Choice Phillips
(June 1, 2011)–Choice Phillips is highly familiar with organized routines, repetition and self-discipline. He initially got involved in the sport while serving as an officer in the U.S. Army at Ft. Bliss, Texas. Today the avid golfer has been playing for 45 years and takes pride in letting others know that he is continuing to develop his game.
“I was fortunate enough to play with Lee Trevino in 1966 and he convinced me to work harder on my game after I broke 80 in less than 6 months after I first started playing,” he says.
Phillips lives in Trinity, FL on the fifth hole at the beautiful Heritage Springs Country Club and plays/practices 5 days per week to maintain his 5 handicap status.
He has won more than 100 amateur tournaments, the most notable being championship flights on the old UGA tour (Chitterling tour). He has also qualified for five PGA Champion tour events and played number one on the Harvard Business School golf team.
At age 69, there is no stopping this devoted player who stays active in his lifestyle while enjoying social gatherings with his friends and family. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and former member of Match Limited Golf Club (Cleveland, Ohio) and the ProDuffers of Little Rock (AR).
“My greatest golf challenge is retaining/regaining distance as I age,” says Phillips who current favorite course is his home course at Heritage Springs Country Club.
”I love golf because it requires integrity, honesty, control of my emotions, respect for others, physical conditioning and gentlemanly behavior.”
For the record, Phillips was the number one player on the Harvard Business School golf team in 1970 and 1971. He earned an undergraduate degree in Accounting from Central State University 1964 and an MBA from Harvard Business School 1971.
Phillips then entered the U.S. Army as an Officer following graduating from Central State and thereafter accepted a position as Manager of Corporate Planning in a consumer products company and then became an operator of a McDonald’s franchise after graduating from Harvard Business School.
“One of my most memorable golf moments occurred in the UGA Sixth City Open (July, 1968) where I won the amateur championship flight with a lower 54 hole score than Lee Elder won with in the Professional division,” recalls Phillips. “This achievement happened after only two years of playing the game and made me a “hero” amongst my friends and it convinced me that I was good enough to play professionally, if I wanted to.”
For the remainder of this year, Phillips has a busy golf calendar arranged and is scheduled to play tournaments in the cities of Little Rock, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Cleveland, Pensacola and Newport News. However, with a warm smile, he says that he may most likely just remain near his Trinity home to personally teach his son, Daryl and grandson, Anthony, the fundamentals of successful golf.
