On Golf | Big bucks lure excited club pros to the Haverford

For local club pros, three tournaments stand out above all others. There is the Philadelphia Open in August, which is almost as old as the U.S. Open; and there is the Section Championship in September, which is sort of their version of the PGA Championship. In both cases, victory is about the prestigious title.

Then, there's the johnny-come-lately of the Big Three, the Haverford Trust Co. Golf Classic, an 18-hole shoot-out set for Tuesday at Sunnybrook Golf Club. The Haverford is all about the money.

This year's first-place check in the Haverford will be a whopping $35,000 - more than half the $60,000 total purse - making it easily the richest winner's check all year and, let's face it, a financial godsend. The second-place purse is $5,500. (In the Section Championship, first prize is $10,000 to $12,000.)

"For club pros, that kind of money doesn't happen often anywhere across the country," said Geoff Surrette, executive director of the Philadelphia PGA Section. So far as he can determine, the Haverford is the biggest purse for a one-day, 18-hole event.

The idea of the top-loaded winner's check was the brainchild of George Connell, Haverford chairman and chief executive officer. He liked the notion of raining money on some deserving, unappreciated club pro, and all the better if he was a young, low-paid assistant pro.

Not surprisingly, the Haverford appeals to the pros, who lick their chops every time the it rolls around.

"We're very appreciative," said defending champion Paul Oglesby (1999, 2006), teaching pro at Merion Golf Club, who has pocketed $47,500 alone from his two wins in the Haverford. "Every year, whether I shoot 67 or 76, I try to write Mr. Connell a thank-you note."

Another two-time winner is Dave Quinn ('01, '05), and, true to Connell's vision, a couple of assistant pros (Dave Roberts, Lloyd Weston) also have won.

Everybody handles the windfall differently. Splurge on a car or fancy watch for yourself or jewelry for the wife? Invest or put it in the kid's college fund?

No splurging for Oglesby.

"I've already got a couple of watches," he said. "It's all with Smith Barney. I put it away, all of it. I grew up that way. We had enough, but we didn't splurge. That stuff's just not important to me."

Oglesby, who spends winters in Jacksonville, Fla., where he grew up with another golfer of note, David Duval, attributes his wins to years of experience.

"A guy who doesn't play much tournament golf gets to 4 under and hopes to just stay there," Oglesby said. "The guys who've played a fair amount of tournament golf get to 3 or 4 under and keep trying to get to 5 under."

Fans of RiverWinds Golf Club in West Deptford, Gloucester County, should keep their fingers crossed. The fortunes of the course could improve if a sale to an Arizona development company, Namwest, goes through this week.

A round at RiverWinds last week confirmed what a couple of readers had been telling me in e-mails: The fun layout that hugs the banks of the Delaware River across from Philadelphia International Airport could use a little tender, loving care. For now, it suffers from bare bunkers and splotchy greens.

The problem, RiverWinds insiders say, is that, with the course up for sale, money has not been poured into upkeep. The maintenance staff is doing the best it can.

With any luck, the insiders say, if a larger development deal (hotel, conference center) at the private/public tennis and golf complex happens (two earlier deals tanked at the last minute), the new owners would likely try to turn the course into an asset for the hotel and conference center.

With her recovery and rehab going better than expected, Annika Sorenstam has entered this week's Ginn Tribute Hosted by Annika and next week's McDonald's LPGA Championship at Bulle Rock in Havre de Grace, Md.