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Hall of Fame

The Missouri Golf Association Board of Directors have inducted the following
 into the MGA Hall of Fame:
(Players become eligible for entry into the MGA Hall of Fame five years after playing in their last non-senior MGA event. Players are considered for entry if they have one of these qualifications: an MGA tournament win, distinguished service to the game of golf in the state of Missouri or a distinguished career after playing in the Missouri Amateur)




Bob Cochran,

St. Louis (1912-2003)

Missouri Amateur Champion 1940 1958 1962 1965

Runner-up 1934 1938

Medalist 1937 1938 1954 1964

Match Play record: 78-27

Western Amateur Runner-up 1960

British Amateur Runner-up 1961

The Masters (3 times)

U.S. Walker Cup 1961 more....

Jim Jackson,

St. Louis (1923-1983)

Missouri Amateur Champion 1951 1954 1959 1976

Runner-up 1950 1960 1963 1970

Medalist 1950 1958 1961 1970

Match Play record: 67-25

Trans-Miss Champion 1954 1955

U.S. Amateur Qualifier (18 times)

The Masters (5 times)

U.S. Walker Cup 1953 1955


Ken Lanning,

Rolla (b.1924)

Missouri Amateur Medalist 1956 1959 1960

Match Play record: 24-19

Founder of MGA Junior golf program

1988 Golf Digest Junior Development Award

Phil Cotton 1961 1969

Heart of America Four-Ball 1961 1963 1971

Ozark Invitational 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1963

Jim Manion,

St. Louis (1896-1984)

Missouri Amateur Champion 1917 1921 1923 1926

Runner-up 1932

Medalist 1923 1925

Match Play record: 42-12

Trans-Miss Champion 1924

Trans-Miss Runner-up 1930

U.S. Amateur Qualifier (5 times) more...


Tom Watson,

Kansas City (b.1950)

Missouri Amateur Champion 1967 1968 1970 1971

Medalist 1967

Match Play record: 27-3

Western Amateur Medalist 1971

Professional Career:

British Open Champion 1975 1977 1980 1982 1983

U.S. Open Champion 1982

Masters Champion 1977 1981

Bonner Miller,

St. Louis (1869-1942)

MGA Executive Director 1911 - 1942

Mr. Miller was the Missouri Golf Association. Bonner kept the books as secretary

and treasurer and was the original keeper of the MGA “Whitbread Scrapbook” we

received in the summer of 2006. He almost single handedly ran the MGA’s only

tournament, the Missouri Amateur Championship, during those years. Bonner was

responsible for the printing, pairings, publicity, rules, course selection, etc.

Elliott Whitbread,

St. Louis (1900-199?)

MGA Executive Director 1942 - 1967

Missouri Amateur Champion 1928 1929

Missouri Amateur Medallist 1927 1928 1929

Made Match Play in 5 decades 1920’s - 1961

As Executive Director, he continued the keeping of the “scrapbook” through

about 1975.

K.G. Wells,

Springfield (19??-2001)

MGA Executive Director 1968 - 1981

As Executive Director of the Missouri Golf Association, Mr. Wells oversaw the transition of the Missouri Amateur

Championship to the system of the five or six qualifying sites around the state. Other board members from

Springfield may know of K.G.’s specific contributions. He almost single handedly ran the tournament from his home
 
in Springfield.

 

Payne Stewart,

Springfield (1957-1999)

Missouri Amateur Champ/Medallist 1979

MO Amateur Match Play Qualifier 1973 1974 1975 1976 1979

PGA Champion 1989

U.S. Open Champion 1991 1999

Ryder Cup Team Member 1987 189 1991 1993 1999


Bob Reid

Kansas City

Missouri Golf Association Executive Director 1982-1984

Mr. Reid has been a devoted friend of golf more than 30 years. "Killer" Reid is a classic in the annals of Missouri and
 
Kansas City golf. He has always been a player-friendly official in the hundreds of tournaments he has worked as a

rules official. Bob has refereed the final match of the Missouri Amateur Championship 13 times. He was Executive

Director of the KCGA from 1982-1997. He has been on the MGA Board of Directors since 1982. Mr. Reid was Executive

Director of both the MGA and the KCGA.



