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The Official Website of the Golf Coaches Association of America

 
   

JR

Tuesday, November 24, 2009


Navy's Owen Recipient of Labron Harris Sr. Award presented by E-Z-GO

 


NORMAN, Okla. ?
Pat Owen, Head Men?s Golf Coach United States Naval Academy and a member of the Middle Atlantic PGA Section, has been named winner of the Labron Harris Sr. Award presented by E-Z-GO in cooperation with The PGA of America and the Golf Coaches Association of America. The Harris Award is presented to the college or high school coach and PGA Professional whose support of the game through teaching, coaching and involvement in the community has helped ensure the continued growth of the game and who represents the finest qualities the game has to offer.

?I am extremely honored to have been selected for the Labron Harris Sr. Award,? said Owen. ?The list of previous winners is incredible and I am very fortunate to be considered part of their group.?  

Owen is in his 20th season as head coach of the Navy golf program. During his tenure at the Academy, he has garnered Patriot League Coach-of-the-Year honors seven times (1993, ?95, ?97, ?98, `04, ?08 and ?09), including the spring of 2008 when he led the Midshipmen to their fifth Patriot League Tournament title. Additionally, he earned District II Coach-of-the-Year recognition in 1996.

Owen has led the Mids to five NCAA Regional appearances, including four in the last eight years. In the spring of 1998, he guided the Mids to a fifth-place finish at the Eastern Championship and their first NCAA Regional appearance. Owen recruited and mentored one of Navy?s most accomplished golfers, Billy Hurley. A member of the 2005 Walker Cup team, Hurley came to the Academy during the 2000-01 academic year and quickly made a name for himself.

A four-time All-Patriot League selection and 2004 Patriot League MVP, Hurley became the first golfer to receive the Academy?s Thompson Trophy Cup, presented to that midshipman, male or female, who has done the most during the year to promote athletics at the Naval Academy. The recipient of the 2004 Byron Nelson Award, he was one of the first two players to be named to the 2004 Palmer Cup and is the first player to represent a service academy in the annual Ryder Cup-style competition. In addition, he was voted to serve as captain by his peers. An excellent student, as well, Hurley was named an Academic All-American, in addition to being named the Patriot League Male Scholar-Athlete of the year during his senior campaign.

Prior to being named head coach at Navy in 1991, Owen served as an assistant coach for the Midshipmen for four years.

Owen is a 1981 graduate of Johns Hopkins University, where he served as captain of the golf team during his senior year. After turning professional, Owen earned national recognition with the highest score on the PGA of America?s Business School exam. In addition to his coaching duties, Owen is the PGA golf professional at the U.S. Naval Academy Golf Course. He has previously served on the Mentoring Committee for the Middle Atlantic PGA, Northern Chapter. Owen was selected for the Middle Atlantic PGA Chapter Challenge Cup in 1999 and qualified for the Middle Atlantic PGA Tournament of Champions in 1995.

Outside of his golfing duties, Owen has served as a board member of the Annapolis Touchdown Club since 2004 and accepted the position of treasurer in 2008. The club promotes youth sports in the greater Annapolis area and helps to provide opportunities for young people to compete in athletics.

Owen and his wife, Karen, are the parents of a son, Patrick, and daughter, Noelle, and reside in Annapolis.

Owen follows in the footsteps of past Labron Harris Award presented by E-Z-GO recipients Jay Hardwick (Virginia Tech/Middle Atlantic PGA Section), Devon Brouse (Purdue/Indiana PGA Section), the late Rod Myers (Duke/Carolina PGA Section), Herb Page (Kent State/Northern Ohio PGA Section) and Jim Brown (Ohio State/Southern Ohio PGA Section).

?On behalf of E-Z-GO and its employees worldwide, I congratulate Pat Owen for his contributions to the Game and his nearly twenty years leading the Navy golf program at the US Naval Academy,? said Kevin P. Holleran, President of E-Z-GO.   ?The success of Pat?s students over the years including Bill Hurley is a proof point to not only his dedication but also his effectiveness as a coach.  E-Z-GO is proud to be associated with an award that honors those that continue to give back to golf.?

?Pat Owen is not only an outstanding PGA Professional, but also a truly great leader, mentor and role model to the Naval Academy?s Midshipmen...golfer and non-golfer alike,? said Col. Dick Johns, USA (Ret.), Executive Director of the Middle Atlantic Section PGA. ?Knowing that he is so deserving of this recognition, the entire Middle Atlantic PGA ?family? is extremely proud of Pat!?

E-Z-GO, a Textron Inc. company, is a leading manufacturer of golf cars and utility vehicles.  E-Z-GO is the preferred golf car fleet provider for many of the world?s most revered golf courses, clubs and resorts. E-Z-GO is also the golf car of choice of nine of the nation?s 10 largest course-management companies. E-Z-GO boasts the largest sales and service network in the industry, with more factory branch locations and independent distributors than any other manufacturer.

More than a maker of golf cars, E-Z-GO is also a leading provider of turf and utility vehicles for a variety of applications and industries. Products under the E-Z-GO flagship include Shuttle personnel carriers, MPT turf-maintenance vehicles, and ST personal utility vehicles. E-Z-GO also produces the Cushman line of heavy-duty material carriers.

Founded in 1954 in Augusta, Ga., E-Z-GO became part of Textron Inc. in 1960.