Bowling Green State University Athletics
Here for the Long Haul: Meserve Has a Passion for Volunteering
July 18, 2006 | General
Meserve has a passion for volunteering
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By Maureen Fulton, Blade Sports Writer - When the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic first came to Toledo in 1984 at the Glengarry Country Club, Dr. Lee Meserve attended as a spectator for the final day.
The next year, he was a spectator for three days, walking around with some of the under-the-radar LPGA pros. The following year, Meserve attended the whole week.
That continued for a few years until Meserve came to a noble conclusion.
"I thought, you know, if I'm going to be there the whole week they might as well get some work out of me," Meserve said.
This is Meserve's 18th year as a volunteer. This year he holds a one-year position as the volunteer tournament chairman.
Over the years, Meserve has ridden in carts with golfers Annika Sorenstam, Meg Mallon, Dottie Pepper and Kellie Kuehne. He has gained an appreciation for LPGA golfers and a strategy on how to improve his own game.
"The lady golfers are so personable, and fun to be around in general," Meserve said. "And they hit the ball so much better than I do. The best thing I can do for my game is watch them."
Meserve started out as a marshal, who signals for quiet and enforces crowd control, on the 14th hole. He has also worked as hole captain and standard bearer, who walks with the golfers holding the placard with their name and score, among others. His wife, Marge, also has volunteered as a marshal.
The past few years Meserve has developed a bantering relationship with Robert O. Smith, the LPGA rules official. Meserve is a professor of biology at Bowling Green State University and serves as the athletic department's faculty advisor.
Smith is a University of Oklahoma graduate and worked at the school before he came to the LPGA.
Two years ago Smith was speaking to the standard bearers before the tournament about how they would keep high golf scores on the scoreboard unless the golfers requested to have them taken down. He had said, "That's what Oklahoma will do when they're beating Bowling Green 80-0 this fall."
That week Meserve brought him a BGSU hat and said, "Just in case we're beating you 80-0 in Norman."
Smith wore the hat all week, soon reciprocating the gift with a Sooners hat. Oklahoma won 40-24 that fall.
Meserve, who with his wife endowed two scholarships for BGSU student-athletes, encourages Falcon athletes to volunteer at the tournament.
And as for his golf game, the constant presence at the Farr could be having an influence: Meserve had his first hole-in-one two years ago.
Article published Sunday, July 9, 2006
