Volunteer leaders recognized during WGA Annual Meeting

GLENVIEW, Illinois – Three longtime Directors of the Western Golf Association were honored for their volunteer leadership during the WGA’s Annual Meeting on Monday, June 30, at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Illinois.

Honored with the Donald D. Johnson Lifetime Achievement Award were: Kevin Buggy of Park Ridge, Illinois, John Mendesh of Edina, Minnesota, and Jim O’Keane of Lake Forest, Illinois, who have served the WGA and its Evans Scholars Foundation in longtime volunteer leadership roles. 

“Each of these individuals has shown incredible commitment and dedication to our championships and scholarships,” said WGA Chairman Steve Colnitis. “We gratefully acknowledge their devotion to the game of golf and their support of youth caddies and Evans Scholars across the country.”

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.

Kevin Buggy: Buggy, of Park Ridge, Illinois, became a WGA Director in 2010 and served as the WGA Chairman from 2020 through 2021. He has served the organization on numerous committees in several key leadership roles and worked for many years as a volunteer Director at the Western Amateur, NV5 Invitational and BMW Championship. He also served as host Director of the 2017 Western Junior and 2021 Women’s Western Amateur at Park Ridge Country Club, and in 2027, will reprise this role for the Women’s Western Junior. Buggy is a member of Park Ridge Country Club.

Buggy says, “My connection to this organization spans over 30 years, and it has been a labor of love and an honor of a lifetime. It is truly an honor and a privilege to receive this award and to be in the company of past and current recipients who devoted themselves tirelessly to help transform the Western Golf Association and Evans Scholars Foundation.”

John Mendesh: Mendesh, of Edina, Minnesota, became a WGA Director in 1993 and served as chair of the long-range plan committee from 2015 to 2019 and as WGA Secretary from 2012 to 2017. He graduated as an Evans Scholar from the University of Minnesota in 1979 and caddied at Northland Country Club. In addition to his service on numerous committees, he has been a key figure in the growth and success of the Evans Scholars Program in Minnesota. Mendesh is a member of Minnesota Valley Country Club.

Mendesh says, “I am humbled and honored by this award. Caddying and being an Evans Scholar changed the trajectory of my life and the life of my family. It’s not possible for me to pay back what I received through caddying and the Evans Scholarship program, but I’m going to keep on trying.”

Jim O’Keane: O’Keane, of Lake Forest, Illinois, became a WGA Director in 2003 and served as chair of the audit committee from 2009 to 2011, chair of the finance committee from 2015 to 2016 and as WGA Treasurer from 2012 to 2016. He graduated as an Evans Scholar from the University of Wisconsin in 1967 and caddied at Milwaukee Country Club. He has also served as a volunteer Director for the Western Junior, Western Amateur, NV5 Invitational and BMW Championship. O’Keane is a member of Conway Farms Golf Club and The Club at Mediterra.

O’Keane says, “Thank you for this great honor, which I don’t take lightly. My journey began over 60 years ago as a caddie, and now, I stand here profoundly grateful – not only for your recognition, but also because someone once believed in me – and I want to hold that same door open wide for future caddies seeking the same opportunity.”