Emil Beck, Joe Devaney, Wilfrid E. Reid, Alex Ross, Don Soper, Frank Sprogell and Gary Whitener will be inducted to the Michigan PGA Hall of Fame on October 25 in a ceremony at the Country Club of Lansing.
This is the fifth class inducted to the Michigan PGA Hall of Fame, which honors section members who distinguished themselves in golf.
- Emil Beck
- Served the Soo Golf Club in Sault Ste. Marie for five years and Black River Country Club in Port Huron for 25 years
- A founder, national committee chairman and for 11 years director of the PGA Business School, which started as the Dunedin Educational and Professional Training Program.
- 1975 National Horton Smith Award winner
- Served as the Michigan PGA President in 1951-52
- Michigan PGA Golf Professional of the Year in 1962.
- A life member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
- Joe Devaney
- Grosse Ile golf professional
- Served two stints as Michigan Section President (1931-32 and 1948-50)
- Michigan Section Golf Professional of the Year for 1956
- In 1957, Devaney became one of the original teachers of the Dunedin Educational and Professional Training Program, which later became the PGA Business School.
- Nationally active with the PGA of America as a chairman of national committees, such as the War Program in 1952, the Annual Meeting in 1953 and the Active Services and Veterans Programs in 1954.
- The Michigan PGA Pro-Assistants Championship Trophy is named the Joe Devaney Trophy in his honor.
- Wilfrid E. Reid
- Player and golf course designer from England
- Visited the United States with golf legends Ted Ray and Harry Vardon in 1914 to play in the U.S. Open Championship
- Later emigrated and worked at several golf clubs as a professional, including Country Club of Detroit.
- One of the original members of the PGA of America
- Served on the National Executive Committee of the PGA of America as vice-president at large, vice-president in 1920 and 1921 and was a member of the organizing committee of the Philadelphia Section of the PGA of America.
- He was president of the Michigan Section from 1928-30.
- Alex Ross
- The third golf professional at Detroit Golf Club and the brother of famed course designer Donald Ross
- First president of the Michigan Section in 1922.
- Came to the U.S. to play in the U.S. Open and in 1907 was the champion at Philadelphia Cricket Club.
- Ross went on to have five top 10s in U.S. Open play.
- Ross is famous at Detroit Golf Club for giving Horace Rackham, a charter member of the club, his first golf lesson.
- Dan Soper
- Designed golf courses like Royal Oak Golf Club, which is on Don Soper Drive
- President of the Michigan Section 1961-63
- Three times was Michigan PGA Golf Professional of the Year (1966, ‘76 and ’78).
- Named the PGA of America’s Golf Professional of the Year in 1978
- Enshrined in the national PGA of America Hall of Fame.
- Frank Sprogell
- Served as a golf professional and superintendent at several Michigan courses including Meadowbrook and Blythefield
- Founder of the PGA Merchandise Show.
- Served golf as president of the Michigan Section from 1941-47
- National Secretary of the PGA of America from 1941-46.
- Gary Whitener
- A caddie at age 11 at Western Country Club
- An Evans Scholar at Michigan State University
- Golf professional at Tam O’Shanter and Knollwood
- Ran the Livonia municipal courses and the driveway at Whispering Willows is named Gary Whitener Drive.
- Was involved in golf course ownership in Plymouth and Monroe.
- Served the Michigan Section from 1978-89 as a board member, officer and committee chairperson
- Serving the PGA of America as a District 5 Director for two years, chairman of the Special Awards Committee, vice-chairman of the Education Committee, at-large member of the Section Affairs Committee and others.
- He was the Michigan PGA Golf Professional of the Year in 1989.
For more information visit www.michiganpgagolf.com
