Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/168234
Golf has brought more national attention to Furman than any other intercollegiate sport. Betsy King, who qualified for the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1995, received Furman's Bell Tower Award in 1996 in recognition of her professional achievements and her generous support of Furman. has 17. Both King and Daniel are members of the prestigious LPGA Hall of Fame. Pepper, meanwhile, was forced to retire from professional competition at the end of the 2004 season, due to a series of chronic injuries. Since then, she has made a name for herself as a golf commentator with the Golf Channel and ABC. As successful as these golfers have become, they have not forgotten their earlier days at Furman when there was little financial support for golf. Daniel, King and Turner remember when there were no scholarships for student golfers. They also remember when their team traveled to the 1976 AIAW Championship in East Lansing, Mich., without Coach Meredith, because there was no money to send him. "I remember saying in college, when we were having trouble getting money for the women's sports programs, that I would help those programs if I ever had the chance," says King. She has more than lived up to her promise. In the early eighties, King convinced President John E. Johns that Furman should sponsor an annual LPGA Pro-Am to raise money for the men's and women's golf programs. She and Daniel organized the Furman Pro-Am, which was held annually from 1982-2005. Most of the Furman players on the LPGA tour took part in the tournament, and Faxon played for the first time in 1997. The Pro-Am also attracted such stars as Kathy Whitworth, JoAnne Carner, and Jan Stephenson and personalities such as the late Dinah Shore and former LPGA Commissioner Charlie Mechem. During its 24 year history, the Pro-Am raised more than $2 million for Furman's golf programs. The Pro-Am has transitioned into a College-Am and continues to be a direct fundraising arm for the operating budgets of both Furman golf programs. When President Plyler first dreamed of a golf course more than 50 years ago, he could not have envisioned the Furman course as it is today, with beautifully manicured greens and long, curving fairways framed by tall trees and flowering shrubs. Nor could he have imagined that Furman would be nationally known for its talented alumni who have achieved amazing success in professional golf. Yet he would surely be pleased to know that his golf course has provided both pleasure and exercise for Furman students and helped to bring fame to the school he loved so much. Note: Many thanks to golf historian Thomas Finley, who provided important information for this article Furman alumnae who played in the 1988 Pro-Am included (front row, left to right) Dottie Pepper, Joan Delk, (back row, left to right) Melissa Whitmire, Betsy King, Sherri Turner, and Cindy Ferro.