By R. David Shew
Last Friday was the GEO Scramble. This event has become an Eastern Kentucky University Homecoming tradition for me. It is a tribute to my friend, Tom Giacchini, who played on the EKU golf team and was the volunteer men’s and women’s golf coach for many years.
For many of those years, Tom and I shared a passion for golf. We played many rounds of golf together over the years at the Madison Country Club, Arlington, and later at The Bull which is now known as Boone’s Trace National today.
It was a pleasure to see former Eastern men’s golf coach Pat Stephens come home to play in the scramble with his brother, son, and grandson. Former men’s golf coach, Mike Whitson, was another in attendance honoring his former assistant. Many others were in attendance like Paul Travis, Donnie Rardin, and the Christian brothers or Todd, Zach, and Seth.
It was my pleasure to team with Missy Smith, a high school classmate; another friend Andy Strickland; and a new friend, Declan Nusz who was in town with his father, Kevin, to look at Eastern Kentucky University and the Professional Golf Management Program.
To borrow a phrase from Paul Harvey, “the rest of the story” goes like this. My high school and college classmate, Tom Mangus, called me around two weeks ago and introduced me to Kevin Nusz over the phone. Tom was in South Carolina visiting his daughter and discovered Declan was on his high school golf team and wanted to look at playing golf in college. So, Tom called me and asked me if I would show Kevin and Declan around Richmond and play golf with Declan making the introduction to Eastern Kentucky University.
It was perfect timing. Eastern was hosting Homecoming and the GEO scramble! Kevin and Declan drove up to Corbin Thursday evening, and I met them at Arlington Friday morning. We toured Eastern’s campus and stopped by the Professional Golf Management office. Next, it was the GEO scramble.
We did not win but did shoot a respectful nine-under 63. The winning score was 54. I am positive that our ragtag team did have the most fun, and we enjoyed a beautiful day making new friends in Kevin and Declan.
Thank you, Kevin and Declan, for bringing back memories of growing up playing golf with my father and brothers and GEO.
Many thanks to those who played in the GEO scramble including his former golf team members including Doug Brehme, Greg Waggoner, Mike Frey, Steve Haluska, Gregg Shawm, Colonel Jay Evelyn, and Jim Brehme.
