Tucson golf pro WIllie Kane died Saturday morning moments after crossing the finish line at the Walt Disney World Half Marathon in Orlando, Fla. He was 43.
Those closest to Kane in the Tucson golf community will remember the home-grown product as a happy, selfless person and an intense teacher of the game.
"He was like a son," University of Arizona golf coach Rick LaRose said.
A Salpointe Catholic High graduate, Kane was an All-Pac-10 Conference golfer at the UA and was the head pro at Randolph Golf Complex.
"It's hard to fathom right now," said Mike Hayes, assistant director for Tucson City Golf.
A Tucson native, Kane settled into the life of a club pro nine years ago. He was head pro at Randolph since 2000, moving over from Silverbell Golf Course, another municipal facility.
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"He told me one time that Randolph was his dream job," Hayes added. "He was so happy to be where he was."
An accomplished amateur, Kane was a state champion in 1980 at Salpointe, All-Pac-10 in 1987, and played professionally until 1992.
He still shares the city record score of 12-under-par 58, shot in 1989 at then-Randolph South. Kane also remains the only golfer to win the city, county and state amateur tournaments in the same year (1987).
He is a member of the Salpointe Hall of Fame and is on the UA's Wall of Fame at Arizona National Golf Club.
Kane missed the cut in both of his appearances in the PGA Tour's Tucson event in 1997 and 1998. In 1997, he was Player of the Year of the Tucson chapter of the PGA Southwest Section.
"I had the chance to play with him on many occasions, and he was an intense competitor who kept it inside," Hayes said. "But that's the way he was; quiet."
Hayes said Kane took up running about four years ago.
"He lost his dad at an early age, and wanted to be healthy for his kids," Hayes said. "That was one of his motivations. He ate well and took care of himself."
Kane finished 4,871st in a field of 11,761 people. He crossed the finish line of the 13.1-mile race in 2 hours, 27 minutes, 36 seconds and then collapsed. Paramedics were stationed in the area and assisted Kane within seconds, said Deputy Chief Bo Jones of the Reedy Creek Fire Department. The paramedics began cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and rushed Kane to Florida Hospital Celebration Health, where he was pronounced dead.
Because of his age, an autopsy will be performed to determine why he died, said Cpl. Carlos Torres, an Orange County Sheriff's Office spokesman.
"He was probably the most fit golf pro in Southern Arizona," said Travis Fish, director of golf at Arizona National Golf Club.
As an instructor, Kane took a special interest in the city's junior players.
"He was the first person I got lessons from here in Tucson," said UA golfer Tyler Neal, a Sahuaro High grad. "I had grown about six inches over the summer, and my game was out of whack.
"He told me to stick with it, that everyone goes through stuff like this when they're growing. To this day, I still think about those lessons," Neal said.
Neal said Kane urged his students to check in when they played a round at Randolph.
"He was genuinely concerned about how I and the other golfers were doing in school or whatever," Neal said. "He had a way of making people feel special about being out on the golf course."
Kane is survived by two sons, Parker, 5, and Chad, 3; and is also survived by his mother, Mary Anne Kane of Tucson; brothers, Pat Kane and Mike Kane; and sisters Mary Ellen Kane, Maureen Kane, and Jo Anne Kane.
Services are pending.
