enough to be his administrative assistant and course marker , a job we frequently did together . Once while marking Karsten Creek ( Oklahoma State ’ s course ), Clyde almost stepped on an enormous rattlesnake in a hazard . He had me finish marking that one !

My 25 years of working and traveling with Clyde showed me what a dedicated and determined volunteer can accomplish and how much that enriches one ’ s own life . You go places you might never go , see great golf courses and great players . Most importantly , you make great and enduring friendships . Clyde made much of this possible for me . He will always be an inspiration .

MARK LAWRENCE JR . Member of the Virginia Tech golf team and reigning VSGA Amateur champion : I was fortunate to get to know Mr . Luther

over my junior golf career . I believe Mr . Luther helped me become a better player growing up with his strict policy on the way you act on the golf course . Mr . Luther was always so supportive of me throughout my junior golf and into my amateur career . It was such an honor to have him out at King Carter when I won my first VSGA Junior Match Play . I was thrilled to get my name on the trophy named after him .

I ’ ll never forget over the summer at the VSGA Amateur I saw him during the second round of the stroke-play qualifying . I had just teed off on No . 5 and was not in the greatest of moods given I ’ d gotten stuck in a bunker a couple holes before and made a 10 .

I went to say hello and told him what happened . He replied with “ Ouch , that ’ s all right . I believe in you .” I really think

that helped me calm down for the rest of the day , and it carried over for the rest of the week . I will miss seeing Mr . Luther at tournaments . He was a huge part of my junior golf career and someone I have always looked up to .

GIB PALMER Past VSGA president and 2018 recipient of the USGA ’ s Joe Dey Award , an honor he shares with Luther : Sometime in the early 1990s I was introduced to Clyde Luther by my father when both were working as Rules officials at the U . S . Open . Clyde encouraged me to volunteer at Virginia State Golf Association tournaments , which I did . Later , he was the official in charge at the U . S . Junior Amateur qualifier at the Country Club of Virginia , and I volunteered to assist him at that event .

USGA ( TOP LEFT ); VIRGINIA GOLF HALL OF FAME ( TOP RIGHT AND BOTTOM )