RIGA's New President Looking to Maintain RIGA excellence

By T.F. GEARY

Rhode Island Golf Association elects Steve Sampson as the new president.

He is an expert at organization. He had to be, to successfully build and then run his auto parts business for so many years.

Recently, at age 57, Sampson retired and now can devote most of his time and energy to helping the RIGA continue to grow.

Sampson has a tough act to follow, succeeding George Fowler, who also had a tough act to follow (Don Lamb).

Each year the Rhode Island Golf Association installs its new president at the annual awards banquet held in December. Each year the incoming president says pretty much the same thing. "I tell everybody the people we have running the organization (Executive Director Bob Ward, his assistant Jim McKenna and secretary Kate McCurry) are absolutely great at what they do," said Sampson. "They have things well under control and I'm not one to rock the boat."

One of the things that make the Rhode Island Golf Association such a well-oiled machine is that the new president progresses through the ranks and knows the ropes when they reach the big chair. They are smart enough to understand how to stand to one side and not try to impose their will on the rest of the membership.

"There's not a big difference between being a vice president and the president," said Sampson. "I guess I get the final say on some things but we have an operating committee and to be honest, we really do all work as a team." Everybody knows everybody, has played golf with everybody and they all share the same abiding love for the game.

Last year Fowler said that he wanted to start expansion of Rhode Island golf tournaments for seniors and Sampson has the same goal in mind. "I do probably want to enhance the senior section of the tournaments, maybe put in a couple of senior divisions," he said.

Currently the RIGA only has the state senior amateur and four-ball. Sampson would love to place a senior division in a couple of other major Rhode Island golf tournaments (a tournament within a tournament), with senior divisions in both the Burke Memorial and the state stroke play.

"We all like to play in the Burke and the stroke play but obviously we don't have a realistic chance of winning," said Sampson, who has discussed the possibility with Fowler and other prominent senior players such as Peter McBride and Fred Schick. They are hopeful that this is the year that those divisions are added.

"There aren't many seniors, outside of (Dr.) George Pirie, who can compete with the younger guys," said Sampson. "George can still compete at any level but we're not all George Piries. He's one hell of a player."

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