The immense contribution made to golf by Ken Schofield has been recognised with the awarding of the prestigious PGA of Europe’’s Christer Lindberg Bowl.
The Executive Director of The European Tour was presented with the accolade by the organisation’’s retiring president, Jamie Ortiz-Patino, at the Association’’s annual presentation evening at the Atalaya Park Hotel on the Costa del Sol and joined a eminent list of former recipients which includes Sir Michael Bonallack, Neil Coles and John Jacobs.
Sandy Jones, Chief Executive of the Professional Golfers’’ Association, read the citation and said, “As a lad from the hills of Perthshire he grabbed the opportunity in 1971 to move to London and the rest, as they say, is history.
“He always comes up with simple and sensible solutions and never asks his staff to do anything he can’’t do himself. He is a fanatical sporting stalwart and a walking encyclopaedia of facts.”
Ken Schofield responded by recalling that Christer Lindberg, after whom the award is named, the PGAE’’s first President, had been one of the founders of Sweden’’s golfing boom during the last couple of decades and as a result he was “very touched” by the award.
“It is a very rare and real privilege,” he added. “In its recent work and with its rise to a place in the Ryder Cup structure, the PGA of Europe has come of age under the leadership of extremely committed people.”
- Also announced was the news that Sir Michael Bonallack, former Secretary of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club and a current member of The PGA European Tour Board of Directors, had accepted an invitation to succeed Jaime Ortiz-Patiño as President of the PGA of Europe for a two year term.
On accepting the Presidency, Sir Michael said: “It is a great honour to be invited to become the President of the PGA of Europe, a body which is doing so much to promote the game of golf and which plays a leading role in its development and growth.
“I am conscious that I take over from such a distinguished president as Jaime Ortiz-Patiño and before him Christer Lindberg and John Jacobs, all of whom played such a large part in establishing the association and bringing it to its present position of influence and respect.
“I will try to follow the great example set by them and look forward to working with the members of the association in the many important areas of their involvement.”
