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Furman Golf 2013-14 Southern Conference 24 Furman's men's and women's golf teams have enjoyed great success in the Southern Conference, combining for 26 league titles, including 13 by the women since 1994. The league began sponsoring a men's golf championship in 1933, and the Paladins began competition in 1955. Since that time, the Paladins have won 13 league titles, the most of any current league school. In addition, the Paladins finished in the top five for 35 consecutive years, beginning in 1968. The league's first women's golf championship was held in 1994, when the Lady Paladins earned the title with a 160-stroke victory. Since then, the team has 13 league titles, the most among all SoCon teams. In the spring of 1997, Furman's golf teams scored a first in the history of the league when both the men and women won team titles, individual titles and Coach of the Year awards. Furman repeated this feat in 2004, with Matt Davidson earning the men's title and Sarah Johnston taking medalist honors in the women's event, and remains the only league school to accomplish a golf sweep. Established in 1921, the Southern Conference is the fourth oldest major college conference in the United States. Its roots can be traced to 1894, when several football-playing institutions formed a confederation known as the Southeastern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA). On February 25-26, 1921, 15 of the larger SIAA members met in Atlanta and officially formed the Southern Intercollegiate Conference. Charter members were Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi State, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Thirteen-Time Southern Conference Champions Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Washington & Lee. Athletic competition began that fall. Since its formation, the Southern Conference has given birth to the Southeastern and Atlantic Coast conferences, and its membership has changed drastically. Current members include Furman, Appalachian State, The Citadel, Davidson, Elon, Georgia Southern, Samford, UNC Greensboro, Wofford, Chattanooga, and Western Carolina. The Southern Conference gives three major awards to its member institutions. The Commissioner's Cup is given annually to the school fielding the league's best-allaround men's sports program, while the Germann Cup is presented to the school with the best overall women's program. The McAlister Award is presented to the institution judged to have exhibited the highest degree of sportsmanship in league competition. In 2003-04, Furman captured its 12th consecutive Germann Cup. Arnold Palmer, one of the world's most famous golfers, competed under the Southern Conference banner as a collegian at Wake Forest. He took medalist honors at the Southern Conference Tournament in 1948 and 1949 and was the tournament's runner-up in 1950. Palmer was the medalist at the NCAA Golf Championships in 1949 and 1950. He went on to become one of the most accomplished golfers to play on the professional tour. Palmer won 62 tournaments while competing on the PGA Tour and added 10 more victories as a member of the Senior PGA Tour. A member of the league's Hall of Fame, he won eight major championships – four Masters, two British Opens, one U.S. Open and one U.S. Amateur. Furman golfer Dottie Pepper was named the Southern Conference Women's Athlete of the Decade in the 1980s and was honored as part of the league's 25th anniversary of women's championships celebration in 2007-08.