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The Golf Chronicles Few colleges have produced as many prominent professional golfers as Furman twice named to the National Golf Coaches Association AllAmerica first team. Two talented players - Jack Kay (Canadian National Junior Champion) and Steve Serotte (Junior All-American) - joined the team in 1982. Led by Kay and co-captain Eddie Kirby, the men's team won the Southern Conference Championship in 1984. Kirby, who won the Southern Conference individual title that year, joined the PGA after graduating from Furman. The team also finished first in the Southern Conference in 1985, 1986 and 1988. Todd White a sophomore from That was just the beginning of Furman's meteoric rise to Spartanburg, S.C., won the individual title in 1988. Willie success in women's golf. By 1974, Betsy King of Reading, Miller, who coached the team after Meredith's departure, Pa., and Beth Daniel of Charleston, S.C., had joined Solo- was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year five difmon, Cindy Ferro and other talented players to strengthen ferent times, beginning in 1983. the Furman team. In June of that year the women traveled The women's team also enjoyed considerable success in to California and finished third in the National Champion- the eighties. Although the women did not capture another ships at Singing Hill Country Club in El Cajon. In 1975, the national title, they finished ninth in the NCAA Championteam finished fifth in the nationals in Tucson, Ariz. ships in 1983, third in 1984, fourth in 1985, and second in In 1976, Meredith took on the additional responsibility of 1987. Captain Cindy Davis placed second in the NCAA in coaching the women, and Sherri Turner of Greenville joined 1983. the team. After winning the Michigan State Invitational Dottie Pepper, who joined the team in 1982, placed second and two other tournaments, the Lady Paladins captured the in the NCAA Championship at Cape Cod, Mass., in 1985. She AIAW National Championship in East Lansing, Mich., in just also competed in the Curtis Cup that year and played in the their fifth year of play. U.S./Japan Cup competition in 1986. She was named to the The Furman women also won a host of individual hon- NGCA All-America first team in 1986. Besides Pepper, other ors. Daniel won the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship players from the eighties who have played on the LPGA tour in 1975 and 1977, competed in the Curtis Cup in 1976 and include Melissa Whitmire, Joan Ellis Delk, Denise Baldwin 1978, and in the World Cup in 1978. King placed eighth in Killeen, Sara Anne McGetrick, and Maggie Will-Halpin. the U.S. Women's Open (she was also low amateur) in 1976, From 1990-2010, the men's team finished in fourth place and Turner was named first-team All-America in 1979. Four or higher in every Southern Conference tournament but members of the 1976 team - Daniel, King, Ferro, and Turner one. The Paladins placed second in 1990 and 1991, and - went on to play on the LPGA circuit. they won the championship in 1993, 1997,2004, and 2010. Brad Faxon of Barrington, R.I., who would become one Nick Cifelli won the individual title in '93 and was named of Furman's most well known players and a PGA celebrity, Southern Conference Player of the Year, while Jordan Byrd joined the men's team as a freshman in 1979. Pacing the took medalist honors in '97 and Matt Davidson finished atop team for the next four years, he won 11 individual cham- the leaderboard in 2004. Austin Reeves captured the 2010 pionships, including the Southern Conference title in 1983. SoCon Individual Medalist honors in 2010. He also played on the U.S. Walker Cup team and received the Coached by Mic Potter from 1981 until the summer of 1983 Fred Haskins Player of the Year Award, which is given 2005, the Lady Paladins won the Southern Conference team annually to the top college player in the country. He was championship every year but one from 1994, when the first tournament for women was held, through 2009. Caroline Peek won the individual championship in 1994 and was named Southern Conference Female Athlete of the Year. Other strong Furman players have included Dagmar De Vries from the Netherlands, who competed in the World Cup in 1990; Kristel Mourgue d'Algue, who was on the French Amateur Team in 1992; and Dawn Turner, who won the individual Southern Conference title in 1995 and 1996. Jen Hanna, who coached the Paladin team from 2005-2012, was named Southern Conference Player of the Year in 199596 and 1997-98, and was a first-team all-America selection in '98. In 2001 Jennifer Perri earned All-America status, followed by Brandi Jackson in Happy winners of the AIAW national championship in 1976, the Lady Paladins 2003, and Sarah Johnston and Jenny were also the first intercollegiate team at Furman to win a national title. With Coach "Doc" Meredith are team members (left to right) Cindy Ferro, Leigh Suh in 2004. In 2005, Suh again Coulter, Betsy King, Beth Daniel, Holly Hunt and Sherri Turner. Brad Faxon, who won 11 individual championships during his college career, received the coveted Fred Haskins Player of the Year at a Furman football game in 1983. earned All- America status. Stefanie Kenoyer was honored as a Golfweek All-American in 2010, followed by Laura Wearn in 2013. Through the years, Furman has continued to improve the golf course. Now a semi-private facility, the Furman golf course has almost 300 members who share the course with the Furman teams. Furman's superior course serves as an attractive site for two intercollegiate golf tournaments. Established in 1970, the Furman Intercollegiate is considered one of the finest tournaments for men in the nation and regularly attracts some of the game's best young golfers. Many of the competitors in the tournament have gone on to become outstanding professionals on the PGA tour. Past champions include Curtis Strange, Jay Haas, Mark Calcavecchia, and Brad Faxon. Since its inception as the Carolinas Collegiate in 1972, the Lady Paladin Invitational has hosted some of the nation's top women golfers. Past winners include Nancy Lopez, Cindy Mackey, Betsy King, Sherri Turner, Dottie Pepper, and other women who are now well-known on the LPGA tour. Few colleges have produced as many prominent professional golfers as Furman. Faxon, who joined the PGA tour immediately after graduating in 1983, has earned more than $11 million and become one of the PGA's most popular players, while Matt Davidson graduated in 2004 and immediately earned his PGA tour card. Furman women have a combined total of more than $23 million in official, career earnings. King is the LPGA's eighth all-time leader in career earnings, with over $7.5 million. Daniel is fifth overall with $8.4 million, Pepper is 10th alltime with $6.8 million, and Turner has won over $2.2 million to rank 59th. King has 34 tournament victories, including six major titles, Daniel has 32 career wins and Pepper