Krejci, Dedicated to the BMW Championship, Earns Volunteer Award

Mel Krejci has been volunteering at the BMW Championship for 50 years.

December 10, 2010

By PGA TOUR Staff

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla.—For 50 years, Mel Krejci of La Grange Park, Ill., has been a part of the BMW Championship. For his service, Krejci is the PGA TOUR 2010 Volunteer of the Year. 

This year was Krejci’s working for the tournament that has been primarily a Chicago fixture during that time. Krejci kept his streak alive in 2008 by traveling to St. Louis’ Bellerive Country Club for that year’s event.

Krejci has served as the chairman of the ShotLink scoring committee since ShotLink’s debut in 2002, and he was committee chairman in 2010. In addition to those duties this year, Krejci stepped in to serve as tournament scoreboard committee chairman just one week prior to the event due to an unforseen family situation with that committee’s chairman.

“With his 50 years of service, Mel Krejci epitomizes the loyalty and generosity of our Evans Scholars alumni in giving back to the program by volunteering at the BMW Championship,” said Vince Pellegrino, Western Golf Association vice president of tournaments. “We are thrilled his service has been recognized with this honor. Thanks in large part to the support of our 1,500 volunteers, including Mel and many more alumni and scholars, the BMW Championship has raised $9 million since 2007 for the Evans Scholars program.”

Krejci’s relationship with the Western Golf Association/Evan Scholors began when was awarded the Evans Scholarship in 1956 after serving as a caddie during his teenage years. Using his Evans Scholarship, he graduated from the University of Illinois in 1960 with a degree in engineering.

“The Evans Scholarship has done great things for me, and I began volunteering because it was time to give something back, but little did I know 50 years later I would still be doing this,” said Krejci. “It’s a very rewarding experience that you enjoy because you make lifelong friends and interface with so many different people while working the championship.”