TGA Conducts U.S. Open Qualifying

The Tennessee Golf Association's staff was responsible for conducting U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying yesterday at Tunica National Golf & Tennis in Tunica, MS. The qualifier featured numerous PGA Tour players and top amateurs from across the world. Click here for full results from the qualifier.

Successful qualifiers who will be playing in next week's 111th U.S. Open Championship at Congressional Country Club include Bud Cauley, Sunghoon Kang, Scott Piercy, Michael Putnam, Andres Gonzales, Fredrik Jacobson, Sergio Garcia, Brian Gay, Chad Campbell and Briny Baird.

Tennessee Golf Legend Mason Rudolph Passes Away

Edgar Mason Rudolph passed away on Monday, April 18, 2011 at the age of 76. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Carol Griffin Rudolph; sons, Edgar Mason Rudolph, Jr., Griffin Hill Rudolph; and six grandchildren, Charles Hunter Rudolph, John Myers Rudolph, Griffin Hill Rudolph, Jr., Mary Rodgers Rudolph, William Mason Rudolph and James Goodman Rudolph. He is preceded in death by his parents Susan Mason Rudolph, Jacob Courtnay Rudolph, Sr.; brother, Jacob Courtnay Rudolph, Jr.; and son, Craig Goodman Rudolph. Rudolph grew up in Clarksville, TN. He was an outstanding young athlete at Clarksville High School and President of the Student Body. After graduating from CHS, he attended Memphis State University on a golf scholarship. His golf career began at the young age of 13 when he won the Clarksville Country Club Championship. This was the beginning of a long and distinguished golf career. Rudolph won the USGA Junior Championship in 1950 and the Tennessee State Amateur and State Open in 1956, also claiming an additional five State Open titles (1956, 59, 63, 64, 66, & 72). Rudolph is the youngest player (sixteen years and six days) ever to qualify to play in the U.S. Open, held at Merion Golf Club in 1950. He was a member of the 1957 Walker Cup team and 1971 Ryder Cup teams. He won five PGA Tour titles and was 3rd in the 1973 PGA Championship, and 4th in the 1965 Masters and 8th in the 1966 U.S. Open. He won the Western Amateur in 1956 and the All Armed Forces Service Championship in 1958. Rudolph joined the PGA Tour in 1959 and was Rookie of the Year in 1960. He won the 1968 Tennessee PGA Section Championship. Mason was inducted as a Charter Member of the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame in 1990. On the PGA Tour, his streak of finishing in the money in 52 straight events is a remarkable accomplishment. He also played in 105 straight tournaments in the 1960's without ever hitting a ball out of bounds. Mason was inducted as a charter member of the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame in 1990. Sports Illustrated named him one of the top 25 athletes of the century in the State of TN. After playing on the Senior PGA Tour, Rudolph worked as the Director of Instruction at Gaylord Springs Golf Links. He became the Golf Coach for Vanderbilt University and was instrumental in grooming both the men's and women's golf programs to be contenders in the South Eastern Conference, including a 2004 SEC Championship for the ladies' golf team. He was able to attract nationally recognized talent to the program including PGA Tour Player and local favorite, Brandt Snedeker. Upon his retirement, Vanderbilt University dedicated its annual collegiate golf tournaments, naming them the Mason Rudolph Championships. In his hometown of Clarksville a nine hole city course bears his name. A Memorial Service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20th at First Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN with a Memorial Reception at the Golf House of Tennessee (400 Franklin Road, Franklin, TN) immediately following the service. Visitation will be at McReynolds Nave Larson Funeral Home in Clarksville, TN on Thursday, April 21st at 10:00 a.m. Burial will follow at 11:30 at Greenwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to Tennessee Junior Golf, Golf House of Tennessee, 400 Franklin Road, Franklin, TN 37069, and Hospice of West Alabama, 3851 Loop Road, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35404. www.hospiceofwestalabama.org

Spring 2011 Issue of Tennessee Golf Quarterly

The Spring 2011 issue of Tennessee Golf Quarterly is now available. Tennessee Golf Quarterly is the official publication of the Tennessee Golf Association. This issue contains the following:

- Who is the greatest male amateur golfer in state history?
- 2011 TGA Championship Preview
- Travel feature on The BROADMOOR in Colorado Springs
- Rules of Golf Misconceptions
- What scores should you post to your handicap?
- Championship Site Profile of Blackthorn Club

Click here to view the Spring 2011 issue of Tennessee Golf Quarterly.

Tournament Season Now Underway

With three State Open Qualifying Rounds in the books, the 2011 tournament season is now underway. The TGA is very excited about this year's schedule of competitions. Registration is now open for all events. Log onto our website at www.golfhousetennessee.com/tga for our complete tournament schedule.

Update from Rules School

The USGA and PGA of America held one of their annual USGA/PGA Rules of Golf Workshops in Nashville this past weekend. Fifty-eight individuals attended the three-day seminar with most if not all of them coming back on the fourth day to take the difficult three and a half hour, 100-question exam.

Instructors for the Nashville workshop included Wendy Wooley (USGA Staff) and Dean Alexander, PGA who is on the PGA of America Rules Committee along with serving as the Head Golf Professional at Atlanta National Golf Club in Milton, GA. Dean was a familiar face to many of us in the class as he was the Head Golf Professional at Colonial Country Club in Memphis back in the 1990s.

The Tennessee Golf Association had several staff and volunteer officials attend the workshop and take the exam with almost everyone scoring 85 or higher on the exam which the USGA and PGA of America categorize as "advanced status". In addition to this, all TGA staff and TGA Rules of Golf Committee members (6 total) that attempted the lengthy exam scored 92 or higher.

For those that are interested, these workshops cover the entire Rules of Golf, from Definitions, to Rules 1-34 and everything in between. The USGA and PGA of America jointly conduct 15-20 of these workshops on an annual basis and more information on them is available at www.usga.org/rulesworkshops.

USGA Names Mike Davis as Executive Director

The United States Golf Association (USGA) today named Mike Davis as the association’s new executive director. Davis becomes the seventh executive director in the 116-year history of the USGA, after serving as its Senior Director of Rules and Competitions since 2005.

Click here to read the full story from usga.org.

2011 TGA Annual Meeting

We held our 2011 TGA Annual Meeting this past Saturday, February 26th, at Belle Meade Country Club in Nashville. We had approximately 50 member clubs represented. The Annual Meeting included reports from Chris Hartwiger, Lead Agronomist for the Southeast Region of the USGA Green Section and Kathy Gordon, Director of Regional Affairs - Southeast for the USGA.

Additional reports were made by TGA Staff: Lynne Howd (Handicapping), Carter Page (Course Rating) and Matt Vanderpool (Association/Industry Update). The meeting lasted approximately two hours and two new individuals were approved to serve on the TGA Board of Directors. They are Kevin Teeters from Pine Lakes Golf Course and Fred Williams from Cattails at Meadowview.