Former European Tour Executive Director Ken Schofield is the 28th recipient of the Ambassador of Golf Award in the United States. The award is presented annually by Northern Ohio Golf Charities to a person or persons, “who have fostered the ideals of the game on an international level and whose concern for others extends beyond the golf course."
"We are pleased to honour Ken Schofield as the 2006 Ambassador of Golf," said US PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem on behalf of the International Federation of PGA Tours. "Under his stewardship, The European Tour underwent a period of great growth and he was an instrumental part in expanding the reach of golf around the world."
George O'Grady, Executive Director of The European Tour, said: "Ken was a unique leader of The European Tour over the best part of 30 years. He possessed great vision for the development of the international game which he coupled with enormous energy and determination."
Schofield was born
Schofield oversaw a period of great growth for The European Tour. When he took over there were 17 Order of Merit events with total purses of £427,917. Upon his retirement at the end of the 2004 season there were 96 events on The European Tour, European Challenge Tour and the European Seniors Tour offering £85,339,019 in prize money.
He was appointed Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for Services to Golf in the 1996 Queen's Birthday Honours, and was the 2004 recipient of the Association of Golf Writers' "Award for Outstanding Services to Golf."
Since retiring from The European Tour, Schofield has continued to have an impact on the game. He has succeeded Sir Michael Bonallack as President of the Golf Foundation, a national charity in the United Kingdom committed to making golf accessible to young people, joining a distinguished list of presidents of the Golf Foundation, including former Ryder Cup Captains Bernard Gallacher and Sir Henry Cotton.
