DGA members, corporate sponsors and guests recently turned out for the First Annual Howard W. Koch Memorial DGA Golf Tournament which was held on the beautiful Wilshire Country Club course, located in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles. Established in 1919, the Wilshire Country Club was designed by Norman Macbeth and has played host to the L.A. Open, the Senior PGA and LPGA Tournaments.
First-place team: Kenny Endoso, Vic Armstrong, Eddy Donno and Steve Love with Tournament Chairman Mel Damski (center).
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The DGA Golf Tournament is a charity event designed to benefit the Directors Guild Foundation which provides financial support to members who are experiencing financial difficulties. Although this is actually the fifth annual DGA Golf Tournament, it was recently renamed in honor of Howard W. Koch, who passed away earlier this year after having served as the Chairman of the Directors Guild Foundation for almost 20 years. With an estimated $35,000 raised for the Foundation, many viewed this year's tournament as the most successful ever.
Second-place team: Martin P. Ewing, Tom McConnell, Brian J. O'Sullivan and Kim Kurumada.
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After a pleasant morning on the links, the 136 golfers and other guests enjoyed a sumptuous buffet and barbecue luncheon while the scores were tallied. Tournament Chairman Mel Damski thanked the participants and sponsors for this year's tournament's huge success. DGA Foundation Chair Delbert Mann then presented the Koch family with special trophies in honor of the late beloved Howard W. Koch. "Every member and future member of the Directors Guild of America owes to Howard W. Koch, a tremendous debt of gratitude for all the years of work which he put into their welfare," said Mann. "He remains an inspiration to us all."
A visibly moved Hawk
Third-place team: Michael Zinberg, Gary Shimokawa, Mark Frost and Jeff Freilich.
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Koch spoke a few words about how much his late father loved the DGA, the DGA Foundation and this tournament. "It was really special to see his name on every tee today," said Koch.
This year the main competition was conducted under aggregate team scoring. First place was awarded to the team of directors Vic Armstrong, Kenny Endoso, Eddy Donno and 1st AD Steve Love with an adjusted score of 52.59. Second place went to the team of director Tom McConnell, UPM Kim Kurumada, 1st AD Martin P. Ewing and Brian J. O'Sullivan of the silver sponsor Nicholas Applegate Capital Management with an adjusted score of 53.05. Third place went to the team of directors Jeff Freilich, Mark Frost, Gary Shimokawa and Michael Zinberg with an adjusted score of 54.47.
Delbert Mann presents Hawk Koch with memorial trophy.
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The golfers also participated in "Closest to the Pin" and "Longest Drive" contests, which awarded prizes of gift certificates. Tournament Co-chair Dick Harwood won the closest to the pin on hole no. 4 with a distance of 1' 5". Director Jeff Freilich won the closest to the pin on hole no. 7 with a distance of 4'11". Bob Barron of the gold sponsor McMorgan & Company won the closest to the pin on hole no. 13 with a distance of 2". 2nd AD Robert Schroer took the longest drive contest on hole no. 2 with a distance of 301 yards. There was also the popular annual raffle whose winners were awarded rounds of golf and golf vacations at prestigious courses in the Southern California area.
Jay D. Roth, DGA President Jack Shea, Hawk Koch, DGA past presidents Gene Reynolds, Delbert Mann and Arthur Hiller, and Mel Damski.
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Tournament sponsors also included Blue Cross of California, The Boston Company, Delta Dental Plan of California, Geffner & Bush, Miller Kaplan Arase & Company LLP, Nigro, Karlin & Segal, and Union Bank of California in the Gold category; and Resch Polster Alpert & Berger LLP, Alliance Capital Management, State Street Global Advisors, Latham & Watkins, and Merrill Lynch, in the Silver category.
