INDIAN WELLS, CALIF. (Dec. 11, 2010) — The SCGA’s team of top amateurs made an impressive run on Saturday at The Honors Matches, avenging a four-point deficit to defeat the Southern California Section of the PGA’s best professionals, 17 to 13 at Indian Wells Country Club.
The SCGA team defends its title in the now biennial event, established to honor an influential individual from both the SCGA and SCPGA. The SCGA honored SCGA Past President Steve Horrell, while the SCPGA spotlighted legendary golf course management professional Ron O’Connor.
In Saturday’s final foursomes matches, the SCGA team won all of its front-nine matches while halving another. On the back nine, two SCGA teams won their side, while another two halved. The SCGA won four of five overall matches.
The Honors Matches began in began in 2007, and pits the top 10 SCGA players against the top 10 SCPGA players. The Matches also serve as a way to pay homage to an influential player from both the SCGA and SCPGA.
This year’s SCGA honoree is Steve Horrell, whose golf career has made him a Southland legend. Horrell is a West Los Angeles native, and his family was involved in sports throughout his life. Father EC Babe Horrell was an All-American at UC Berkeley and later head coach of UCLA from 1939-1944.
Horrell himself is a Stanford graduate where he played college volleyball – he didn’t take up golf until after graduating from college. Horrell and wife Linda have three daughters, one of which is married to Major League Baseball player Troy Glaus. They have four grandchildren and one on the way.
Horrell was introduced to the game at Alondra Park GC when it was owned by the same family group that operated Singing Hills. He was Assistant Manager at Singing Hills from 1956-1961, General Manager and Co-Managing Partner at Singing Hills from 1961-2001, Founding General Chairman of the San Diego Open from 1968 to 1973, President of the American Golf Sponsors from 1973 to 1975, and a Director from 1968 to 1976.
Horrell also served on the Board of Directors of the San Diego Junior Golf Association from 1970 to 1998, served on the USGA Executive Committee from 1976-83, was SCGA President in 1977 at age 42, an SCGA Board Member from 1968 to 1978, and served on The SCGA Golf Course Management Board for many years, as President from 2004-05. He served on the PGA of America Properties Board from 1997 to 2004, is an honorary Member of the Golf Course Superintendents of America and Professional Golfers Association, was the SCGA Lynn Smith Award Recipient in 1996, and is a member of La Jolla CC.
Off the course, Horrell is a member of the Kiwanis Club of San Diego, past Director of the Greater San Diego Sports Association (now the San Diego International Sports Council), past Director of the Holiday Bowl where he was president and chairman in 1993, past Board of Director for Grossmont Hospital, and served on the Executive Committee of San Diego Hospital Association from 1997 to 2003.
The SCPGA honored Ron O’Connor, whose list of accolades include being a PGA member for 41 years, all in the Southern California Section. He was the Southern California PGA Sr. Division co-Chair and Rules Committee co-Chair; the Section’s Executive Director from 1979 to 1988; Section’s Tournament Director from 1988-2001; Southern California PGA Golf Professional of the Year (2007); Southern California PGA Hall of Fame (1993); Southern California PGA Honorary Life Member (1991); Southern California PGA Bill Strasbaugh Award (1984, 1987); Southern California PGA Horton Smith Award (1983, 1996); and recipient of the Southern California PGA President’s Award (1981).
Complete results
Third Honors Matches
Team Round Total
1 1B 1F 2 2B 2F
SCGA 2 1.5 2 4 3 4.5 17
SCPGA 3 3.5 3 1 2 0.5 13
Round 1 – Four-Ball Matches
Matches Points
Bittick/Rudolph – SCGA 0
Starkjohann/Skayhan – SCPGA 1
Knodt/Richardson – SCGA 0
Fiedler/Hornig – SCPGA 1
Marsh/Pate – SCGA 1
Parker/Heyn – SCPGA 0
Crawford/Funk – SCGA 1
Crowell/Stormon – SCPGA 0
Coburn/Sanders – SCGA 0
Hicks/Parun – SCPGA 1
Round 1B – Four-Ball Back
Matches Points
Knodt/Richardson – SCGA 0
Fiedler/Hornig – SCPGA 1
Bittick/Rudolph – SCGA 0
Starkjohann/Skayhan – SCPGA 1
Marsh/Pate – SCGA 0.5
Heyn/Parker – SCPGA 0.5
Crawford/Funk – SCGA 1
Crowell/Stormon – SCPGA 0
Coburn/Sanders – SCGA 0
Hicks/Parun – SCPGA 1
Round 1F – Four-Ball Front
Matches Points
Richardson/Knodt – SCGA 0
Fiedler/Hornig – SCPGA 1
Coburn/Sanders – SCGA 0
Hicks/Parun – SCPGA 1
Crawford/Funk – SCGA 1
Crowell/Stormon – SCPGA 0
Marsh/Pate – SCGA 1
Heyn/Parker – SCPGA 0
Bittick/Rudolph – SCGA 0
Starkjohann/Skayhan – SCPGA 1
Round 2 – Foursomes Matches
Matches Points
Marsh/Pate – SCGA 1
Fiedler/Starkjohann – SCPGA 0
Knodt/Richardson – SCGA 1
Stormon/Hornig – SCPGA 0
Coburn/Sanders – SCGA 1
Crowell/Skayhan – SCPGA 0
Bittick/Rudolph – SCGA 0
Heyn/Parker – SCPGA 1
Crawford/Funk – SCGA 1
Parun/Hicks – SCPGA 0
Round 2B – Foursomes Back
Matches Points
Knodt/Richardson – SCGA 1
Hornig/Stormon – SCPGA 0
Bittick/Rudolph – SCGA 0
Heyn/Parker – SCPGA 1
Coburn/Sanders – SCGA 1
Crowell/Skayhan – SCPGA 0
Marsh/Pate – SCGA 0.5
Fiedler/Starkjohann – SCPGA 0.5
Crawford/Funk – SCGA 0.5
Parun/Hicks – SCPGA 0.5
Round 2F – Foursomes Front
Matches Points
Knodt/Richardson – SCGA 1
Hornig/Stormon – SCPGA 0
Marsh/Pate – SCGA 1
Fiedler/Starkjohann – SCPGA 0
Coburn/Sanders – SCGA 1
Crowell/Skayhan – SCPGA 0
Bittick/Rudolph – SCGA 0.5
Heyn/Parker – SCPGA 0.5
Crawford/Funk – SCGA 1
Parun/Hicks – SCPGA 0
SCGA Defeats SCPGA at Honors Matches
