Ozarks Life: Volunteering at the Price Cutter Charity Championship

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - For a 34th summer, the Ozarks is hosting some of the best, up-and-coming golfers in the world.

For one week, the Korn Ferry Tour experiences our Ozarks Life thanks to the work behind the scenes of 1,000 volunteers. There’s an army of ambassadors from the Ozarks making sure the event goes off every year as crisp as that perfect tee shot down a fairway.

“We started about five in the morning,” volunteer Susan Miles said.

Miles has been volunteering for 32 of the 34 years. From burgers to brats, hot dogs to cold soda, her food tent feeds the volunteers and caddies. This opportunity also gives some of Susan’s with Champion Athletes, a chance to work in a unique environment.

“We’re counting, we’re inventorying,” Miles said. “We have to talk to people we don’t know and be able to make that eye contact. So it’s a wonderful opportunity for our individuals to put their everyday life skills to work.”

A loft wedge shot from that food tent is the players’ dining area at the clubhouse. Volunteers are also here, making sure the rift-raff and media hounds stay away from the pros.

“It’s my first year that I’ve actually been inside in the air conditioning,” Tammy Sconce said. “So this is great.”

So how did Sconce score this nice perk?

“Last year, I was the Volunteer of the Year,” Lockwood resident, Sconce said.

“Why,” asked Chad Plein.

“They pick one volunteer,” Sconce replied, “and I was chosen (thanks to) just (doing) my job here.”

Like most volunteers, Tammy is able to jump from job to job. After her time in the dining hall, Tammy went to help a first-year volunteer, Jim Dowler, at scoring central.

“I’ve never seen behind-the-scenes at a PGA event,” Dowler said. “So I just thought it’d be interesting.”

They take in a score from each hole over the radio, write it down, and then put it online for all to see. Not much pressure for a first-year volunteer, right?

“It’s fun,” Dowler said. “It gets hectic but you just got to try to keep up.”

But it’s these volunteers who put in long days for one week who make sure the service is up to par. It keeps the PGA’s Korn Ferry Tour a success in Springfield while also providing some extra green for those local charities.

“All the charity organizations that they’re giving money to,” Dowler said, “I think it’s just a great deal.”

“Champion Athletes has been able to add more programs to our individuals because of the (PCCC) funding,” Miles said.

This golf tournament is actually a year-long campaign to help provide money to roughly 50 area charities.

The Price Cutter Charity Championship rolls on through Sunday at Highland Springs.

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