The end of an era in the long history of the European Golf Association will be marked in style this weekend with the retirement of popular long-serving General Secretary, John C Storjohann.
Known universally and affectionately as ‘Johnny’, Storjohann spent 25 years at the helm and served under numerous Presidents from the EGA’s base in Epalinges near Lausanne in Switzerland.
Storjohann, 68, who is married to Marianne with two children, Sandra and Helena, was born in Sweden but carved out a highly successful amateur career in his adopted country of Switzerland, winning the Swiss National Championship six times and participating in five World Amateur Team Championships and six European Team Championships.
He entered golf administration in 1980 as General Secretary of the Swiss Golf Association and took over the post of General Secretary of the European Golf Association in October 1986.
Storjohann has been responsible for the current structure of the EGA with its Executive, Championship, Golf Course Management, Handicapping and Course Rating Committees which serve its 40 member national golf authorities.
He is being honoured tomorrow at the conclusion of the EGA annual meeting in Bilbao, Spain, when retiring EGA President Gonzaga Escauriaza, also steps down. Storjohann will be succeeded by Australian Richard Heath, who as Championship Manager of the EGA for the last six years, has brought a new level of professionalism to the running of EGA championships.
George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, paid tribute to the departing General Secretary, saying: “Johnny Storjohann played a pivotal role during 25 years as General Secretary of the EGA.
“He has served under outstanding Presidents who have united the European Federations and who have, firstly, been enormously strong partners of The European Tour and the Challenge Tour and, secondly, of the game of golf itself at all levels.
“This is a major reason why the game in Europe is in its current extremely healthy state with new talent coming through wherever you look. Johnny and Marianne have been simply superb ambassadors for the EGA.”
Ken Schofield, former Executive Director of The European Tour, added: “Johnny Storjohann was, I feel, the right man at the right time to fill an important niche in the development of European golf in the eighties.
“He has been an accomplished and knowledgeable administrator with a genuine feel for European golf as it developed at all levels and in all territories. He was the perfect diplomat – the ideal person to link north, south and central Europe – and it helped that he himself was a very accomplished golfer. He has been a terrific ambassador for the EGA in particular and golf in general and it has been a pleasure to know Johnny and his wife, Marianne, who are a perfect couple for any golfing occasion.”
Alain de Soultrait, Director of the European Challenge Tour, said: “Johnny has sat on the Challenge and Satellite Tours Commission for many years and for the last three as Chairman, following Richard Rahusen, Björn Nordberg and Manuel Agrellos. He has been a great believer in and strong supporter of the Challenge Tour.
“Johnny very quickly grasped the fact that amateur and professional golf could be brought together and he embraced that philosophy. He enjoyed expanding the boundaries and made a substantial effort to welcome new countries into the EGA. He understood that the Challenge Tour had the capacity to achieve that and we thank him for his support down the years and wish him a very happy and deserved retirement.”
