to be. Kiawah ended up www.jonesplan.com sort of being the steppingstone to what it (the Ryder Cup) is today.” Awtrey also became influential outside his PGA of America duties, which included T the National Golf Foundation, World Golf 22 WWW.GOLFOKLAHOMA.ORG GOLF OKLAHOMA • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019 2019 OKLAHOMA GOLF HALL OF FAME Foundation, Golf 20/20 and the Na- as host sites and was instrumental tional First Tee Oversight Committee. in the event’s expansion to include He was vice president of Landmark both men’s and women’s college Land Company from 2006-09. golfers from around the world. Awtrey has served on the national When business took him away advisory council for the Arnold Palmer from Oklahoma, the 75-year-old Children’s Hospital, trustee/fellow on Awtrey said he always looked for- the Georgetown College board in Lex- ward to returning. ington, Ky., the Baldwin Wallace Col- “All the years and all the pressure lege business council, the Digital Me- and all the things I went through, dia Arts College board of directors and when I got off the plane or drove into the Palm Beach Fellowship of Chris- Oklahoma, I took a deep breath and tian Athletes. felt like I was in a different place,” In 2006, Awtrey was honored with Awtrey said. “The energy and the the Donald Ross Award by the Ameri- people are different. You walk into can Society of Golf Course Architects a place and people are smiling at and the Metropolitan Golf Writers you.