2008 MAGA Player of the Year

Great Drive

Even after seven POYs, Skip Berkmeyer still pushes to improve

Some may question Skip Berkmeyer’s ability to  assess golf talent. There is no questioning his own ability to play golf, or his burning desire to improve at the game he has played since he was a toddler.

It was Berkmeyer, after all, who as a St. Ambrose University golfer spent some time with a young recruit from nearby Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the request of his coach, Jeff Griebel, Berkmeyer checked out the credentials of the young Iowa golfer. “Coach, I don’t think this guy’s what we’re looking for,” Berkmeyer told his coach after his visit with high school senior Zach Johnson.

Johnson was passed over by St. Ambrose back in 1994 and instead developed his game at Drake University. Just over 12 years later, Berkmeyer was forced to repeatedly rehash that misguided review as Johnson edged Tiger Woods, Retief Goosen and Rory Sabbatini to win the 2007 Masters.

In Berkmeyer’s defense, Johnson frequently admitted that he was never the best golfer on his high school or college team. There was nothing in Johnson’s resume, physical stature or manner to suggest a future Masters champion was in your presence. “I just kept getting better,” Johnson said after the Masters win.

Much of the same can be said for St. Louis’ reigning amateur champion. With a work ethic and drive very similar to Johnson’s, Berkmeyer has steadily climbed to his current status as St. Louis’ and Missouri’s No. 1 amateur. Now 35, Berkmeyer is working hard to stay on top for the foreseeable future.

Even with seven Metropolitan Player of the Year awards already to his credit, Berkmeyer suggests the end is not yet in sight.

“I’m a better golfer now than when I was at 24,” Berkmeyer says. In 1999, a year in which he won the Missouri Amateur Championship, Berkmeyer was spectacular … in stretches.

“I’m better in all phases of my game,” he says in a rapid-fire assessment. “I’m much straighter. There are not as many highs and lows in my game. I’m not as streaky.”

In 2008, Berkmeyer was frequently spectacular and very predictable – nearly always at the top of the leaderboard. His victory at the Metropolitan Match Play, a 4 and 2 final win over Brian Kennedy, helped launch a season of strong showings. It included a win over Joe Timpone at the St. Louis District Championship in June, as well as victories in the U.S. Amateur Qualifying and Mid-Amateur Qualifying in July and August.

Berkmeyer maintained that same high level of performance once on the national stage. He qualified for the 64-player match play field at the U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst in August. His 71-73-144 finish was good for a T47 in the 315-player field. He followed that up with a first-round victory over Pepperdine standout Andrew Putnam before exiting in a 1-up match loss to Canadian Graham Hill.

Less than three weeks later in Milwaukee, Berkmeyer won the qualifying medal at the 28th U.S. Mid-Amateur, a 260-player field of top amateurs over the age of 25. His 67-71-138 (-2 under par) was one stroke better than Californian Tim Mickelson. Berkmeyer knocked out Dan Horner of Utah in Round 1, but was bumped in Round 2 by Chris Lange of Pennsylvania. In 2007 Mid-Amateur at Bandon Dunes, Berkmeyer shared the qualifying medal and advanced to the Round of 16.

For Berkmeyer, the national stage offers different challenges and expectations.

“The Amateur is a no-pressure event for me,” he says. “That’s not to say I don’t get nervous, but I feel like I have nothing to lose there. Most of the time, I feel like I should or could win if I play well and things fall right. So those other events, there is a different kind of pressure.

“In the Mid-Amateur, I expect more success,” Berkmeyer added. “My expectations are much different than the Amateur. I like the course set-up more; I feel I have a realistic expectation there. In fact, I wish the Mid-Amateur was stroke play. There are a lot of things that can happen in an 18-hole match that can allow the worst player in the field to compete with the best. At the Mid-Amateur, I would like my chances better in stroke play.”

That’s not the same for the Amateur,” he adds. “I feel like my chances in the Amateur are better in a match play.”

One of the best drivers of the ball, Berkmeyer says his length and accuracy off the tee have helped him stay with the young bombers in the collegiate-dominated U.S. Amateur field.

“On national level, they all hit it long,” Berkmeyer says. “At some point, someone is going to hit it 35-40 yards past you and have a significant advantage, but so far that hasn’t been an issue. It hasn’t happened yet.”

