Gary Schaal: PGA President

Gary Schaal: PGA President

Gary Schaal: PGA President

Gary Schaal ’63 was a 2-time top-10 individual finisher in the Ohio Athletic Conference golf tournament.

The team’s No. 1 player and team captain as a junior and senior, Schaal averaged 77.23 shots as a senior and placed in the top 10 at the OAC tournament. As a junior, Schaal averaged 77.8 and finished among the top 10 individuals at the OAC tournament, helping Ohio Wesleyan finish third. He played No. 2 as a sophomore, averaging 78.2 shots per round and was the team’s second-leading point man, and as a freshman, he played No. 3 and was the leading point winner on the team.

Schaal graduated from Ohio Wesleyan in 1963 and went on to enlist in the United State Air Force, where he served as a captain.

After serving his country, he began his first position with the Professional Golfers’ Association of America as an assistant at a golf club in Myrtle Beach, S.C., in 1973. From that position, he steadily rose in the association, overall spending over 30 years with the PGA, working to improve golf programs in the United States.

Schaal’s most prominent position was as president of the PGA, a position to which he was elected in 1993. As president, Schaal presided over more than 20,000 employees. Schaal was in an essential position to raise the golf industry and profession. Not only did he play a prominent role in enhancing the reputation of the PGA and Myrtle Beach, but also in acquiring more media coverage and bringing attention to the association. Schaal opened new golf courses, brought more tournaments to the Myrtle Beach area, and assisted numerous workers to rise in the golf profession.

Schaal has co-owned several large golf courses, founded at least three golf clubs in the Carolinas, and has been named CPGA Professional of the year.

Schaal was inducted into the Ohio Wesleyan Hall of Fame in 1993, the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame in 2005, the Carolinas PGA Hall of Fame in 2007, and the Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame in 2010 for his outstanding achievements in the golf world.

In 2006, Schaal was awarded the Robert M. Strimer Honor Award for his work and achievements in the field of athletics.