Blue Devil Alumni Spotlight: Phil Walsh

Name – Phil Walsh
UW-Stout graduation year – 1993
Major – Hotel and Restaurant Management
Sport – Golf
Years Played – 1978-80 '82
Hometown (High School) – Hinsdale, Ill.  (Central High School)
Currently Reside – Lockport, Ill.

Why did you choose to be a collegiate student-athlete at UW-Stout?   
I chose UW-Stout for the major and I just tried out for the Golf team during my first week on campus and made the team as a freshman. I was very proud of that and will always remember calling my parents that day.

What did you like most about competing in collegiate athletics?  
I loved the competition itself but also liked traveling the state and playing different courses. I was by no means the #1 or # 2 man but I got into a few matches every season.

What is the greatest lesson you learned from being a collegiate student-athlete?  
 Being an 18 or 19 year old kid and away from home for the first time, I learned how to juggle studies, golf and fun.

Who was the most influential person in your athletic career?   
Ned Weckmueller stands out the most, he gave me a chance and rewarded me with a varsity letter. Sten Pierce was a great coach, too.

What is your most memorable or favorite sports moment at UW-Stout?  
During the 1981 NFL lockout a UW-Stout football game was nationally televised from Menomonie. There had to be about 5,000 people in the stands that day.

How did your teammates describe you as a person and a student-athlete?   
I would hope as not the most talented guy on the team but as a tough competitor.

Are you in contact with any former Blue Devil student-athletes? (If so, who?)  
 Not really but I have recently reconnected with Howie Samb via e-mail.

Outside of athletics, what other activities were you involved in at UW-Stout? 
I was very active with Corner III and Haute Cuisine. I used to play some golf with Phil McGuirk

In your opinion, how has golf changed since when you played?
Golf has much more wide appeal than it did when I started playing in the early 70s. Television coverage and all the advances in equipment have made the game more enjoyable for all ages. The boom in the late 80s and 90s has given way to the  current glut and has made working in this business tougher than ever but I still love it !

Give us a brief synopsis of your life since graduating from UW-Stout, include job and family? 
I worked for McDonalds Corporation from 1983-1988. Clubhouse Manager for Big Run Golf Club 1992-2010 and currently am the Locker Room Manager at Butterfield Country Club in Oak Brook, Illinois. I am happily married to my wife Cindy and have 2 daughters Stephanie 21 and Jessica 18

How has it been meshing your passion for playing golf and working in that profession?   
It's been great, I am currently a manager at the Club where my parents and grandparents were members and I grew up and learned how to play golf. I don't play as much golf as I would like to but still play between 40-50 rounds a year and run a traveling Monday golf league.