Diehl

This is the final in a series of four articles profiling the 2017 inductees into the Butler Area School District Athletic Hall of FameAVON LAKE, Ohio — The 1986 Masters sold Jeff Diehl on golf.He was 12 years old at the time. Years later, the 1992 Butler graduate remains involved in the sport.And that sport is landing him in the Butler Area School District Athletic Hall of Fame. Diehl will join gymnastics coach Dave McKinnis, swimmer Josh Barthlow and sprinter Gwen Murray as 2017 inductees during a ceremony at 6 p.m. Friday in the high school cafeteria.“I can still remember watching the final round of the '86 Masters,” Diehl said. “Jack Nicklaus won his last major in thrilling fashion and I was blown away by it.“Golf got me that day. I started practicing at the old Armco Country Club. While other kids my age were playing baseball or other sports, I was on the golf course shortly after the sun came up until the dark of night.”That practice paid off.Diehl went on to win the WPIAL championship during his junior year at Butler, shooting a 3-over-par 74 at Westmoreland Country Club. He parred eight consecutive holes at one point to win the event.Diehl also played on the American Junior Golf Association Tour while in high school.“Tiger Woods was one year younger than me,” Diehl recalled. “I competed against him about a half dozen times in AJGA events. It's always been a thrill following his career.“I bumped into him again in college golf, when he was at Stanford and I was at Ohio State and Penn State.”Diehl became a scholar athlete at Ohio State before leaving two trimesters into his sophomore year. He finished his collegiate career at Penn State. He was a scholarship player and two-year letterman with the Nittany Lion golf team.Diehl made the all-tournament team at the Scotty Duncan Memorial, took third place at the Loyola Invitational and tied for low medalist honors at the James Madison Invitational.“When I was at Ohio State, I got to play on the Jack Nicklaus course,” Diehl said. “I had a few top-10 finishes in my college career, got to the NCAA regionals twice.“My father was a gymnast at Michigan State and I played an event there. My family got to go back up there, see the campus and everything. It was a nice experience.”His father, Cliff Diehl, was inducted into the Butler Area School District Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015 for his accomplishments as a gymnast.“I never thought I'd be joining my father in this Hall of Fame just two years later,” Diehl said. “That makes this very, very special to me.”Upon graduating from Penn State, Diehl went to work as a club pro at Oakmont Country Club, where he served under longtime pro Bob Ford for eight years.Now he is a regional account manager for a company that sells and distributes golf apparel.“I don't play golf as much as much as I used to, but I've been able to stay involved with the game,” Diehl said. “I've gotten to know Davis Love, Justin Thomas, Tom Watson ... I've attended the past 10 U.S. Opens, been to the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup.“Our company has produced the past three Ryder Cup uniforms.”Diehl is looking forward to Friday night's induction ceremony.“My parents still live in Butler. Much of my family is there,” he said. “It's gong to be a lot of fun.”