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52 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, September 18, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 29, 2004 Longtime player in the thoughts of his friends By DON HUNT Mail Tribune In his 31 years at the Southern Oregon Golf Tournament, Ric Metzger only won a couple of trophies. But few won over more friendships, told better jokes or had more fun at Medford’s greatest golfing extravaganza than Metzger, who died of sudden cardiac arrest on Feb. 25, his 55th birthday. Metzger, who lived his entire life in Bellevue, Wash., died two weeks after collapsing over a table at breakfast while playing at a tournament in Sequim, Wash. "You could always find Ric at the cocktail party, holding court with 15 or 20 people," says Brent Orrico, who was Metzger’s best friend since childhood. "He was a master in personal relations. "When Ric met someone, he never forgot their name or anything else he learned about them. At Ric’s eulogy, they said he died with a treasure of friendships. That was so true." Advertisement Metzger, who never married or had children, was nicknamed "Dr. Golf" because of his enthusiasm and knowledge of the sport. "If you needed a playing partner, a ruling or had a question about golf, Ric was the guy," Orrico says. "He was the one who always made the reservations, set up tee times and kept the scorecard during a match. "Ric had other interests, but golf was his greatest passion." Metzger golfed in hundreds of tournaments over the years, but the Southern Oregon was his favorite. And according to friends, he never wasted an opportunity for adventure. In 1971, his first year at the tournament, he made a side trip to Reno, Nev., with two friends, gambled all night and got back the next day just in time for the cocktail hour. The following year he partied until the wee hours of the morning at the old Medford Hotel. He had a match at 6:35 a.m. the next day, and while leaning on his driver prior to the first hole, he fell flat on his face. A blurry-eyed Metzger lost the first three holes but won eight of the next 10 and won 6 and 5. "Rick’s famous trick was to take me out for my birthday, which always falls during the tournament," Orrico says. "We’d have a bunch of cocktails, Rick would pass out and then I’d have to buy dinner for both of us." Metzger carried about a 5-handicap and was known for a deadly short game. He was also known to take some big gambles — squeezing through trees, hitting over water when it wasn’t necessary and paying little attention to sand traps if the green was in sight. Metzger once needed 14 tries to get out of a trap in Scotland when he was playing with Orrico and Doug Ward, another of his longtime friends. Orrico rolled into the same bunker and got out in two. "Ric turned to me and said, ‘That’s not a fair hole!’" Ward says. Although Metzger rarely passed up a party or a meal in his younger days, he quit drinking after a heart valve was replaced five years ago. He also lost about 40 pounds and began walking four miles a day. "It’s going to be tough playing in tournaments without him," Ward says. "In the past 20 years, I think there’s only been a couple of tournaments we’ve played in when the other one wasn’t there." While golf was Metzger’s favorite hobby, he also loved to go to the movies and was especially fond of the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter films. He was also a trivia buff and may have gone unbeaten in Trivial Pursuit, Ward says. "Ric lived his life the way he wanted to, did the things he wanted to, and was a very happy person because of it," Ward says. "My wife and I considered him to be part of our family." Ward’s wife, Patti, has designed T-shirts in Metzger’s honor that the Bellevue group will wear to the Southern Oregon tournament this year. Metzger’s initials — RWM — will be emblazoned on the shirts along with four golf clubs shaped in a diamond and the number 75 in honor of the tournament’s 75th anniversary. Mary Ann Metzger, Ric’s sister, will play in the tournament for the first time. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities