Derek Vondrak, twin brother of MLB Umpire Clint, hits a hole in one at our 19th Annual UMPS CARE Charities Golf Classic at the Foothills Golf Club in Phoenix.
Derek Vondrak was just excited to spend the weekend with his twin btother, Clint. Derek lives in Reno, and Clint makes his off-season home in St. Louis, and with Clint’s life on the road as a Major League Baseball Umpire, they don’t get much time together.
So the fact that they got to spend the day on the links and for Derek to score a hole in one – his first ever – at the UMPS CARE Charities 19th Annual Golf Classic was just the icing on the cake.
“It was really special to do this at an event like this,” Derek said. “I mean it was my first hole in one – I’ve never even been close.”
And it was extra special for the hole in one come an event that supports a great cause in UMPS CARE.
Derek hit the hole in one on the 13th hole at the Foothills Golf Club, a par-3, 165-yard hole. It wasn’t at Hole 16, where he would have won a Ford Bronco, thanks to longtime supporters Sanderson Ford. But the car dealership provided him a choice of prizes for his ace in the hole, and Derek chose a virtual reality headset.
“It’s something I probably wouldn’t buy myself,” he said.
Derek said when he took his swing, he thought the ball was right by the hole. Clint even asked, “Did that just go in?” When the foursome drove up to the green and didn’t see Derek’s ball, he peeked into the hole to find it.
“Everybody just went nuts,” Derek said.
A few holes later, they got to the Hole In One car prize hole, and Derek told his crew, “This isn’t happening again.”
It didn’t. It went short right, but hey not many golfers hit a hole in one in their lives let alone in the same round.
After the event, Derek and Clint enjoyed another memorable moment – meeting Don Rea, Jr., our event emcee, a former Minor League Baseball Umpire and currently the President of PGA America.
As twins, the Vondrak brothers did almost everything together, and they were 10 when they both started officiating sports. They started with basketball and then added baseball to their repertoire.
Clint decided to go to pro school, while Derek followed a career path in corporate sales. These days, Derek officiates high school and junior college basketball games.
“We are very blessed,” Derek said.
Now they have quite a story to share, too.
(L to R) Rob May, Jim Fitzpatrick, Derek Vondrak, Clint Vondrak at the 13th hole at the Foothills Golf Club.
Check out this VIDEO of our keynote speaker Jaskirat Kaur – 2024 All-Star College Scholarship Program Graduate.
Thanks Ryan Barmore for capturing this inspiring speech.
We want to send special shout outs to top sponsors:
Tito’s (Grand Slam Sponsor)
Major League Baseball
MLBUA
Bay Area Sports Officials (BASO) (Home Run Sponsor)
John Holmberg (Home Run Sponsor)
Michael Chukerman (Home Run Sponsor)
Ump Attire (Banquet Sponsor)
Calling For Christ (Closest To The Pin Sponsor)
D’Backs Give Back (Longest Drive Sponsor)
Sanderson Ford (Hole in One Sponsor)
Stephen J. Wolfe Jr. Foundation
(Above) UMPS CARE Board Member Paul Vetrano, pictured here with UMPS CARE secretary Paul Emmel, was the recipient of the 2025 Ambassador Award.
(Below) Longtime UMPS CARE volunteer Dave “Smitty” Smithers, pictured with Jim and Deanna Reynolds, was named our All-Heart Award recipient.
Congrats to our 19th Annual Golf Classic winners – MLB Umpire Todd Tichenor, Tracy Chamberlin, Elliot Soyoz and Zach Owen with UMPS CARE President Gary Darling.