Awards announced at WGA Annual Meeting at Olympia Fields Country Club

GLENVIEW, Ill. – Four longtime Directors of the Western Golf Association were honored for their volunteer leadership during the WGA’s Annual Meeting on Monday, July 10, at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Illinois.

Honored with the Donald D. Johnson Lifetime Achievement Award were: Jay Javors of Chicago, Illinois, Frank Morley of Naples, Florida, Dennis O’Keefe of Lake Forest, Illinois, and David Robinson of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, who have served the WGA and its Evans Scholars Foundation in longtime volunteer leadership roles.

“These individuals have shown tremendous commitment and dedication to our championships and mission to send caddies to college,” said WGA Chairman Joe Desch. “Their devotion to the game of golf and support of Evans Scholars across the country is gratefully acknowledged.”

The award was established in 2009 in recognition of Don Johnson’s 22 years of leadership at the WGA, which conducts championships for professional and amateur golfers, promotes the use of caddies and oversees the Evans Scholars Foundation, which awards college scholarships to caddies with limited financial means. Johnson led the Evans Scholars Program and WGA golf championships from 1988 through 2009, when he retired as President and CEO.

Jay Javors: Javors, of Chicago, Illinois, became a WGA Director in 2004 and served as two-time chairman of the scholarship house committee from 2006 to 2015 and 2019 to present. He graduated as an Evans Scholar from the University of Illinois in 1980 and caddied at Oak Park Country Club. He also worked the WGA’s Western Junior, Western Amateur and BMW Championship as a volunteer Director for many years. Javors is a member and past president of Oak Park Country Club – one of the few Evans Scholars Alumni who have gone from caddie to Evans Scholar to president of the same club.

Javors says, “The Evans Scholarship is truly life changing. For me, it wasn’t only from a financial standpoint, but also the intangibles. You meet your best friends; you meet people who help start your career, which enabled me the opportunity to do some of the things I do now for the program. I cannot tell you how much this award means to me, but also being able to say I’m an Evans Scholar Alum.”

Frank Morley: Morley, of Naples, Florida, became a WGA Director in 1993 and served as the WGA Chairman from 2002 through 2003.

He served the organization on numerous committees and in several key leadership roles, including seven years as tournament chairman for the BMW Championship and as a three-time host Director for the BMW Championship at Conway Farms Golf Club. He also worked the WGA’s Western Junior and Western Amateur as a volunteer Director for many years. Morley is a member of Conway Farms Golf Club, North Shore Country Club, The Old Collier Golf Club, Club Pelican Bay and Ballybunion Golf Club.

Morley says, “I’m very thankful for this award. I was fortunate to have an inside look at what a wonderful organization this is. It’s been a labor of love, with so many people across the country that care about the kids. It’s all about the kids.”

Dennis O’Keefe: O’Keefe, of Lake Forest, Illinois, became a WGA Director in 1992 and served as WGA Chairman from 2014 through 2015.

The O’Keefe family’s service to the WGA and ESF spans generations – his father, Jim, led the organization in the 1950s. In addition to serving in numerous committee roles and as a volunteer Director for the Western Junior, Western Amateur and BMW Championship, O’Keefe was instrumental in bringing the Western Amateur back to Glen View Club in 2021 – the club raised more than $1 million to establish two endowed named scholarships for future Evans Scholars. O’Keefe is a member of Glen View Club, Old Elm Club, The Little Club and Gulf Stream Golf Club.

O’Keefe says, “I’m humbled and grateful for this award. During my time as chairman, I was able to be on the ground floor and see the fruition of programs like the Caddie Academy and the partnership with the Women’s Western Golf Association, and I’ve really come to understand what a wonderful organization this is and what they do to change the lives of caddies.”

David Robinson: Robinson, of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, became a WGA Director in 1994 and served as WGA Chairman from 2016 through 2017.

He served the organization on numerous committees and as a volunteer Director at the Western Junior, Western Amateur and BMW Championship. In 2016, he served as host Director for the Western Junior at Red Run Golf Club, and in 2025, will reprise this role for the Women’s Western Amateur. Robinson is a member of Red Run Golf Club and Hidden River Golf & Casting Club.

Robinson says, “This has been such a blessing for me. I’ve gotten way more out of this organization than I have ever given back. Being a WGA Director is just a terrific opportunity, and it’s been quite an honor for me.”