HR 9023

1
House Resolution
2A resolution recognizing Paul Azinger, captain of the
3victorious 2008 United States Ryder Cup team.
4
5     WHEREAS, Paul Azinger was born on January 6, 1960, in
6Holyoke, Massachusetts, moved with his family to Florida when he
7was 2 months old, and today resides in Bradenton, Florida, and
8     WHEREAS, Paul Azinger graduated from Sarasota High School,
9Brevard Community College, and Florida State University, where
10he was a member of the men's varsity golf team, and
11     WHEREAS, since his entry into the world of professional
12golf in 1981, Paul Azinger has won 15 tournaments, including 12
13on the PGA Tour, most notably the 1992 Tour Championship and the
141993 PGA Championship, and
15     WHEREAS, Paul Azinger has played on four United States
16Ryder Cup teams, including the winning teams of 1991 and 1993,
17and
18     WHEREAS, Ryder Cup competition began in 1927, following an
19exhibition match in 1926 between a team representing
20professionals from the United States and a team representing the
21British PGA, and
22     WHEREAS, the Ryder Cup Trophy is awarded biennially to the
23winner of an event, called the Ryder Cup Matches, which is
24contested between teams from Europe and the United States, is
25jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European
26Tour, and is held alternately at sites in the United States and
27Europe, and
28     WHEREAS, following years of dominance by the United States,
29in which its team won 20 of 21 matches between 1935 and 1983,
30the European team began a period of supremacy, winning 8 of 11
31matches between 1985 and 2006, including three straight
32victories in 2002, 2004, and 2006, and
33     WHEREAS, Paul Azinger was named captain of the 2008 United
34States Ryder Cup team consisting of players Chad Campbell,
35Stewart Cink, Ben Curtis, Jim Furyk, J.B. Holmes, Anthony Kim,
36Justin Leonard, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Kenny Perry, Steve
37Stricker, and Boo Weekley and assistant captains Olin Browne,
38Raymond Floyd, and Dave Stockton, and
39     WHEREAS, on September 19-21, 2008, at the Valhalla Golf
40Club in Louisville, Kentucky, Paul Azinger, as captain, led the
41United States Ryder Cup team to its first Ryder Cup victory
42since 1999, NOW, THEREFORE,
43
44Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of
45Florida:
46
47     That the Florida House of Representatives recognizes and
48commends Floridian Paul Azinger for his leadership of the
49victorious 2008 United States Ryder Cup team, his efforts as a
50player on earlier United States Ryder Cup teams, and his
51accomplishments in and contributions to professional golf.
52     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be
53presented to Paul Azinger as a tangible token of the sentiments
54expressed herein.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.