Like Father, Like Son: John & AJ Todd
NEWSWIRE - JULY 2011
by Steve Verduzco
On Saturday morning, July 27, 1991, the headline story in the Kalamazoo Gazette got some attention in the John and Jane Todd family household. It was a story about a match that took place in the KCC Invitational, pitting a couple of veterans against two up-and-comers. The headline read, “Father Beats Son.” A day earlier, Jane Todd had never felt so conflicted watching a golf match. She found herself cheering on both teams, as the match put her husband, John, up against her oldest son, A.J. Jane says, “I think I was rooting for John, knowing that A.J. would have more time to win the tournament at some point in the future.” John and his partner, Geoff Griffin, would go on to win their next three matches and John’s first Invitational title. Jane’s prediction about A.J. would prove prophetic a decade later.
The Todd family and the KCC Invitational have been synonymous for nearly 50 years. John’s grandfather, A.J. Todd I, was a founding member of the KCC. After its founding, A.M. Todd, John’s great-grandfather joined, making A.J. Todd IV a fifth-generation member of the club. John caddied in the Invitational as a teenager for his Uncle Joel Shepherd, Sr. and started playing in the tournament in his 20’s. From the late 1960’s all the way up until 1998, John played in the tournament nearly every year. In 1970, he made the smart decision to sit out so he could marry his wife, Jane. Last year, they celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. John is one of a handful of contestants since the tournament’s inception who has won 3 times. He followed up his 1991 victory with back-to-back titles, partnering with Tom Gauntlett in 1996 and 1997.
The Todd family has many fond memories of their time in the Invitational. All three of their boys, A.J., Stephen and Eric, caddied for their Dad over the years and Jane was a fixture at all of John’s matches. She was usually very nervous and often sought out some trees to hide under as she watched. She said, “With the kids caddying for years and John playing for so long, the Invitational became a big part of our summer. It’s really been a great family event. John ran the tournament many times, so we’ve been involved for a long time.”
As mentioned, John’s first victory came alongside California collegian Geoff Griffin, of Fresno State University. “He was a really good player – very consistent. I remember he shot a 64 in the practice round that year, so I was thinking we may have a chance to win,” John said. Griffin had a great tournament and went on to make it to the Finals of the Western Amateur the week following the Invitational. John played well that year, also, contributing many birdies. KCC Pro Dick Stewart recalls John hitting a ball in the water on hole #12 to go one-down and then following that up with back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14 to take control of the match. They went on to beat the team of Mike Raymond and Steve Maddalena. A.J. has great memories of that Final: “I remember my Dad making those birdies on 13 and 14. That was probably the most nervous I’ve ever been watching a golf match. I was really happy for my Dad.”
The second of John’s Invitational victories was especially memorable. He and longtime friend and KCC member Tom Gauntlett had teamed together in the 1970’s and decided to give it one more go in 1996. “We had made it to the semi-finals when we were younger, so we figured we’d test ourselves now that we were in our 40’s and 50’s. Tom was a really good player. He could really hit his long irons.” The pair figured it would be their last try together, so they had balls made with “OMT” inscribed on them – One More Time. Both John and Tom played very well in that tournament, making it to the Finals against the formidable team of Mitch Wilson and Dan Maudlin. With a flurry of birdies, John and Tom won that match. Dick Stewart said, “Theirs was a classic Invitational match in the Finals with many birdies. It featured a hole-in-one on #12 by Tom.”
The next year, John and Tom had to come back and do it One More Time, again. Hence, in 1997, their golf balls read “OMT 2.” They went on another tremendous run, winning 5 straight matches to capture another title, once again beating the Wilson/Maudlin duo in the Finals. In that tournament, John matched Tom’s hole-in-one on 12 from the previous year with an ace of his own. KCC member and longtime friend Bert Cooper said, “Toddie was an Invitational stalwart for many years. He turned in his best play while in his 50’s. Like most of us older players, he was at a disadvantage off the tee, but his trusty Ping putter more than made up for any lack of distance. You knew that if the match was tight against John going into #17, you were in trouble.” John thinks back and smiles about the number of key birdie putts he’s made on that hole over the years and says, “#17 is my hole.” John and Tom would pair together one final time in 1998, earning a trip to the Semi-Finals before losing for the first time in 3 years, covering 14 matches – a phenomenal run.
