Honoring Bud Ossey

The 50th Annual Partners Group Ossey Scramble was held Monday at the Tualatin Country Club. It was the return of the event after the 2020 edition was canceled. On the face of it, everything looked the same, but something (or someone) was missing.
 
The event's namesake, Bud Ossey '43, who passed away on July 23, would normally be seen on a golf cart traveling from one golf hole to the next talking with participants. Although Bud was not there physically, he was remembered throughout the course with signage on various tee boxes showing moments in Bud's life and providing factoids as well.
 
"Bud is Oregon State golf," said Oregon State men's golf head coach Jon Reehoorn. "And now it's even more important this event and our facility are named after he and his wife, Maxine.
 
"It's impossible to truly put into words what Bud has meant to Oregon State golf. For 50 years he put his heart and soul into helping our program be successful and has impacted the lives of so many student-athletes, including the two former head coaches and over twenty alumni who participated in the event."
 
Over 30 foursomes participated in this year's event all in support of Oregon State Men's Golf and it student-athletes, just has Bud envisioned when we began the tournament half a century ago. Thanks to Bud's tenacity and passion for his alma mater, this event saved the men's golf program years ago and continues to be one of the top fundraising initiatives annually.
 
As the day began every participant found a letter on the steering wheel of their golf cart. It was a thank you letter to Bud Ossey from 1971, thanking him for beginning a golf tournament in support of OSU Men's Golf. It was a great reminder of why we were all there that day, and of the man that brought us all together.