We always call her “Hawaii’s” Mary Bea Porter-King. Hawaii is her home, where she is raising her family and where she is a “pioneer in junior golf”. And there is much more to Porter-King. She’s, depending on who you are talking with, the USGA’s, the PGA’s, LPGA’s, ASU’s, Costa Mesa’s and Everett, Washington’s. She was born in Everett, raised in Costa Mesa, became a four-sport athlete at Arizona State University, played on the LPGA Tour, served as a member of the USGA Executive Committee and on The PGA America Board of Directors as an Independent Director.

With that experience and body of work, it’s easy to see why Mary Bea Porter-King is now the 2011 PGA First Lady of Golf.

PGA of America President Allen Wronowski:

Mary Bea Porter-King’s remarkable career of service to our game is on display within her home state in a junior golf program that has produced countless success stories, and is a model for how our industry may improve the future of so many young people.

This year alone, five Hawaii State Junior Golf Association seniors signed a National Letter of Intent: Alex Chiarella of Makawao on Maui with the University of San Diego; Marissa Chow of Honolulu with Pepperdine University; Jonah Fonacier of Mililani with Concordia University; Seungjae Maeng of Honolulu with the University of the Pacific; and Nani Yanagi of Hilo with Washington State University. Yanagi will be very comfortable in Washington State. It rains about the same amount in Hilo.

The scholarships offered to and accepted by Hawaii’s student-athletes is why Porter-King is called a “pioneer in junior golf”.

In 1998, Porter-King co-founded the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association. The organization has produced hundreds of collegiate golfers. Every year hundreds of HSJGA members from around Hawaii are traveling by air hundreds of miles to compete on the four largest Hawaiian Islands. Porter-King was told she would not succeed. She has, at the highest level, adding an international event to the HSJGA tournament schedule, the Asia Pacific Junior Cup, and in 2012 hosting the Girls’ Jr. America’s Cup and 2013 hosting the Boys’ Jr. America’s Cup.

Porter-King travels about 100 thousand miles a year officiating for the USGA, PGA, LPGA, and once the R&A. She has been a rules official at all of golf’s premier events: 14 U.S. Women's Opens, 10 U.S. Men's Opens, 10 U.S. Senior Opens, five Masters, four PGA Championships, and one Open Championship.

PGA of America President Wronowski: “Mary Bea has served golf at the highest levels, a record that includes unwavering commitment to the integrity of our sport as a premier Rules official. It is with great honor that we may now refer to her as our next PGA First Lady of Golf.”

Past First Lady of Golf recipients are Barbara Nicklaus, Judy Rankin, Judy Bell, Nancy Lopez, Renee Powell, Alice Dye, Carol Semple Thompson, Kathy Whitworth, Peggy Kirk Bell, Carol Mann and Donna Caponi-Byrnes.

Porter-King will be honored at The PGA of America Awards on January 26th, 2012, during the 59th PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida.

“I am very humbled by this honor; first to be honored by The PGA of America, an organization I have revered all my life, and secondly, it is so special to have my name listed with all of the previous honorees, women of whom I have so much respect,” said Porter-King. “I love this game and have spoken for many years to encourage all of us, The PGA, LPGA, and USGA, to combine efforts to develop the next core golfers.
 
“All of us, who love the game, need to do everything we can to make sure all future generations who are given the gift of golf understand, play by, and protect the core values of the game while maintaining its integrity. It is so important we all work together to develop the next core golfer to ensure that the future of the game is in good hands. Who will fill the next shoes in our sport? It is up to all of us.”

I’ve watched the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association grow and Porter-King’s enthusiasm not waver. She has shown the same determination to succeed at creating and steering the HSJGA that got her inducted into the Arizona State University Sports Hall of Fame. Inducted in the ASU Hall in four sports before Title IX. From 1968 to 1973, she played volleyball, softball, golf and basketball. Before graduating in 1973, Porter-King was a starting second baseman for the 1971 ASU College Softball World Series Championship team, and earned 1972 All-American honors in golf, and was a member of the school’s 1970, ’71 NAIA Women’s Golf Championship teams.

Porter-King’s passion to share her knowledge, and her resources, with children is what strikes the deepest nerve in me when I think of my encounters with her. She has been a guest on my show over the past 14 years. Porter-King’s was determined to accomplish her mission when we spoke of the creation of the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association, honored and deeply responsible to fulfill the duties she had serving the United States Golf Association and The PGA of America but most passionate when we talked about the opportunities the children had by becoming junior golf members.

