A MEMORIAL

RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF GOLFER GENE TORRES AND REQUESTING THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY TO RENAME THE LAS VEGAS GOLF COURSE FOR HIM.

     WHEREAS, Gene Torres first became a caddy at the Trinidad, Colorado municipal golf course at the age of twelve in order to help his family financially; and

     WHEREAS, Gene Torres qualified for his first major golf tournament in 1954 at the age of fifteen; and

     WHEREAS, Gene Torres placed in three national Jaycees tournaments by the time he was seventeen and in 1956 tied for tenth place with Jack Nicklaus, who was then another aspiring junior golfer; and

     WHEREAS, Gene Torres won the Colorado state high school golf tournament in his senior year of high school in 1956 in a competition with only one classification for all golfers and in the same year won the club championship at the Trinidad municipal golf course and at the Alamosa municipal golf course; and

     WHEREAS, Gene Torres moved to Las Vegas, after serving in the United States navy and winning several regional golf tournaments, to manage the New Mexico highlands university golf course; and

     WHEREAS, Gene Torres served for forty-two years as a professor in the physical education department at New Mexico highlands university and taught golf to thousands of students; and

     WHEREAS, Gene Torres won the Rocky Mountain open in 1965, making his professional golfing debut; and

     WHEREAS, Gene Torres started the New Mexico highlands golf team in 1967 and, thereafter, personally paid expenses for team participation in several golf tournaments, developing teams with a sixty percent winning record; and

     WHEREAS, Gene Torres won his first New Mexico open in 1968 and went on to win four years in a row; and

     WHEREAS, Gene Torres became a member of the professional golfers' association of America in 1970 and in 1972 won the Colorado open and came in second to Lee Trevino in the New Mexico open; and

     WHEREAS, Gene Torres has had more than eighty professional golf tournament wins and has been recognized with the Pacific golf association lifetime achievement award and the southwest section player of the year award; and

     WHEREAS, Gene Torres has shared his golfing philosophy and skills with Senator Pete Campos and his family, and Senator Campos will always remain grateful for his unconditional friendship; and

     WHEREAS, Gene Torres has built a long and distinguished career as a professional educator and mentor; and

     WHEREAS, Gene Torres is the father of two sons, three daughters, fourteen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, as well as husband to Dodie, his wife of forty-four years;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that Gene Torres has been an anchor of the Las Vegas community; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the senate of the state of New Mexico respectfully request that the New Mexico highlands university golf course be renamed the Gene Torres Links at Las Vegas; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the board of regents of New Mexico highlands university.