Omaha World-Herald Sports Department

Honored in 2000

Since 1889, the Omaha World-Herald has been dedicated to providing the most comprehensive news coverage In the Midlands. As the only statewide newspaper in Nebraska, sports are an important part of The World-Herald! news package and golf has always been in the forefront.

The World-Herald Sports Department has been an active supporter of amateur golf, starting with Its Publinks match-play Tournament in the Omaha area that began In 1929. Now entering its 68th year. The Publinks has grown to include flights for senior golfers and women and guarantees competition, with no entry fee to all who enter. Some of the championship Flight winners have been honored by the Nebraska Golf Han of Fame - Bob Astleford. Matt Zadalls, Gene Chadwell tonight The World-Herald also sponsors the Omaha Junior Golf Tournament for youths ages 8 to 18 and the Omaha Junior Golf Clinics.

Don Lee, a past recipient of the Davis Award. was the lead golf writer for The World-Herald for 44 years. The Omaha Benson and Creighton University graduate revived the Publinks in 1946 after it was suspended for World War Il, Don helped establish the city's junior program and the Greater Omaha Women's Golf Association, created the Fairway Hall of Fame series of notable golf holes in the 1970 and chronicled the careers of many Hall of Famers.

Since 1987, Stu Pospisil has followed his fellow Benson alum as the newspaper's lead golf writer. A University of Nebraska graduate, Stu has overseen Publinks format changes that included the naming of the championship flight for Don Lee. He has chronicled the rapid expansion of golf in the Midlands, including the many new and notable courses and the rise of the Omaha Classic and Dakota Dunes Open on the Buy.com Tour, and helped the Sports Department institute a special section devoted annually to golf and another that served as the on-course tournament program for the Omaha Classic.