Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2012 - 13

(mga profile
)
I'm a
Volunteer
Tournament golf is just
the start of what
Ede Rice has done
in the game.
Interview by Jon Roe
W
hen it comes to an important
year in Ede Rice's golf
memory bank, the golfer,
rules expert, U.S. Golf Association committee
member,
volunteer for juniors
programs, staunch supporter of the Evans
Scholars and recent winner of the Warren
J. Rebholz Distinguished Service Award is
quick to answer: " 2006. "
That's the year I was the Senior Women's
Player of the Year and the year I first
served on the Women's Committee of the
USGA. I guess that's the fascinating thing
about golf-you get started, you work hard
to improve, and you keep finding things
you can do to give back to the game.
I played tennis in high school and college.
My whole family played tennis, although
my Dad was a good golfer. Then I started
dating Jack [Rice, who became her husband],
and he got me playing golf. I played
more just to be with other people, a social
kind of thing. But there were times-not
very frequently at the beginning-when
I'd hit a fairly good shot and wonder why I
couldn't do that more often.
I was probably a 30 handicap, and I could
have stayed there. But I felt I was a pretty
good athlete, and I wanted to get better.
Jack said I needed somebody who could
help me more, and that's where Gerald
McCullough comes in. He is a good teaching
pro. Once I started working with him,
I was hooked.
" You want to help because you realize you
can have the ability to affect people's lives. "
I can still remember the first tourna
ment I played in. I had gotten my handicap
down to about a 10, and the State Amateur
was going to be played at Interlachen, our
home club. I was really nervous for that
first tee shot. My score on the first hole was
probably 10 over par. I think I was 17 over
after the first four holes. But I wasn't going
to quit. I just kept grinding and grinding.
Then came 2006. It kind of came as a surprise.
I won a couple of four-ball championships
and finished second at the Northland
Invitational and third in the State
Mid-Am. All of a sudden, I've got enough
points to be leading the Senior Women's
division. I was able to hang on through the
end of the season. It was like, " Oh, my gosh,
what have I done? " It was a great feeling.
Through the juniors programs, and then
getting involved in the Evans Scholars, you
meet this amazing group of young people.
You want to help because you realize you
can have the ability to affect, even change,
people's lives. You feel awfully proud when
you see what the kids who have been Evans
Scholars accomplish.
You get involved in the MWGA and it's
rewarding. I was lucky to get to know people
like Gretchen Crosby and Cheryl Schneider
and Jane Mackenzie. You get your
feet wet, and you want to be a leader like
they are. You work on local tournaments,
then you work at national championships,
and you want to get more involved. You get
opportunities to elevate golf so it can be
the best it can be for women.
www.mngolf.org
Fall 2012 MINNESOTAGOLFER 11
PHOTO BY MATT SEEFELDT
http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2012

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