The Ouimet Banquet
Monday, April 21, 2025 | Encore Boston Harbor
PRESENTING SPONSORS
Mickey & Bob Atchinson
John & Cyndy Fish
Peter Lynch & Family
Dick Connolly
The Ouimet Alumnus Who Never Forgot Where He Came From
Your Support Changes Lives
Ouimet Fund statistics for the 2024-2025 academic year
504 Scholars $3.4M Awarded
161 Colleges $10,436 Average Award
“It was an incredible honor to sit with Dick Connolly last year at the head table and speak to 1,500 people about the impact that Ouimet has had on my life. I can’t wait to hear this year’s Student Speaker tell their story and showcase what The Fund is all about.
Nate Ingram 2024 Student Speaker
Dick Connolly Francis
Ouimet Award for Lifelong Contributions to Golf Recipient
In the 75-year history of the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund, nobody has meant more to our mission than Richard F. Connolly, Jr.
As a Scholarship Alumnus, Director, Trustee, and President, Connolly has proudly served the Ouimet Fund for over 40 years. He is The Fund’s single greatest donor, including an endowed scholarship in his family’s name which continues to significantly impact Ouimet Scholars every year.
Connolly was a driving force in transforming the Annual Banquet from a small affair into the largest golf dinner in the nation as the event’s lead sponsor. In 1997, he invited his financial services client and dear friend Arnold Palmer to receive the inaugural Francis Ouimet Award for Lifelong Contributions to Golf. As we approach the 25th Banquet since Palmer’s recognition, the annual event has raised more than $15 million to benefit Ouimet Scholars.
Dick started as a caddie as an 8-year-old at Woburn Country Club and then joined the course superintendent crew. He worked 15 years at the course and earned a Ouimet Scholarship to attend the College of the Holy Cross. He has never forgotten where he came from and the help he received at a young age, making a lifelong commitment to educational and philanthropic institutions with his wife Ann Marie.
Following last year’s Banquet, Connolly retired as the Managing Partner of The Connolly Group at Morgan Stanley. He enjoyed an acclaimed career as a financial professional, managing investment portfolios for more than 50 years as one of the top brokers in the country.
In recognition of his legacy, advocacy, and philanthropy in the world of caddying, Connolly was inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame by the Western Golf Association in 2023.
It is with great pleasure that the Ouimet Fund is honoring Dick Connolly in 2025 with the Francis Ouimet Award for Lifetime Contributions to Golf.
America’s Largest Golf Dinner
5:30 PM Networking Receptions | 7-9 PM Dinner Program
Banquet Co-Chairs: Ryan Connolly & Duncan Gratton
The Event
The Ouimet Banquet has become an annual tradition in New England, honoring golf’s most respected individuals who have made tremendous contributions to the game. We are thrilled to return to Encore Boston Harbor to honor the Ouimet Fund’s greatest benefactor and hear from our highly anticipated Student Speaker about The Fund’s impact.
Join the golf community and several surprise guests as we kick off the season with our closest friends and supporters!
Benefits
• A memorable and impactful evening for the golf community
• Distinct levels of corporate/family recognition
• Opportunity to the meet current Scholars and recipients of your investment
• VIP networking receptions with top business leaders
• Opportunities to attend exclusive Ouimet Fund golf outings and events
Rich Lerner
Fireside Chat Moderator
One of the most respected and recognizable voices in the sport, Golf Channel’s Rich Lerner will make his third guest appearance at the Ouimet Annual Banquet as our Fireside Chat Moderator. Rich will lead the conversation with honoree Dick Connolly and his lifelong connections to the game as well as their shared love of golf history, its impact on our lives, and even mutual friend Arnold Palmer. Lerner previously served as Moderator for the Banquet in 2009 and 2013.
Michael Zmetrovich
Richard F. Connolly, Jr. Award Recipient
In 2000, the Ouimet Fund created an annual Distinguished Service Award for someone who has significantly affected The Fund’s mission and appropriately named it the Richard F. Connolly, Jr. Award. Ouimet Alumnus Michael Zmetrovich has passionately given back to The Fund for 30 years by participating in the Golf Marathon and Sprint, advocating for caddie programs and young people, and serving as a key Ouimet liaison to Tedesco Country Club’s membership.
Francis Ouimet Award
for Lifelong Contributions to Golf
1997 Arnold Palmer
1998 Gene Sarazen
1999 Ben Crenshaw
2000 Curtis Strange
2001 Ken Venturi & Eddie Lowery
2002 George H. W. Bush
2003 Chi Chi Rodriguez
2004 Nancy Lopez
2005 Greg Norman
2006 Peter Jacobsen
2007 Barbara & Jack Nicklaus
2008 Gary Player
2009 Tom Watson
2010 Annika Sorenstam
2012 Mark O’Meara
2013 Francis Ouimet
2015 Brad Faxon
2016 Tom Lehman
2017 Nick Price
2018 Jim Furyk
2019 Johnny Miller
2020 Tom Kite
2021 Jim Nantz
2023 Ernie Els
2024 Juli Inkster
2025 Dick Connolly
