AMA Golf 2020

Twenty years or more, the American Marketing Association of Saint Louis has hosted a golf tournament at the nine-hole municipal Creve Coeur Golf Course. The board was seriously considering cancelling this year in the face of the global pandemic. Fortunately, it was decided to go ahead with the plan, albeit with appropriate measures to social distance. The event was scheduled for Friday June 26 months ago. Uncertainty seemed a prevailing theme for the year to date but about 30 golfers managed to play nine on a sunny day with a warm breeze.

Panera box lunches and donated specialty popcorn (from Dave Shogren's export company) greeted the golfers that included healthy support from the University of Missouri, Saint Louis, AMA chapter board members, and veterans of this annual event. The post-game activities were truncated but the shotgun start allowed AMA to treat the course like a private country club for a few hours. Tim Brinks, the director of golf operations, made sure our event ran smoothly, even as a number of players arrived having decided to participate at the last minute.

A few highlights: Annie McBride (on the heels of a successful term as chapter president) rode with incoming president Greg Dietrich.  Dr. Perry Drake agreed to ride with me and our foursome consisted of current and alumni UMSL Tritons Kevin Rielly and Sean Gabris. Ted Ruzicka returned and played with Daryl Vandever. Marketing professors Michael Elliott and Bob McCarthy and acting dean Joe Rottman and UMSL’s Dan Lauer and student foursome Oscar Gordilla, Kyle Colman, Carter Cassell and Maxwell Wooten. A celebrity cameo appearance by past president and lifetime achievement recipient Dr. John Lewington and playing partner John Shambri. John Grizzell, Mark Bretz, past champion Dave Cox, Dave Dunlap, Randy Niederer and his son Ben Niederer. Ian Brown probably earned closest to the pin on #9 as he was filling in for Nick Niehaus. The colorfull Bob Mogley brought his ten-finger grip. Sebastian Montes rounded out the UMSL crew.     

Post game awards and recognition activity had to be truncated for safety sake but I hope everyone knows that we are all winners on this glorious day. Stay safe.

P.S. Seth Kerr, former board member who moved to NY sends best wishes and would have traveled to be with us but decided not to risk travel in this Covid - 19 fearful environment. Tom Shaughnessy and Rowdy Jones somehow missed this year too. And where in the world was Dan Diveley?