World-class golf coaches Lynn Marriott and Pia Nilsson had agreed to come to Hawaii to do a clinic with the HSJGA membership.  Marriott and Nilsson are Porter-King’s friends. On “The Golf Club”, as she spoke about this opportunity the children had, maybe a once in a lifetime opportunity, I could feel she was thrilled to be able to share this “resource” she had the good fortune to have in her life with all of “her” kids.

In 1988 Porter-King saved a child. She was in the middle of a qualifying round for an event in Phoenix, Arizona held at Moon Valley Country Club. She hooked her second shot on the 13th. Looking for her golf ball, she saw the lifeless body of 3-year-old Jonathan Smucker in a swimming pool. Her caddie helped her over the fence, and saved Smucker’s life with CPR. Today, the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association Mary Bea Porter Humanitarian Award honors a heroic or humanitarian act that enhances human life.

THE ASIA PACIFIC JUNIOR CUP

We celebrate the winners in life. But for each of the winners you see on the front page of the newspaper or Facebook, there are hundreds of people who are just as worthy of that kind of celebration. Coming in second is no disgrace. If you did your best, one “lucky” break could have put you on the front cover.

The Asia Pacific Junior Cup was played for the 5th year at the Waikoloa Kings course in November. For the 4th time, the Japan team took home the cup.  This year the final score was 23 ½ to 8 ½ after the Four-Ball, Foursomes and Singles matches. Congratulations to the great play by the top junior golfers from Japan. Thank you for coming to Hawaii, and being so gracious in victory.

It’s a challenge for the best Hawaii junior golfers to take on the best junior golfers from all across Japan, but the kids do it with the kind of spirit winners are made of. I’d like to put you all on the front page:

Zachary Braunthal, Alex Chiarella, Marissa Chow, Jonah Fonacier, Mariel Galdiano, Richard Hattori, Skye Inakoshi, Lisa Kang, Eimi Koga, Seungjae Maeng, Ciera Min, Margaret Min, Kenji Miyata, John Oda, Kalena Preus and Pono Tokiota.

2012 AND 2013 JR. AMERICA’S CUP

The Hawaii State Junior Golf Association is hosting two three-day international events, the 34th Annual Girls’ Junior America’s Cup in July of 2012 and 41st Annual Junior America’s Cup in 2013.

18 teams from the Western United States, British Columbia, Alberta, Canada and Mexico will be playing. Each event brings 72 players with 36 captains.

The HSJGA is looking for hands on help or cash sponsors:

1. Volunteers to help run the tournament like rules officials, scorekeepers, starters and standard bearers.
2. Host families to house all 18 teams. Maybe you’d like to host a team from your country or your home state.
3. Trophies and awards.
4. Printing for banners, Tee signs, Tournament signs, and programs.
5. Ground transportation whether bus or rental car

HSJGA also needs food and beverages for on course snacks, lunches and dinners, player gifts like beach towels and pareo, Hawaiian coffee, Mac nuts and cookies, and lei for opening and closing ceremonies and the special luau.

Your company may be interested in the TV package. Check with either HSJGA Board of Director Mark Rolfing of Golf Channel or HSJGA Board of Director John Fink of KFVE.

If there is anything you can do to make these tournaments a success, the number is 808-532-0559.

KAUAI COLLEGIATE GOLF INVITATIONAL

University of San Diego pulled off it’s 4th Kauai Collegiate Invitational Team Championship title at Puakea Golf Course on Kauai in November when USD Senior Alex Ching hit his approach shot to within three feet of the hole and sank his putt for birdie. That gave USD the victory by one stroke over the University of Hawaii.

UH started the final day with a 13-stroke lead over USD. UH Senior TJ Kua was the only player to shoot under par all three days at Puakea carding a 69-67-66, and finished with the Individual Title.

Kua spoke with Melissa Ludwig after the final round. Kua had an eagle and birdies on 11, 12 and 13. “I told myself that I had to go out and shoot a round that if someone were to beat me, it would have to be a really great round.” Kua added, “I had this tourney pegged from the beginning of the season. I really wanted to win this one and today being my father’s birthday, makes it all the more special.”

What did USD men’s golf coach Cory Scoggin tell his team the night before going out to make up the 13 point deficit and win the championship?

“To be honest, my advice was to keep it out of the jungle, hit it close an make birdies – I’m really proud of them.”

Thank you to Melissa Ludwig for the tournament details and the photos.