As the owner-operator of All-Star Distributing, a trophy and awards business in Ballwin, and a sales rep for See-More Putters, Berkmeyer runs a family-owned business that affords him the opportunity to train and condition for the long grind of amateur competition and compete regularly throughout the summer amateur season. It is a challenge, but one Berkmeyer relishes.

“I’m pretty worn out by October,” Berkmeyer says. “Our biggest events are late in the year so the conditioning and physical training is really important.”

Berkmeyer plans a 2009 schedule reminiscent to the one he has maintained in recent years. “I’ve pretty much played the same schedule the last four years,” he says of his full slate of events in St. Louis, national qualifiers and a series of invitational tournaments that include the Porter Cup (Niagara Falls Country Club), Crump Cup.(Pine Valley) and Coleman Invitational (Seminole).

If the opportunity presents itself to enter a national event with Walker Cup implications, he will pursue it. “If I can get in something like the Northeast Amateur, I’d like to do that. Otherwise, I will continue to play most of the local and state events.”

Berkmeyer, who grew up idolizing the many great players at Norwood Hills, says he has goals that will drive him well into the future. “I look at trophies and see a Bob Cochran who won eight District titles and I say, I’d like to do that.”

While growing up around the game at Norwood Hills, Berkmeyer was given instructions from his parents (Rick and Barbara) to keep an eye on some of the outstanding amateurs at the club. “The four that they said I should watch closely were Don Bliss, Bob Beckman, Scott Thomas and Dave Estes,” Berkmeyer says.

“Don was always willing to try something to improve. He never was content and was always looking to get better.

“Dave taught me to ‘dig it from the dirt,’ When he was at the peak of his game, he spent a tremendous amount of time practicing. There is no substitute for hard work. I learned about strategy from Dave too.

“Scott taught me so much about the short game,” Berkmeyer continues. “He was incredibly strong and creative in the short game.

“Beckmann didn’t play as much but always at a high level. He taught me how to manage your time and practice with a purpose.”

That concept is more and more important as Berkmeyer juggles his competitive career with a family life and business career.

“The big difference is I have a great home life,” Berkmeyer says. “I get to play a lot of events in my home town. I still get to go into the office and go home at night. That’s a huge benefit.

Berkmeyer’s wife, the former Jamie Tucker, is a two-time state champion and former University of Missouri standout. She has largely foregone her own competitive career to raise their daughter, Becca, and support Skip’s golf career.

Becca, who will be four in January, has some big shoes to fill if she elects to pursue golf.

“Right now, Becca is interested in being around her mom and dad on the golf course,” Berkmeyer says. “She played her first few holes this fall. We let her tee it up near the green and take a few hacks, then putt up on the green.

“If she develops an interest in golf, she will have a lot of resources available to her,” he says proudly.

Berkmeyer, who worked with Florida professional John Redd back in the 1990s, has worked primarily with Norwood Hills teaching professional Bobby Pavelonis for the past five years. Despite his success, Berkmeyer says he continues to work to refine his mechanics.

“Right now, I’m working more on getting a one-plane swing,” he says. “I think it can help avoid breakdowns and getting out of sorts under pressure.”

While Berkmeyer has served as a role model for the career amateur, he often is asked to advise younger golfers on career choices in the game of golf. “Despite what I thought of Zach Johnson, I get asked for advice for young golfers considering professional versus amateur golf,” he says. “If asked, I will offer my advice. I may not always be right, but it will be an honest assessment.”

As for his own plans, Berkmeyer says he is an amateur still pursuing the ultimate dream to win a national championship and represent the U.S. at the Walker Cup. But he won’t rule out professionalism, if the right circumstances presented themselves. “I don’t rule anything out,” he says. “I have aspirations in the golf business and outside of it. If opportunities present themselves, I will consider them. If it makes sense, I will pursue them.”

For the immediate future, St. Louis’ top amateurs must figure that any aspirations they have of earning Player of the Year honors will have to go through one Skip Berkmeyer.

-- by Bill Burton

Skip Berkmeyer, with MAGA President
Stan Grossman, has made this trophy presentation a nearly annual tradition. Berkmeyer has won seven Player of the
Year awards, including three in a row.