Bruce Hollowell

Springfield

Missouri Golf Association Executive Director 1985-1988

Mr. Hollowell served on MGA Board of Directors for over 30 years and qualified for Missouri Match Play 20 years (5th all time in MGA)

USGA Amateur Qualifier 1969 - 1975
Western Amateur Quarterfinalist 1971
Kansas Sate Champion  1971
National Four Ball Winner  1972
Heart of America Four Ball Winner  1972  1975
Western Amateur Semifinalist  1973
Jefferson City CC Medalist  1973  1983
Jefferson City CC Runner Up  1973
Missouri Amateur Champion  1975
Country Club of MO Runner Up  1977
Phil Cotton Champion  1979
Ozark Invitational Champion  1980
Jefferson City Invitational  1985
Missouri Senior Amateur Champion 1997
USGA Senior Amateur Champion  1999


Ron Boyce

Jefferson City (1936-1999)

Served as MGA director from 1979-1999 (21 years)

Greens chairman, Jefferson City Country Club

A founder of the Dawson Tournament

5 time match play qualifier in Missouri Amateur - Quarterfinalists in '88 at St. Joseph Country Club

U.S. Senior Amateur Qualifier, 1977 at Mission Hills Country Club

Dawson 4-Ball Champion 1975  1976  1977  1978

Dawson top 10 finisher: eight times during 1981-1998

Phil Cotton Senior Champion 1998

Phil Cotton top 10 finisher: four times 1978-1998


Bill Ludwig

Blue Springs 

Served as MGA director from 1974-to present 2008 (34 years)

U.S. Open Local Qualifier 1973

U.S. Senior Amateur Qualifier 1985   1986   1988   1989 1990 1991

U.S. Senior Open 1987 1988 (by exemptions)

Kansas City Match Play Champion 1974

Missouri Senior Amateur Champion 1991

Missouri Senior Four-Ball Champion 1990, 1991, 1992

Phil Cottton Senior Champion 1994 Top 10 finisher: 1977   1978   1995

Dawson Senior runner-up 1994   1995


From 1992-2008 Bill held the record for oldest Missouri match play qualifier 
                       (62, eclisped by Gerald Siemons, JC by 7 months)

MGA and KCGA Slope rating team; 1988-2008


Dr. William (Bill) Fricke, Jr.

St. Joseph 

Served as MGA director from 1985 to present 2008 (24 years)

MGA President 1997 and 1998

Dr. Fricke is the leader among directors for days worked over the last decade, serving as the MGA Official Starter and

Rules Official.




Luther P. "Buddy" Godwin

Poplar Bluff

Missouri Amateur Champion 1973

Missouri Amateur Runner-up 1965

Missouri Amateur Medalist, 1976  1987 at age 50

Three time Missouri Amateur semifinalist, seven-time quarterfinalist

Qualified for seven US Amateurs

Qualified for two U.S. Mid Amateurs, and was a quarterfinalist in 1985 at age 48

Qualified for and made cut at 1987 U.S. Senior Open

Nine time Ozark Amateur Champion

Qualified for PGA Tour Memphis Open in 1965

Member of numerous Missouri Cup teams

Winner of over 100 amateur golf tournaments



Jim Patton

Springfield 

Missouri Amateur Champion 1966

Played in Missouri Amateurs from 1950-1977

Qualified for match play eleven times

Currently serves on MGA Board of Directors since 1972 (37 years)

MGA President 1994-1996

Currently serves on course rating team for southwest Missouri (over 20 years)

Officiated MGA events for more than 20 years, Referee for 2002 Missouri Amateur final match



Bob Rafferty "Raff"

Kansas City (1934-2009)

Served on the MGA Board of Directors from 2000-2009
 
Served on KCGA Board of Directors from 1993-2009

KCGA President two terms

Referee for 2006, 2008 and 2009 Missouri Amateur final matches

Served on the USGA Mid Amateur Committee 1997-2009


Jim Tom Blair III

St. louis (1931-2010)

Missouri Amateur Champion 1952, 1955
Missouri Amateur Runner-up 1951, 1956, 1957, 1959
Missouri Amateur Medalist 1951, 1952, 1957, 1959
Phil Cotton Champion 1960, 1967, 1968
Western Amateur Runner-up, 1951

Board member of Western Golf Association and active in the “caddies to college” scholarship program.

A founding member of the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association

St. Louis sports Hall of fame 1970

Missouri sports Hall of fame 2001

US Open (six times)

US Senior Open (two times)

US Amateur (thirteen times)

Phoenix Open runner up 56’

State High School champion 1948-49’

St. Louis District champion 58-69,70.

42/51 cuts in PGA tour events as amateur

Canadian Amateur runner up

Western Amateur runner up

British Amateur 72,74

Pebble Beach Pro-Am 58, 61

New Orleans Invitational champion

Northern California Amateur champion

Upper New York Amateur champion

Trans Miss semi finalist

 

Shot a 59 for course record at Old Mission in KC

Newt Rockne award for outstanding amateur in US- 1954



Christian Kenney

Missouri Amateur Champion 1908, 1909, 1920
Missouri Amateur Medalist 1910, 1917
Missouri Golf Association • P.O. Box 104164 • Jefferson City • MO • 65110 • Phone: 573-636-8994 • Fax: 573-636-4225 • eMail: mogolf@mogolf.org
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