Although Don Pumphrey is taking a break from this year’s Buick Open, the longtime Goodrich Country Club member has plenty of fond memories of the tournament.
Pumphrey, a Davison resident, has volunteered in several capacities for both incarnations of the Buick Open, first as a scorekeeper and more recently in the communications department.
A member of the Goodrich County Club until last year, Pumphrey is taking a break from volunteering at the Open this year because he is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. His wife, Shirley, has also volunteered at the Open in previous years, although she will not be there this year either, Pumphrey said.
According to the official Professional Golfers? Association Web site (www.pga.com), the Open took place at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, G-9057 S. Saginaw Blvd., Grand Blanc, from 1958-69. From 1973-76, the tournament left Warwick Hills and became an unofficial PGA Tour event, but came back to Warwick Hills as a Tour event in 1978, and has been at the course since that point.
Pumphrey worked his first Buick Open in 1960, serving as a ‘walker,? whose job it is to keep fans updated of the individual golfers? scores. At the time, he worked in General Motors? data processing department, and IBM, which was in charge of keeping score for Open at the time, approached him about volunteering for the tournament.
‘That was fun ? you got to walk on the grounds with the players and meet them,? he said. ‘The players kept their own score and checked with the walker to make sure there were no discrepancies.?
In that year, the total purse for the Open was $56,000, with the winner earning $8,000. ‘That was a big purse back in those days,? he said.
One PGA golfer whom Pumphrey recalled fondly was Chi Chi Rodriguez, a mainstay on the PGA Tour and later the Seniors Tour, known for his colorful personality.
‘My wife thought that Chi Chi walked on water,? he said. ‘He’d invite her to walk with us, and she was in seventh heaven. He was a very friendly golfer as far as the participants are concerned.?
More recently, Pumphrey has worked in the communications department of the Open for about 12-14 years, making sure the walkie-talkies on the site get to those people who need them.
‘A friend of mine in charge of communications asked if I’d be interested,? he said.
Pumphrey said the sport has made significant progress since he first started working the Open. ‘Things are so advanced and technical as far as scoring,? he said. ‘The players as a group play better now than back then.?