Ohio Golf Journal May 2020

Susie Maxwell Berning Susie Maxwell Berning began playing golf at the age of 15 and won three consecutive Oklahoma State High School Golf Championships. She was the first female to be offered a golf scholarship for the men’s golf team at Oklahoma City University. She was the LPGA Tour’s Rookie of the year in 1964 and won 11 titles, including four major championships, three of which were U.S. Women’s Open victories, 1968, 1972 and 1973. Tim Finchem “The Commish” Former PGATOUR Commissioner, Tim Finchem was at the helm of the professional golf tour through its most meteoric rise. He was an exceptional administrator, who’s tenure 1994- 2016, just happened to coincide with the glory years of Tiger Woods. During his 22 years as the commissioner, the tour’s total purse grew from $90 million to over $350million, plus the FedEx Cupwas negotiated to add even more bounty to pro golfer’s bank accounts. Television rights kept the cash flowing into tour coffers, but most importantly for tour pros, was Finchem’s management of the lucrative retirement plan that will keep vested players in Titleist golf balls, well after they retire from competitive golf. Finchem has also been a leading proponent of The First Tee program and continues to donate his time to grow that important junior golf concept.