Golf was always an important part of family life for Mike Kellman growing up, but so was giving back to the community.
His father, businessman Morrie Kellman, went from shooting a round of 140 to becoming a scratch golfer, but the elder Kellman also used the sport as a way to help others. His passion led him to help found the Little City Foundation for the developmentally disabled and to support young golfers in the Chicago area.
The Kellman family legacy continues July 19, when the 22nd annual Kellman Memorial golf tournament returns to Deerfield Golf Club.
The tournament is among the 40-plus events on the Illinois Junior Golf Association calendar this summer. About 90 youth golfers will participate in the event, which is aimed to highlight athletes who excel in golf but also in community service.
The tournament recalls the dedication of Morrie Kellman, who died in 1985, but the event was established after his son, Robert Kellman, died at age 37 in 1995. The tournament officially became known as the Kellman Memorial after John Kellman died at 49 in 2005.
Mike Kellman, a Long Grove native, is carrying on the memory of his brothers Robert and John.
“They support the whole event,” IJGA executive director Jordan Abdel-Haq said of the Kellman family. “They provide lunch and a bucket of range balls for all participants.”
The Kellman family also sponsors scholarships for local golfers, and the Kellman Memorial has one such recipient in the field. Tyler White, a Hawthorn Woods resident and recent Mundelein graduate, will apply the $1,500 grant toward his tuition at Illinois.
Participating in the Kellman Memorial is one requirement for receiving the scholarship, but Mike Kellman said community service is the chief determining factor. The scholarship is not just about grades or being the best golfer in the field.
Interested IJGA participants must apply for the scholarship, and the IJGA and Kellman family choose scholarship recipients together.
“It’s not all about the grades, though they are important,” Mike Kellman said. “It’s about giving back to the community in some way like food drives. You don’t have to be the best golfer.”
White was a member of the Mustangs’ golf team, which won its Class 3A sectional and finished 11th at the state meet last fall. White had the team’s second-best score at state and said he gives back at school and in his community.
As vice president of the Mundelein student council, White said he helped lead community service efforts as well as mentor young golfers learning the game for the first time through the Golf First Program sponsored by the George Bell Youth Opportunity Fund. White coached young golfers at Countryside Golf Club in Mundelein, then gained satisfaction when he later saw them playing on their own.
“I would see kids on the course who were in the program, and it made me feel good to know I may have had something to do with helping them enjoy the game,” White said.
Sophia Lau, a senior-to-be at Glenbrook South, is also playing in the Kellman Memorial because of the tournament’s community service roots of “building character and good sportsmanship.”
Lau, who is the defending Central Suburban League champion and finished tied for 19th in the Class 2A state tournament last fall, has taken part in several volunteer activities. She has served at Maryville Academy, which aids disadvantaged children, and also has helped others find a path in golf. She has taught individuals how to repair and refurbish golf clubs for a good cause.
“We take old clubs and put new grips on them or shorten the shaft,” Lau said. “They go to kids playing golf in the Special Olympics in the Chicago area.”
The tournament is divided into four divisions, with boys and girls competing in age brackets of 14-15 and 16-18. Jason Mannina, the head PGA professional at Deerfield Golf Club, said the tournament will use normal pin locations.
Steve Sadin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press
22nd annual Kellman Memorial
When: July 19
Where: Deerfield Golf Club
Format: 18 holes, stroke play
Who: More than 90 youth golfers, most of whom hail from Deerfield, Evanston, Glenview, Hawthorn Woods, Highland Park, Kenilworth, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Lincolnshire, Mundelein, Northbrook, Northfield, Riverwoods, Vernon Hills, Wilmette and Winnetka.
Scholarship recipient: Tyler White, Hawthorn Woods
