Biography
At
the
age of 13, Sherm started toward a career path in golf that would take
him from
his hometown of Evanston, Illinois to Los Angeles, California, and back
to
Chicago. Along the way he would become a three-time collegiate
All-American,
Chicago District Golf Association Amateur Champion, and head
professional at
two of Chicago’s most prestigious country clubs.
Sherm
played both football and
golf his first two years of high school, but his junior year he decided
to
focus on golf. He focused well enough to earn his way onto the golf
team at the
University of Southern California in 1963. In 1964 Sherm was named
First Team
All-American. After achieving that honor again in 1965 and 1966, Sherm
became
the first player ever to become a three-time First Team All-American.
Sherm
captured the Pac-Ten individual title all three years as well, while
the team
won the conference title all four years Sherm was at USC.
After
2
years of
military service, including 10 months in Vietnam, Sherm headed back to
California to work as a teaching professional at Westlake Village Golf
Club
from 1969 to 1972 and earned his PGA membership in 1971.
After
playing on the
PGA Tour for 18 months, Sherm decided to pursue being a teacher and
club
professional. In 1973 Finger went to work as the assistant professional
at
North Shore Country Club. During his apprenticeship, Sherm was inspired
to
become involved in the PGA. From 1973 to 1992, Finger served in almost
every
volunteer capacity of the Illinois Section, including being elected to
all of
the officer chairs, culminating
as
President in 1987 and 1988. Finger’s leadership included
being
part of the
group that helped bring the PGA Championship to Kemper Lakes Golf
Course in
1989. In 1974 Sherm was named the head golf professional at Shoreacres
in Lake
Bluff, where he worked until 1979. In 1979 Sherm moved just a few miles
down
the road to Knollwood Club in Lake Forest where he was head golf
professional
for 27 years. He was named Illinois PGA Horton Smith Award Winner
(Education
Award) in 1982 and Illinois PGA Professional of the Year in 1988. In
2004,
Sherm was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame and became
an
Illinois Senior Master in 2006.
Sherm
retired from Knollwood in 2005 and now
teaches at Lake Bluff Golf Course, a community he has lived in for more
than 30
years.
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Tournament Record
PGA
Experience:
Illinois
PGA Section President, 1987-1988
Illinois PGA Section Executive Committee
1973-1990
Illinois PGA Professional of the Year, 1988
Illinois PGA Horton Smith
Award, 1982
Tournament
Record:
Illinois PGA Match Play Champion, 1979
USGA Open
Contestant, 1970
1st
Team Collegiate All-American, 1964,1965,1966
PAC 10 Individual Champion, 1964,1965,1966
USGA Amateur Contestant,
1961,1962,1964, 1965
Chicago District Amateur Champion, 1965
Pasadena City
Amateur Champion, 1965
Palm Springs Amateur Champion, 1965
Chicago District
Junior Match Play Champion, 1964
Chicago District Junior Champion, 1961, 1963
Illinois State High School Runner-up, 1961
Chicago District Boys Champion, 1959
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