Wednesday, November 5th 2008

Jeff Julian

Hello Everyone! It is Wednesday, November 5^th – and we hightlight the story of Jeff Julian, former professional golfer and one of the founders of the Driving 4 Life Foundation. Let us learn from him today,

Be Well,

*Team 2175

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This article is published on the Driving4Life website and can be accessed by clicking here.

Jeff Julian

The Driving 4 Life campaign and the ALS Therapy Development Foundation (ALS TDF) are deeply saddened by the loss of dear friend and campaign cofounder Jeff Julian. Jeff passed on peacefully in his Vermont home with family and friends on July 15, 2004 from complications with ALS. ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a disease with no current treatment or cure.

"Jeff was a true friend and ardent supporter of our efforts," said James Allen Heywood, d'Arbeloff Founding Director of the ALS Therapy Development Foundation. "It was a privilege to get to know him and the love and response he inspired in others was obvious to everyone. His presence and his smile will be missed by us all."

The Driving 4 Life campaign will continue on to honor Jeff Julian, Bruce Edwards and more than 30,000 patients afflicted with ALS. For more information on how you can support our research, please visit see How You Can Help.

Jeff Julian was born in Portland, Maine and raised up and down the East coast. Jeff spent every childhood summer at his family’s farm in Vermont. After attending Clemson University, he moved to the Green Mountain State and made it his permanent home.

The game of golf took hold of Jeff through the summers in New England, and began to take a more serious grasp during his high school years in Bernardsville, New Jersey. Although he did not play golf for Clemson, the hook was set, and his dream of playing on TOUR was well established.

In 1986, Jeff turned professional and began the long, slow journey to the upper levels of golf. In 1990, he reached his first PGA TOUR School finals, played on the Ben Hogan Tour, and his first U.S. OPEN at Medinah. Jeff won the Bangor Open in 1992 in his birth place of Maine. In 1995, Jeff attained his PGA of America Class A status, played in his second U.S. OPEN at Shinacock Hills, and won the New England Open.

In the fall of 1995, Jeff accomplished the most difficult task a professional golfer endures, by successfully going through Qualifying school to attain his first PGA TOUR card. He played in twenty four events during the 1996 season, and also played in his third U.S. OPEN at Oakland Hills. Jeff found himself back on the Nike Tour in 1997, where he gained his first victory and largest career paycheck, at The Dominion Open in Richmond, Virginia. In 2000, Jeff won the Cape Cod Open, and began coming out of a two year slump. At the end of 2001, Julian was back on the tour.

After several strong starts on TOUR during the 2001 season, Jeff was experiencing fatigue and slurred speech. Beginning in July, he and his wife Kimberly spent three months visiting specialists between tournaments and on October 8th, they received the terrible news that Jeff had ALS. When Jeff failed to make it through qualifying school to hold onto his PGA tour status, the Julians requested sponsor exemptions into PGA TOUR events. Jeff quickly received the maximum of seven exemptions allowed, and then some. Jeff played in all seven, missing every cut, but making a huge cut in the awareness of ALS.