THE CANADIAN PRESS
Long before Richard Zokol and Stephen Ross ever dreamed of entering the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, they stood together on the first tee at Calgary Golf and Country Club.
It was the 1981 Canadian Amateur and it was the first of many times the two men would cross paths.
At the time, Ross was the RCGA’s director of amateur tournaments and he looked on as Zokol beat Blaine McCallister in a one-hole playoff to capture his first national championship.
The memory was particularly fresh on Tuesday as Zokol and Ross were unveiled as the Hall’s 2011 induction class.
"I have known Stephen personally for 30-plus years," Zokol said on a conference call. "I still have a photo of me on the first tee of a sudden death playoff in the Canadian Amateur and there is a young Stephen Ross standing right behind me.
"There’s a lot of fond memories in those 30 years."
The men will be inducted in separate ceremonies that highlight the unique impact each has had on the sport.
Zokol grew up playing at Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver and went on to hold a PGA Tour card for more than two decades. Ross devoted an entire working lifetime to growing the sport in Canada, spending 30 years with the RCGA — the last 18 as executive director.
"I spent 30 years working for the RCGA, I guess for golf," said Ross. "I’m honoured and at the same time humbled by this induction."
The high point of Zokol’s playing career came in 1992 when he won the Greater Milwaukee Open and Deposit Guarantee Classic. Other highlights include the Canadian Amateur victory, being part of the first Brigham Young University team to win a NCAA Championship and four additional pro titles — including the 2001 Canadian PGA Championship.
That win stands out because it came after Zokol had taken some time away from the game and was trying out some new techniques to control his emotions on the course.
"The Canadian microscope is very difficult because there’s not many (players) and there’s such a demand and passion," said Zokol. "Dealing with it at that national championship, it solidified the path I was on. It was a tremendous breakthrough in dealing with anxiety."
Ross oversaw several major changes to the RCGA.
One of the most impactful was the organization’s decision to sell Glen Abbey Golf Club to ClubLink in 1999. The course fetched $40 million — money that continues to serve as the backbone of the association, which is now known as Golf Canada.
Interestingly, it’s a move he wouldn’t make again if given a second chance at the decision.
"Everything we did was a means to an end," said Ross. "The end was we’re trying to grow the game and we needed the means to get there. … We really only sold it because the price got to $40 million.
"In hindsight, if I’d known that the RCGA was never going to be back in the golf business — not owning and operating (courses) — I would have spoken aggressively against selling Glen Abbey."
Among Ross’s plans for the organization was owning three championship courses across the country. However, he was never able to make it happen.
"I would have liked to have seen my vision for three Glen Abbeys across the country — three homes for the Canadian Open in three regions of Canada," said Ross. "I didn’t get that done. That was totally a political environment that I operated in."
In recent years, Zokol has devoted his attention to co-designing and running Sagebrush Golf and Sporting Club in the interior of British Columbia.
As a result, his one-time plan of joining the 50-and-over Champions Tour has been put on the backburner. The 52-year-old acknowledges the "window is slowly closing" on potentially trying to play competitive golf again.
"I wouldn’t put a period on it (and call it) finished," said Zokol. "It’s not in my immediate plans. … I think it needs to be clearly understood if you’re going to play professional golf you have to give it 100 per cent.
"I’m just simply not prepared to walk away (from Sagebrush)."
Ross also remains in the golf business himself and runs Oak Gables Golf and Country Club near Ancaster, Ont.
It’s been three years since he was pressured into stepping down from the RCGA during a turbulent period when the organization was searching for a new title sponsor for the Canadian Open. He’s clearly moved on.
"No regrets," said Ross.