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Though golf is known to most as a leisure sport, officiating
competitive golf is nothing but business for Jerry Hagen,
who began his 10th year with the AJGA this summer.
Hagen is one of the more recognizable characters with the
AJGA – his trademark blue bucket hat has been with him
each time he’s set foot on a golf course for the past
seven years.
But to Hagen, he is more than a “Senior Rules Official,”
he’s a teacher of the game. A tournament with Hagen is
a lot like a hands-on classroom session: he is personable
and patient when interacting with the players, but he won’t
hesitate to make them learn from their mistakes.
“Well, I see you aren’t wearing a watch,” he
said to one player who was late for his starting time. “It
sounds to me like you just lost track of time.”
AJGA Executive Vice President Jason Etzen, who has worked
with Hagen at numerous events, said with Hagen as the SRO,
a tournament director has nothing to worry about.
Ten-year veteran Senior Rules
Official Jerry Hagen helps Randy Lowry with a ruling
during the Rolex Tournament of Champions. |
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“The
great thing about Jerry is that he not only enforces the rules,
but he also teaches the kids as he goes through the procedure,”
Etzen said. “He’s taught thousands of our kids about
golf rules.”
But even Hagen admits that he does not know everything about
the rules, which is part of what keeps his job interesting
from day to day.
“Every situation is usually unique and different from
anything I’ve seen,” Hagen said. “That’s
why I like the rules: I always keep learning new things.”
In fact, Hagen first “learned” about the AJGA in
1992, after retiring and moving to his current residence in
Tucson, Ariz. He heard about the Polo Golf Junior Championship
at La Paloma Country Club – which featured current PGA
TOUR superstar Tiger Woods.
“I wanted to go out and watch Tiger,” he said. “There
I met [former Scoreboard Graphics Artist] Terry Bircham, and
I asked him about the organization.”
Hagen said his experience at the event influenced his opinion
of the AJGA enough to inquire about helping with events. He
wrote a letter after the tournament and by the following May,
Hagen officiated his first AJGA tournament, the Golf for Women
held in Tucson.
The Iowa native had no problem proving he was qualified for
the job. A golfer since age 12, Hagen was a student at the
San Diego Golf Academy for two years before joining the faculty
as a rules teacher for 12 years. Hagen also spent time as
a coach, a club pro and a partner in the operation of a golf
shop.
“I was impressed,” he said. “I liked the way
[the AJGA] conducted their events – it’s very professional.”
Golf, however, hasn’t always been the focus of Hagen’s
career. The former Air Force pilot attributes his instinct
for rules to his 22 years as an air traffic controller.
“There I had to be around strict rules and procedures
all the time,” he said. “You have to be quick and
prioritize everything.”
Despite air traffic control being an extremely stressful job,
Hagen said he enjoyed the work, even spending a year as the
national chairman for rules and procedures of air traffic
control.
Hagen, however, retired due to medical disqualification.
“Air traffic controllers get an annual physical, just
like the pilots,” he said. “My problem was just
nerves – they were shot.
“I didn’t like retirement,” Hagen said. “I
wanted to be doing something. Being a rules teacher, I wanted
to be around the rules of golf.”
“He has to keep active,” Vicky, his wife, said.
“He’s not one to sit around.”
A special presentation was made
to Hagen at the Rolex Tournament of Champions
to commemorate his 10 years of service to the
AJGA. |
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Despite
having worked for the PGA TOUR, the USGA and local Arizona
organizations, Hagen dedicates most of his time to the AJGA
– and on a strictly volunteer basis. Hagen does not receive
any compensation other than for lodging and transportation.
“The perk of the job is just being associated with the
AJGA,” he said. “They always make me feel good about
what I’m doing, plus I enjoy meeting new staff members
and juniors wherever I go.”
Etzen said Hagen is truly an asset to the organization in
its recent development.
“It’s guys like Jerry that make the AJGA what it
is today,” Etzen said. “It’s the dedicated
volunteers that make this show the absolute best, and he’s
a big part of that.”
“I think Jerry’s the ideal,” Jerry Waugh said,
another AJGA senior rules official. “A good rules man
has to be able to work with people and have a strong knowledge
of the rules. Jerry has all of that.”
It’s likely to see Hagen patrolling golf courses at least
for the next few years – complete with his blue bucket
hat and USGA Rules and Decision book in hand, teaching juniors
the way the game of golf is to be played.
“I enjoy the traveling and going to new places,”
he said. “Sure, I’m exhausted after a tournament,
but as long as I can do it, I’ll keep on doing it.”
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