Like many other annual events that should have taken place in 2020, J. Wood Platt’s annual Caddie Brunch was held virtually due to COVID-19. On December 22, 2020 at 7:00 PM EST, JWP streamed the 2020 Caddie Brunch live on YouTube Premiere where 125 viewers tuned to celebrate the JWP Caddies. During this streaming, many viewers interacted with each other through the live chat feature. Even though streaming the brunch virtually was not the same as donors meeting the caddies face to face, YouTube Premiere was the best possible avenue to use in an attempt to bring some normalcy to the much-anticipated annual event. Having the brunch streamed live, with a chat feature, was a great way to get viewers to intermingle with each other in the middle of a pandemic.
Annually, the J. Wood Platt Brunch brings the caddies and donors together during the holiday season for a time of celebration. This year, in order to make up for the unfortunate cancelation of the in-person event, JWP invited many different celebrity guests to speak to the caddies virtually. These big names include: Gary Player, otherwise known as The Black Knight, Nine-time Major champion; Fran Dunphy, former men’s basketball head coach at Temple and Penn; Mark “Fooch” Fulcher, caddie for Justin Rose when Rose won the 2010 AT&T National and 2013 US Open; Edoardo Molinari, 2005 US Amateur Champion; Jim Nantz, CBS Sports; Seth Joyner, retired NFL linebacker who was a former Philadelphia Eagle; Jay Bilas, ESPN college basketball analyst; Mike Davis, Chief Executive Officer of the United States Golf Association; Brent Celek, former Eagles tight end; and Andy Roddick, retired professional tennis player and winner of the 2003 U.S. Open.
During the #2020PlattBrunch, Edward Wiernicki of Cedarbrook Country Club and Penn State University, was named Francis C. Poore Caddie of the Year. Keep a look out for the new issue of the GAP Magazine to read more about the self-less Edward Wiernicki.
The 2021 JWP Caddie Brunch date and venue has not been set yet.
GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The Association’s 288 Member Clubs and 75,000 individual members are spread across the Eastern half of Pennsylvania and parts of New Jersey and Delaware. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.
J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust
The J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust was created in 1958 by the Golf Association of Philadelphia through the efforts of then President Walter A. Schmidt; Leo Fraser, President of the local section of Professional Golfers Association of America; and Albert Keeping, Golf Professional at Gulph Mills Golf Club. It was named in honor of Philadelphia’s premier golfer of the era, J. Wood Platt. Not only was Mr. Platt an accomplished player, but he was also the Trust’s co-founder and first contributor. To date, more than 3,800 young men and women have received $23 million in aid from the Trust.
