Golf genes


WMPO chairman Cozby has the game in his DNA


By John Davis O


ver the years, Waste Management Phoenix Open chairmen have been a diverse group, representing a wide


variety of talents and achievements, but probably none has come from a richer golf background than Chance Cozby, who is filling that role for the 2019 tournament. Cozby, 43, comes from a family


that is synonymous with golf in Oklahoma, where his father laid the groundwork for a life in the sport for virtually all of his family. “I grew up around the game and


have been very fortunate to have that my whole life,” he said. “Golf has been so good to me in so many ways. I love being part of it.” Cozby’s father, Jerry, was head pro at


Hillcrest Country Club in his hometown of Bartlesville, Okla., for 42 years,


26 | AZ GOLF Insider | ANNUAL 2018


The 2018 leaderboard at the Phoenix Open paid tribute to upcoming tournament chairman Chance Cozby. Joining Cozby on the leaderboard walkway were his wife, Erica, and sons, Catcher (left) and Campbell. In bottom photo, Cozby joins his assistant tournament chairman, Tim Woods, for a photo op.


earning numerous state and national awards, including National PGA Pro of the Year in 1985. He has been inducted into the National PGA Golf Pro Hall of Fame and National Junior College Golf Hall of Fame, and in 2012 was named Golfweek magazine’s Father of the Year. “Just about anyone who knows


anything about golf in Oklahoma knows who my dad is,” Cozby said. “He’s pretty much a golf icon there.”


All three of Jerry’s sons followed


in his golf spikes, excelling at the University of Oklahoma. One brother now is a longtime PGA club pro, another is a sales representative for PING, and Chance is vice president of sports development for PING, where he is responsible for dealings with the 130 tour pros in the company stable. It was during his college career that Cozby had his first contact with


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WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN


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