by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Ten down, one to go.
That’s where Clerk of the Court for the Fourth Judicial Circuit Jim Fuller is in the hierarchy of volunteers at The Players Championship.
Yesterday, Fuller wrapped up his 10th tournament, this year as vice chair of the player services division. After Henrik Stenson collected his check and trophy, Fuller then watched as the chairman’s torch was passed from Tommy Douglas — owner of Douglas Insurance Services — to Harold Tool — this year’s first vice chair and an accountant with PRR Health. The changing of the guard also means Fuller is one year away from becoming chair of the 2011 Players Championship, a position a far cry from where he started as a volunteer over a decade ago.
“I was in general parking for two years in a row. I did such a good job, they said, ‘guess what, you get to do it again.’ It was a lot of fun,” said Fuller. “You get to help people get into the tournament and it’s a good crew. It takes everybody to make this work. Everybody helps.”
That all-inclusive attitude seems to permeate the entire 2,000-strong volunteer corps that covers everything from the course marshals to parking to hospitality, signs and feeding folks. During an hour last week with Fuller, he must have talked to 20 people about 20 different things. If Fuller didn’t know the answer or where to find someone or something, he made a call.
Over the course of the next year, Fuller will work closely with Tool. Fuller worked his way into the vice-chair rotation four years ago. This year, he oversaw a dozen committees which included the caddies, SHOTLink, player transportation, vehicle procurement and the largest of all, the marshals, with 750 on the course at any given time. In the past, Fuller has served as vice chair of the spectator services, facilities and volunteer services divisions.
“Each year the division gets more involved,” said Fuller, who also spends time during the practice rounds working on his photography hobby. “Next year, I’ll be vice chair so I will be over everything.”
Being vice chair has its obvious plus: you are in line to become chair the following year. It also has its moments. Fuller, partly in jest, said the vice chair takes the fall for the chairman.
“If things are going good, Tommy gets the credit. If things go bad, Harold will take the blame,” said Fuller.
Within a few months of the end of the tournament, Fuller and the other vice chairs will start meeting to plan the 2010 Players. In addition to distributing the millions of dollars the tournament will raise for charity in November, the planning starts for real in December.
“Starting in January, we are out here every weekend,” he said. “All of the committees are in place and the chairs will meet with their people. Come tournament time, we are just tweaking things.”
The flip side of Fuller, who will become chairman, are the volunteers who simply enjoy a week away from the office or home. Jean Pfister is retired military and has been volunteering at The Players for “18 or 19 years.” Pfister sees his efforts as a way to be around the best golfers in the world for a week and help the community.
“I think we all have to be supportive of local charities and this is a good way to do it,” said Pfister, who retired from the Navy and moved to the area from Michigan in 1987.
Fuller does have the real world to contend with and he’s back in it today after two weeks away. He spent the week of April 27 in Tallahassee wrapping up the legislative session and last week in Ponte Vedra. During that time, he says it was business as usual at the County Courthouse.
“Things run smoothly. The Courthouse continues to run,” said Fuller, adding he has a director who managed the office for two weeks during his absence. “We have great folks in there who are really good at what they do.”
Fuller said the implementation of modern technology has helped his office and helped make two-week absences less stressful. The ability to file a multitude of documents online is one example.
“I think technology does help, but it takes money to buy the stuff,” he said. “We are always looking to improve. Our goal is to serve the people of Duval County.”
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