THE PRESIDENTS CUP

In Canada, some wonder how long it’ll be before the Presidents Cup is contested on Canadian soil again. Last contested at the Royal Montreal Golf Club in 2007, some speculate it could be another 24 years before Canada gets the opportunity, given the globalization of golf and the many new countries that now have a stake in the game.

That’s pretty good for an event that most people say isn’t a true competition but more of an exhibition.

This year, the US Team retained the Presidents Cup with its 19 to 15 victory over International Team at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia. 

The condition of the golf course and the ground it is built on was heralded as much, or more, as Tiger Woods return to what seems to be competitive form, at least in his singles play.

Ernie Els was asked to comment on Tiger Woods performance: “If you watched him play his singles against Aaron Baddeley, he is pretty damn close to being back. He was 5-under, the best of the 24 players on show on an impossible golf course. The determination he had was incredible; that makes him very dangerous."

As for the future of the Presidents Cup, it would be great if the International Team could beat the US Team, or at least come close. I figure it’s going to happen, eventually, but the International Team captain is going to have to figure out how to rally the players from diverse cultures around the single purpose of beating Team US. Many of the International team players live in the US and play on the PGA Tour.  It’ll be hard to use an “anti-US” sentiment rally.

There was a call by International Team captain Greg Norman to change the Presidents Cup format or at least change the days on which Foursomes are played. Since two players have to play the same ball from alternate shot locations, the two players are challenged with the differences in the others play and by the ball they are going to use. Few professional golfers use the same ball. That was one explanation given for the poor Foursomes International team performance. Overall, Ernie Els gave Greg Norman and his International team strategy a good grade.

See you in Korea for the 2015 Presidents Cup. The speculators in Canada may be right. PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem announced the Republic of Korea for year 2015 after the opening ceremonies in Melbourne. In 2013 the Presidents Cup will be contested at Muirfield Village, home of Jack Nicklaus.

OMEGA WORLD CUP

Now that’s a CUP. Yup, one more “cup” before we finish for the year.

Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland pulled off an upset and won the Omega World Cup for the US for the first time in 11 years. Kuchar and Woodland put together 6 birdies on the Blackwater course in Haikou, Hainan province, Southern China.
US team started the final day T2 with South Africa and Germany and two strokes behind Irelands team of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell.

On the final day, Team Ireland only managed even par in the alternate-shot or Foursomes finished tied for fourth with Australia, the Netherlands and Scotland.

English pair Ian Poulter and Justin Rose had the final day best round of 63 to tie for second at 22 under with Germany’s Martin Kaymer and Alex Cejka.

South Africa’s Charl Schwatzel and Louis Oosthuizen only managed a 74 on he final day and dropped out of contention. 

PGA TOUR SEASON OPENER JANUARY 5, 2012

Time to get your tickets and make your reservations to be at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Kapalua on Maui. The pro am is January 5th with competition beginning on January 6, a Friday, and the tournament ends on Monday January 9th. You can get your tickets online at http://www.pgatour.com/Hyundai or on Maui, check with your local charity. They may be participating in the new program called Golf for Maui Charities. The tournament allows youth age 18 and under to enter the tournament with a ticketed adult free of charge. Military and their dependents will also be permitted onsite for free for the entire week.

After the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, The Sony Open in Hawaii begins at Waialae Country Club. The Sony Open is the first full field event of the PGA Tour season. Tickets are available at all of the First Hawaiian Bank branches on Oahu. We’ll see you at both events, where “The Golf Club” will be broadcast live.

At the end of this month, we’ll know the winner of “The Golf Club” annual anniversary flyaway contest. Be the 9th caller when it’s time to call in this month during the live broadcast of the show, and you’ll qualify to be in the drawing for the trip to San Francisco on Hawaiian Airlines, 4 nights in the Park Suite at the Galleria Park Hotel and a round of golf for two at Harding Park Golf Course.

“The Golf Club” is on the air on Oahu on KGU FM at 99.5 FM Saturday morning from 7am until 8:30am.

On Maui, you can listen on KONI FM, 104.7, on Kauai, KTOH 99.9 FM and in Hilo, on KPUA AM 670.

Prefer a podcast? Pick us up at iTunes or through our RSS Feed at http://www.radiogolfclub.com/. On your smart phone? Get the StitcherRadio application and listen in. Streaming with no charge.

Welcome to the winter season. Hope it cools off soon.

Thank you for your Mana, and may you hit the sweet spot every time.

Aloha,
Danielle