The region’s golf community lost one of its true gentlemen with the passing of Tom Phillips on March 13, 2026. He was 72. Tom was an accomplished competitor, a passionate supporter of amateur golf, and, above all, a man whose character left a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to know him.
Tom learned to play golf while growing up adjacent to the 17th fairway of Indian Canyon Golf Course in Spokane, and would attend Saint George’s School in Spokane, where he became one of the finest golfers in the school’s storied history. He continued his education at Stanford University before embarking on a successful career as an investment advisor. While his professional accomplishments were significant, golf remained a lifelong passion.
He won the 2005 Oregon Senior Amateur Championship and the 2008 PNGA Senior Men’s Amateur Championship. He represented Washington on multiple Senior Hudson Cup and Lamey Cup teams, qualified for numerous USGA national championships, including the U.S. Senior Amateur and the 2012 U.S. Senior Open, and was a six-time club champion at Sand Point Country Club in Seattle…