Page New Inductee into Canadian Golf Hall of Fame

OAKVILLE, ONT. (Golf Canada) – The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum today announced that
amateur and professional golf standout, Rod Spittle, as well as celebrated collegiate golf coach Herb
Page have been selected for 2019 induction into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.
Spittle, 63, from Niagara Falls, Ont., will be inducted in the player category, while the 67-year-old Page,
who is a native of Markham, Ont., will be inducted as a builder for his accomplishments as a collegiate
golf coach with the NCAA Division I Kent State Golden Flashes. With their inductions, the pair become
the 82nd and 83rd honored members of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.
“The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame strives to recognize the outstanding achievements of golf’s greatest
players and supporters and it’s an absolute privilege to welcome Rod Spittle and Herb Page as our
newest honored members,” said Sandra Post, Chair of the Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee. “Rod
was an accomplished player at the amateur level and later as a professional, while Herb has made a
significant impact in the lives of countless student-athletes through his long tenure with Kent State’s golf
program. I know I speak on behalf of the entire selection committee as well as the honored members
when I say they are both very deserved of their appointments.”
“I am humbled and thrilled beyond words to be inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame,” said
Spittle. “It is an honor to be recognized and included in this group of golf ambassadors and elite players,
the induction will be even more special for me since the ceremony will be hosted at Hamilton Golf &
Country Club, where my dad caddied as a youngster and where I won my first Canadian Amateur in
1977.”

With his induction, Page becomes the 25th person inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame’s builder
category and the first-ever coach.
“It’s been an honor and a pleasure to have the opportunity to help so many young student-athletes grow
both on and off the course,” said Page from his home in Ohio. “It’s always great to be recognized for your
hard work and this nomination is extra special, but the real gratification comes from seeing players
mature into outstanding people.”
Spittle and Page officially join the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame during an induction ceremony that will take
place Tuesday, June 4th, 2019 during RBC Hall of Fame Day as part of the 2019 RBC Canadian Open on
the grounds of Hamilton Golf and Country Club.

Herb Page…
Born March 16, 1951 in Markham, Ont., Herb Page has been a fixture on the Kent State University
campus since arriving as an undergraduate three-sport student-athlete (golf, football and hockey) in 1970.
Nearly 50 years later, now the university’s director of golf, Page has grown to become one of the most
respected golf coaches in the world.
For more than 40 years, Page has been an untiring coach to his players and a terrific ambassador for the
game of golf. Even after decades of significant accomplishments under his direction, the Kent State
Golden Flashes golf program continues to reach new heights. He has built an empire in the Mid-American
Conference with a legacy that seems to grow stronger with each passing year.

He has led the Golden Flashes to 23 Mid-American Conference (MAC) titles and 28 NCAA Regional
appearances – advancing to the NCAA Championship 18 times during that span. Kent State won three
NCAA Regional titles (1993, 2001 and 2010) and earned top-10 National finishes in 2000 (9th), 2008 (6th),
2012 (5th) and 2018 (10th). Page has garnered 24 MAC Coach of the Year awards (1983-1984, 1990-
1996, 1998-2001, 2003, 2005-2006, 2009-2010, 2012-2014, 2016-2018) during his distinguished career.
He helped to develop countless golfers who have gone on to enjoy successful professional golf careers
and opened a pathway for numerous Canadians to pursue NCAA post-secondary golf. Canuck alums
who have been coached and recruited by Page include David Morland IV (1987–1991), Bryan DeCorso
(1991–1995), Ryan Yip (2002–2006), Mackenzie Hughes (2008–2012), Corey Conners (2010-2014),
Taylor Pendrith (2010-2014) and Jon Mills (1998–2002), who now serves as Page’s assistant coach with
Kent State. Other notables among the nearly 30 Canadians to play at Kent State under Page include
Brian Tisdelle, Paul DeCorso, Ron Reycraft, Chuck Crawford, Spencer Dobbs, Josh Whalen, Billy Walsh,
Danny Sahl, Mark Bourgeois J.P. Paiement and Dustin Risdon, as well as current player Johnny Travale
and future player Chris Vendette, who has committed to the school starting next year.
Page, who coached two PGA TOUR winners, also mentored Kent State graduate Ben Curtis, who
claimed the 2003 Open Championship as well as a runner-up finish at the 2008 PGA Championship,
before retiring from competitive golf to open his own golf academy.
He also played an instrumental role in the 1997 launch of the women’s golf program at Kent State,
opening a post-secondary for path for Canadian women from B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec including
Jennifer Ha, Kira Miexner, Josee Doyon, Taylor Kim and Kirby Dreher as well as Veronique Drouin who is
Women’s Head Coach at Oklahoma and Jan Dowling who is Women’s Head Coach at Michigan.
Among his many career honors and achievements, Page has been inducted into the Golf Coaches
Association of America Hall of Fame (2003), Northern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame (2005), Northern Ohio Golf
Association Hall of Fame (2012) and Ontario Golf Hall of Fame (2012). He is a past winner of the Golf
Coaches of America Labron Harris Award (2008) and was selected to coach the International team at the
2018 Arnold Palmer Cup.

Page and his wife, Dr. Paula Treckel, reside in Kent, Ohio.