USGA Names Bob Ford U.S. Open First Tee Starter For Life

Win the Bob Jones Award, get put to work!

In USGA President Diana Murphy's inspired opening remarks ("We think we have a real show stopper at Erin Hills") to the 66-minute extravaganza of a press conference, she revealed that longtime Seminole and Oakmont golf professional Bob Ford would be the new USGA first tee starter.

Greeting them and the rest of the field to the first tee this week will be our new honorary starter, Bob Ford. Bob is our 2017 Bob Jones Award winner whom we honored last night and he certainly embodies all that's wonderful in this game of golf, sportsmanship, respect, and character.

He will be our first starter for as long as he so chooses, so I hope you have a chance to welcome him. He's joined on the 10th tee on Thursday and Friday by Dr. Skip Gist, who is a five-year veteran and just recently retired from the executive committee and a very proud New Westerner [midwesterner].

Bob, Diana Murphy is on line one again. You want me to send her to the voice mail where we send all of the USGAers who want to play Seminole?