(Tampa, FL) – The PGA TOUR’s Champions Tour has selected Joe MacDonald of the Turtle Bay Championship at its 2006 Volunteer of the Year. The announcement was made today by PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem and Champions Tour President Rick George at the Champions Tour annual Player Awards Dinner held in conjunction with this week’s Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am.
MacDonald garnered the honor via a balloting process that included nominations from tournaments on the 2006 Champions Tour schedule.
A resident of Honolulu, HI, MacDonald has been the Volunteer Chairman of the Turtle Bay Championship since it moved to Kahuku, HI in 2001. MacDonald works to promote the Turtle Bay Championship year round, recruiting volunteers for all 13 volunteer committees and making sure each committee has the uniforms, materials, supplies and equipment needed to run the tournament effectively. During tournament week, MacDonald oversees the distribution of golf carts, radios and phones, meals and vehicles to all 13 committees, along with handling all issues that may arise during the course of the event.
A successful airplane pilot/captain for Aloha Airlines for 18 years, MacDonald also spent 20 years in the military where he served as an instructor pilot, operations officer and Medi-Vac pilot. MacDonald retired in 2006 and now focuses solely on volunteering. In addition to his work at the Turtle Bay Championship, MacDonald has been the Volunteer Division Chairman of the PGA TOUR’s Sony Open in Hawaii and the Volunteer Chairman for the LPGA’s SBS Open.
"Many of the qualities that made Joe MacDonald a great airline pilot – leadership under pressure, preparedness and teamwork – are hallmarks of his many contributions to the success of the Turtle Bay Championship as Volunteer Chairman," said Turtle Bay Championship Tournament Director Jim Felechner. "His volunteer captains uniformly love and respect him because he leads by example. Joe is selfless – always willing to do what it takes to get the job done. He attracts people of the same commitment to volunteer, and the Turtle Bay Championship and volunteerism in Hawaii are much richer for it."
I am truly honored to be recognized as the 2006 Champions Tour Volunteer of the Year," said MacDonald. "We have so many hardworking volunteers at the Turtle Bay Championship and I would like to share this award with all of them."
"Joe MacDonald is representative of the many dedicated volunteers on the Champions Tour," said George. "His diligence and drive are inspiration for all of us. We had a good number of worthy nominees, but Joe stood out. He is a terrific individual and an integral part of the Turtle Bay Championship. We’re proud to honor him as the 2006 Champions Tour Volunteer of the Year."
Also recognized at the dinner were the previously-announced 2006 Champions Tour player award winners; Jay Haas (Player of the Year/Jack Nicklaus Trophy, Arnold Palmer Award, Charles Schwab Cup), Eduardo Romero (Rookie of the Year), Tim Simpson (Comeback Player of the Year) and Loren Roberts (Byron Nelson Award). The Corner Table, Inc. of Newton, NC, a beneficiary of the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn, was named 2006 Champions Tour Charity of the Year.
The 2007 Turtle Bay Championship was played January 22-28 at the Palmer Course at Turtle Bay Resort. Fred Funk earned his second Champions Tour victory.
Other finalists for the Volunteer of the Year were Andrew Woodbury (Bank of America Championship, Concord, MA), Cathy Clark (AT&T Champions Classic, Valencia, CA/AT&T Championship, Spring, TX), Doyle Glass (Regions Charity Classic, Birmingham, AL) and Frank Azzarita (Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn, Conover, NC).
Champions Tour events generate significant sums of money for charity. Last year, Champions Tour tournaments combined to generate more than $9.6 million for charities in the communities they visited.
Contact:
Michael McPhillips
Director, Communications
Champions Tour