Dick Stewart says, “John was a very competitive player in the Invitational, but he also knew how to have a good time. He was part of a large group of guys, including Tom Gauntlett and Tom Weibel, who would go out to California every year and play the courses around Pebble Beach. We played in the World Pro-Am out there for many years and John earned the nickname ‘Chippey,’ because you could always count on him to chip in at least once or twice a tournament. I remember an Invitational Semi-Final match John played against Tom Weibel and Rick Gilman. It was an 8 AM tee time and John had set a cold Budweiser can on the first tee, Weibs’ beverage of choice back then. It really cracked everyone up during what is normally a nervous moment.”
While there were many triumphant moments for John over the years in the Invitational, he reserves his best memory for that Saturday morning in 1991 after beating A.J. and his partner, 4 and 3. “A.J. was living with us at the time. I woke up early as I always did to read the newspaper. When I saw the headline in the Gazette, I knew exactly what to do with it. I cut out the article and taped it to the mirror in A.J.’s bathroom so it would be the first thing he’d see in the morning.” A.J. doesn’t remember the story quite as fondly: “That was not the way I wanted to wake up that morning.”
But as Jane predicted, A.J. would have his moment. After playing in the tournament for a little over a decade, A.J. turned in his finest performance in 2000, teaming with University of Notre Dame’s Todd Vernon. Following in his father’s footsteps, A.J. would capture his own title that year. Like his Dad, he’d do it in fine fashion. In the Semi-Finals, the Todd/Vernon team beat Dennie Kane and Robert Sul on the 23rd hole when Vernon made a birdie from out of the bunker. The Final match was delayed until the following Saturday, due to weather problems that week. Todd and Vernon made numerous birdies in the Finals on their way to a 4 and 3 victory against Tim Wilson and Andy Matthews.
While A.J. enjoyed that victory in the Invitational, his best win at the tournament was meeting his wife, Cathy, on a blind date. They were set up by mutual friends at the Wednesday night pairings dinner in 1996. They married two years later. The couple paid it forward a few years later, helping Vernon find his future wife. In 2000, A.J. and Cathy introduced Todd to KCC Pro Shop manager, Abby Platt. A few years later they, too, would marry.
Not only has A.J. been a strong competitor in the tournament, but, more importantly, he’s helped to revive the Invitational over the past decade. Bert Cooper says, “Our tournament owes a lot to A.J and Cathy. John ran the tournament really well for a number of years. It must be very gratifying for John and Jane that A.J. has become so involved in helping to continue the great tradition of this fine event. I know I’m proud of him.” John says, “A.J. really does work hard to make this event special. I also know how much Cathy does behind the scenes. The kids we bring in are great kids and I think they have a really good time. It’s a different type of tournament. It’s competitive and a lot of fun. It gives people an opportunity to see some great talent from across the country. Now there are a lot of KCC members who are a part of the committee who help ensure the tournament will remain a special part of our KCC heritage for a long time to come.”
The good news is that we may, indeed, be able to count on the Todd family supporting the Invitational for many more years. It won’t be long before A.J. and Cathy’s two boys are ready to contribute and play. Their oldest son, Will, 11, was the co-champion of the 10-under golfers at the KCC Junior Club Championship last year and Peter, 9, is starting to hone his golf game, as well. With the boys’ continued development, maybe we’ll have a Todd/Todd KCC Invitational Champion sometime in the future. That’s surely a memory and headline that would top John’s current favorite.