FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FIVE NEW MEMBERS OF MICHIGAN GOLF HALL OF FAME
ARE A CROSS-SECTION OF THE GAME
FARMINGTON HILLS — A cross-section of the Michigan golf community is represented in the election of five new members of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame as announced today by Michigan Golf Foundation co-chairpersons Robert McMasters and Sara Wold.
John Lindholm and Steve Maddalena have compiled brilliant playing records on the local, state and national levels; Bruce Fossum coached at Michigan State University for 25 years and is a member of the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame; PGA professional Mark Wilson is a top international and national Rules of Golf official; and Ted Woehrle not only has prepared courses for major championships but mentored more than 50 assistants who became golf course superintendents around the country.
Maddalena, 47, a Horton resident and University of Michigan graduate, won the Michigan Amateur in 1980, 1990 and 1995 and is one of only nine players to win it three times since the state?s oldest championship began in 1906.
Maddalena played in 27 Amateurs, made the cut 19 times and posted a 43-16 match play record. Two of his opponents in the finals went on to play on the PGA Tour, John Morse and Tom Gillis. Maddalena chose to remain an amateur and has won all of the state?s top tournaments.
Lindholm, 61, of Grand Blanc, has played in 22 Michigan Amateurs, won it in 1997 and took the Michigan Medal Play and Horton Smith tournaments in 2003 at the age of 58. He has continued his winning ways as a senior, twice winning the Michigan Senior Amateur. He has made the Golf Association of Michigan Senior Honor roll the last five years.
Bruce Fossum joins his wife, Mary, former long-time MSU women?s golf coach, in the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame. Mary was elected in 2002.
During Fossum?s MSU tenure the Spartans played in 11 NCAA championships, won the Big Ten in 1969 and 10 Spartans were named All-Americans. His teams had a 72 percent winning percentage. He was chairman of the NCAA Golf Committee in 1972 and elected president of the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) in 1976.
Fossum started summer golf camps for young players 11-18 in 1971 and MSU was the first college to start such a program.
Mark Wilson celebrated his 25th year as head professional at Watermark Country Club in Grand Rapids last year. He has made a reputation as a Rules of Golf official in Michigan second only to the late Mr. Rules, Warren Orlick, who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1991.
Wilson is chairman of the PGA of America Rules Committee. He has been a Rules official at every PGA Championship since 1990, a referee at the last five Ryder Cups, officiated at 11 Masters Tournaments, three British Opens, two United States Opens and one PGA Tour Players Championship. He will be Chief Referee at the 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla Country Club in Kentucky.
Troy resident Ted Woehrle has seen the role of golf course superintendent go from turf farmer to the highly specialized field it is today. He began learning the craft in Illinois from his father, Herman, and graduated from Purdue University in 1954.
Woehrle was superintendent at Beverly Country Club, a Donald Ross-designed course on Chicago?s South Side when the club hosted two Western Opens and two Women?s Westerns. He was hired during the construction phase of Point O?Woods Country Club in Benton Harbor and that began a long association with Robert Trent Jones who designed the course and did some tweaking of Oakland Hills during Woehrle?s 24 years at the club.
More than 50 of Woehrle?s former assistants have become head superintendents and he has been deeply involved in the growth of the profession. He served as president of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America in 1971.
Fossum, Lindholm, Maddalena, Wilson and Woehrle will be inducted into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame at Eagle Eye Golf Club in Bath, Michigan on May 20. Their election brings the membership in the Hall to 80. The complete membership is listed at www.michigan-foundation.com.
For more information, contact Loretta Larkin at [email protected] or (248) 719-0650.
