Steve Horner Named New Champions Tour Vice President of Competitions and Administration
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL – Gary Becka, a 21-year employee of the PGA TOUR, will step down as Vice President of Competitions and Administration for the Champions Tour at the end of the year, Champions Tour President Rick George announced today.
Becka has expressed an intense desire to explore new challenges and opportunities associated with his longtime passions for music and education.
"To everything there is a season," said Becka, who first joined the TOUR in 1985 as Production Coordinator for PGA TOUR Productions. "For my intellectual, spiritual, emotional, physical and cultural well being, I’ve decided that this season of my life has come to an end. I’m grateful for the support of my friends, coworkers and the players during my years at the TOUR. It’s been a privilege to have worked for this outstanding organization."
Becka transferred to the Executive Office in 1987 as Special Assistant to Commissioner Deane Beman and served in that role until 1995. Later that year, he was named Vice President of Administration for the Senior Tour. In 2001, his title was changed to Vice President of Competitions and Administration for the Champions Tour. Additionally, for more than a decade Becka has served as a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame Advisory Board and as the PGA TOUR representative on the USGA Equipment Standards Committee.
"It is with much regret that I am announcing Gary Becka’s retirement from the Champions Tour," George said. "He has had a long, distinguished career and has earned great respect from his colleagues and our players for his knowledge, dedication and leadership. He has been an invaluable asset to the Champions Tour and me personally. We wish Gary all the best in his new venture.
"In Steve Horner, we are gaining a team member who is well-rounded and very knowledgeable about all phases of the TOUR and an accomplished player in his own right," George said. "He brings a strong appreciation and respect for the game to this job."
"The PGA TOUR and the Champions Tour will greatly miss Gary Becka," said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. "He has served in a number of important capacities and made many valuable contributions along the way. All of us at the PGA TOUR wish him well. At the same time, we welcome Steve to his new position."
Steve Horner, a longtime employee memberof the PGA TOUR, Marketing Departmenthas been named to replace Becka, effective Jan. 1, 2006. Horner has been Vice President of Marketing and Business Development since 2002.
"I look forward to this new opportunity and the chance to return to the competition and tournament side of our business," Horner said. "I have been fortunate over the past several years to be actively involved in a very important part of the TOUR’s business, and I think that background will be valuable to me as I tackle my new role on the Champions Tour. The future of the Champions Tour looks great, and I’m very excited to be a part of it."
Horner first joined the PGA TOUR in 1989 as an on-site promotions coordinator for both the PGA TOUR and Senior Tour. In 1992, he became Field Manager of Tournament Operations for what then was the Hogan (now Nationwide) Tour before transferring in 1995 to the Marketing Department to become Manager of Business Development. He later was promoted to Director of Business Development and finally to Vice President.
"Steve has been an integral part of our department and has been a valued member of the business development team since it was created more than 10 years ago," said Chief Marketing Officer Tom Wade. "Over the years, he has been instrumental in bringing in some of the TOUR’s biggest marketing deals, which in turn have helped fuel the growth of the TOUR."
Contact:
Chris Smith
Director of Public Relations/Business
PGA TOUR
Tel: 904-273-3379
Jeff Adams
Director of Public Relations
Champions Tour
Tel: 904-273-3397
