Jim Ahern

Jim Ahern became the 29th person to be inducted into the SDGA Hall of Fame in 2000 and the 4th person with ties to Yankton to be enshrined. Jim won SDGA Match Play Championships in 1970 and 1971, becoming the first to win consecutive Match Play titles since Al Cooke of Sioux Falls did it in 1963 and 1964. He played collegiate golf at Oklahoma State. He was the head teaching professional from 1980-1985 at Des Moines Golf and Country Club, the site of the 1999 US Senior Open. A member of the PGA Champions Tour, Jim captured his first Champions tour event in 1999, defeating Hale Irwin in a play-off at the AT&T Canada Senior Open Championship. He was just the 7th Monday qualifier in Champions Tour history at the time to go on and win an event. That season, he was selected by the PGA of America as the Senior Club Professional Player of the Year. Jim won his second Champions Tour crown in 2003, capturing the title in the Music City Championship at Gaylord Opryland. He has seven other professional victories on his resume, including the 1992 South Dakota Open title. Jim owns and operates Executive Golf Ltd. a company specializing in producing golf tournaments and clinics for a growing number of Fortune 500 corporations.