One of the common complaints golf course superintendents hear is that they don't spend enough time with their families.That's not the case with Eric McPherson, superintendent at Omaha Country Club, site of the U.S. Senior Open. McPherson still spends plenty of time at the course, as many as 100 hours per week in the run up to this year's Open. The thing is his wife, Stephanie, who is the office manager in the OCC maintenance shop, spends a good deal of time there each week as well often as many as 50 hours per week.
"When I came here, they really wanted me to be outside and get the golf course into shape," said McPherson, who has been at OCC since February 2011. "I really needed someone inside to help me achieve all I needed to achieve. She does everything in here, and it's one more way for us to spend more time together."
An advertising professional by trade, Stephanie McPherson has been her husband's office manager for the past 10 years, when Eric was superintendent at Point Judith Country Club in Narragansett, R.I.
It's only fitting that one of her accounts in the advertising business was Border's, because she also proofreads and edits every piece of communication that leaves the shop.
"She has very good proofreading skills," McPherson said. "Nothing goes until she sees it first."
Stephanie McPherson also is the volunteer coordinator for the championship, making sure that the dozens of people coming onto the property to help keep the course in top shape are credentialed and have accommodations and transportation while in town.
A graduate of Michigan State University's turfgrass management program, McPherson, 40, has a great deal of tournament prep experience. Before Omaha Country Club and Point Judith Country Club, he worked from 1998-2003 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., the last three years of which he spent as superintendent of the Blue Course, site of the PGA Tour's AT&T National.
But his greatest accomplishment in the golf business is assembling the championship crew he has in place at OCC, including assistant superintendents Spencer Roberts, Jeffrey Thoman and Jarod Kalin, as well as equipment manager Randy Strohfus. Together they've produced a course worthy of a national championship, and for that McPherson is grateful.
"I think this course has surprised a lot of people," McPherson said. "People come here and they don't expect this much changing terrain. The course is firm and fast, and it plays longer due to the elevation changes.
"Everything has come to fruition here. We have a great staff. My job now is to figure out what they want to do and help them get to that next level and help them succeed and keep our members happy."