Mr Droop, 79, passed away on Monday, March 31 after battling with his health in recent years.
On Tuesday last week, the life of Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club’s head professional for 44 years was celebrated in the club’s Willow Room, which was filled to overflowing into the adjacent room, onto the terrace and out onto the lawn.
Master of Ceremonies was family friend and former club catering and functions manager, Isabelle Warren, who described Phil as “a truly remarkable man”.
“He was not just head professional, he was the very soul of the place,” Isabelle said.
Club chief executive from 1992 to 2002, Bryan Sinnott said a golf club was not just a place to play golf, it was a place to belong.
“It’s a place to socialise and make friends with like-minded people … this is where Phil contributed greatly,” Mr Sinnott said.
“From early on Phil could see the potential of the club, and no doubt the success of the club was, in part, due to his hard work and vision.”
Proudly wearing his father’s war medals, Mr Droop’s son and current head professional Evan said his dad’s legacy could not be underestimated after 56 years of continuous service, three generations of golf professionals, numerous club championships and honour board events.
Evan read his father’s eulogy at last week’s service.
Phillip Droop was born on November 27, 1945 to Albert and Alice Droop.
He was the youngest of three boys, Ray (dec) and Ivan.
His early childhood was spent in Brunswick in a typical sports-mad family, especially Aussie Rules.
Phil, as everyone called him, was introduced to golf in Sorrento where the family had a holiday house.
He tagged along with his father and older brother but at age 15, the family moved to Doncaster, near the Eastern Golf Club, where his journey in golf began.
Phil left school after Year 11 and began as a trainee golf professional at Yarra Bend, under Graeme Campbell.
Yarra Bend was where he met his wife, Karen who frequented Yarra Bend with her parents and generally played as a three-ball.
“I’m not sure why Dad started to make up the four, however I’m certain there was a hidden agenda,” Evan said.
“Naturally he became her golf coach and their friendship blossomed.”
Phil finished his traineeship in 1965, aged 20 and became a full member of the PGA of Australia, something he was very proud of.
Vietnam War service
But the Vietnam War would turn his golf career upside down when, in 1966, he was conscripted to the army and deployed the following year with the Australian Reinforcement Unit-A Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment.
In February 1968, he returned home on five-days leave and proposed to Karen.
Three days after returning to Vietnam he was involved in an offensive with his unit coming under fire and was wounded in the process.
After undergoing treatment in Vietnam, he was flown home for rehabilitation by former YMGCR president Stuart Spinks, who became his great mate
Phil and Karen, by now a schoolteacher, were married in 1968 and Phil applied for the head professional’s job at Yarrawonga Mulwala, where he would stay for 56 years.
In 2019, alongside the other professional stalwart of five decades Glenn McCully, Phil received formal recognition from the PGA membership for his outstanding service of more than 50 years to local and regional golf in Victoria.
In 2021, he was honoured with the title of Membership Number 1 - a fitting recognition for someone who gave so much to the club and community.
Mr McCully spoke at the funeral service recalling his first assistant pro event at 16 years old when he played 36 holes with Phil.
“That’s where our friendship began,” Glenn said.
“As I was only 16 and had no car, Phil came to my rescue and took me to most events…at times I would stay overnight at his parents’ home.
“Mr and Mrs Droop were the nicest people you could ever meet. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
Phil sustained horrific injuries in Vietnam and somehow came through the ordeal to live and work in Yarrawonga Mulwala.
“Phil and Karen committed to making this town their home,” Glenn said.
“The pro shop then was a little portable building with two or three poker machines.
“From the time Phil started here, the club moved rapidly to what you see today. Phil and Karen were the right combination to take the club forward.”
Glenn expressed his gratitude to Phil for taking his son James on as a trainee.
“James told me he learnt a lot by watching Phil handle customers in the shop and dealing with awkward situations in a calming, not confronting, way,” he said.
“Those skills have been priceless.”
James McCully is now director of golf at Yarrawonga’s Black Bull Golf Club.
Massive legacy, family dynasty
Phil epitomised the meaning of a true gentleman according to the 2017 club president and Yarrawonga’s Citizen of the Year, Dario Prighel.
“As a golfer he built a family dynasty and leaves a pro shop that is the envy of many clubs,” Mr Prighel said.
“There was no junior program 60 years ago. When you see how many juniors we have playing now, we can thank Phil for his foresight.
“A soldier, golfer, potato cake eater…but his greatest achievement was as a father and grandfather.”
Yarrawonga Mulwala RSL Sub-branch stalwart Ian Summers, with Phil’s grandson Private Sam Davis alongside him, paid tribute to Phil who served in defence of our freedom.
The two men knew each other for 59 years after meeting in Puckapunyal.
Mr Summers read out 3789125 Trooper Droop’s war service, which included operational service/deployment in Vietnam from July 19, 1967 to February 28, 1968 and his medals: Australian Active Service Medal 1945-75 with Clasp Vietnam Medal, Australian Defence Medal, Anniversary of National service 1951-72 Medal, Vietnamese Campaign Medal and Returned from Active Service Badge.
“His ex-service colleagues know how well he served; his family and friends will remember with pride his service to the country,” Mr Summers said.
Long-time family friend John Tresize became related to the Droop family when he and wife Pauline’s daughter Rochelle married Evan.
Mr Tresize spoke of Phil’s other sports – indoor cricket where runouts outnumbered his run tally, tennis where he believed his playing mate should cover most of the court, and snow skiing where he managed to take out other skiers despite skiing slowly.
Phil’s 84-year-old brother Ivan Droop spoke of their earliest sport games, his aversion to peas, and how he was known as ‘Uncle Mop Top’.
Phillip Droop will be long remembered for his contribution to Yarrawonga Mulwala and will be greatly missed.
