The volunteers of the Samsung World Championship golf tournament

by Heidi Trilling

Torrey Gane, IMG tournament director (right) and Mary Thornhill, chairwoman of the volunteer committee(left) for the Samsung World Championship.

Torrey Gane and her associates arrived at their new office on Cabrillo Highway shortly after New Year’s 2008. The tournament director of IMG (the international sports, entertainment and media corporation), Gane was getting ready to spin her magic and bring the Samsung World Championship golf tournament to life.

Over 400 volunteers from Northern and Southern California — and neighboring states — are helping.

“Volunteers are the heartbeat of  the tournament,” Gane said. “We know that we’re going to get all the support we need to make this the best event possible!”

The Samsung World Championship golf tournament features the world’s top 20 LPGA golfers. It will take place this coming October at the Ocean Course, Half Moon Bay Golf Links’ spectacularly beautiful Scottish “links-style” golf course.

The general public is largely unaware of how much volunteer effort goes into orchestrating such major sporting tournaments. Volunteers often provide player transportation to and from airports and hotels, oversee tournament booths, help with crowd control, interface with the media, and more. So, how does one organize 400-plus volunteers eager to pitch in?

Gane has a formula, proven by her success with last year’s Samsung tournament in Palm Desert: Post volunteer applications on the tournament Web site, and form committees.

Gane also has Mary Thornhill, Coastside resident and captain of the Women’s Golf Club at Half Moon Bay Golf Links. Thornhill is the chairwoman of the volunteer committee for the Samsung tournament. As lead volunteer recruiter, Thornhill appoints other committee  leaders, while rallying scores of general helpers. Starting from IMG’s database    of golf volunteers, Thornhill has spent countless hours since April gathering an assembly of dedicated, closely-communicating volunteers for this event — most  of whom have not yet met face-to-face.

The collective interests, talents, experience and plain hard work of the volunteers is a crucial factor in getting tournament components organized and underway. Thornhill sums it up this way: “It takes a village!”
“Mary is dynamite!” says Lyn Nelson, general manager of Half Moon Bay Golf Links. “She’s just so efficient, super organized!” Gane agrees: “I am eternally grateful for Mary and all the volunteers. We have close to 18 chairpeople, and many other volunteers, and they are all great!”

Joyce Roeder is one of the “greats” coming up from the Palm Desert area. Avid golfers, the Roeders play in the World Am, the largest amateur golf tournament on the planet. As chairwoman of the media center, Joyce Roeder and her team will prepare press packages for the media, and provide support for journalists, photographers and TV staff moving through media headquarters: a roomy tent. Roeder praises Samsung for truly valuing its volunteers, honoring them with an appreciation party barbecue at the tournament’s end.

Roeder says: “I encourage everyone to volunteer — not  because you play golf, but because you enjoy helping your local area. … People don’t often see how much contribution money to charities golf tournaments produce. And it often goes right to  the local communities.”

Another “great” is Julie Gonzalez, from San Francisco. Gonzalez is an executive board member of the Pacific Women’s Golf Association and a tournament official for the Northern California Golf Association, and she supports junior players as “the future of golf.” Chairwoman of the greens reporters for the Samsung tournament, Gonzalez will assign her volunteer crew different holes along the course, to assist the walking scorers in conveying scoring information to the scoreboard. “I’m doing this for the love of the game,” Gonzalez says. “Any player who has ever lifted a trophy at the end — right off, they thank the volunteers. It’s always heartwarming when the players recognize and acknowledge everyone involved.”

Event: Samsung World Championship Golf  Tournament
Defending Champion: Lorena Ochoa
Dates: October 1-5, 2008
Location: Half Moon Bay Golf Links, 2 Miramontes Road, Half Moon Bay
Format: 72-hole stroke play, no cut
Purse: $1 million
Field: Top 20 LPGA players
Visit www.samsung.com/golf for volunteer information and tournament round times.
Please note times are listed in Eastern Standard Time on the Web site!