The women in Tennessee golf association began in 1927. Many notable ladies have played golf in Tennessee. Ruth Eller served on a U.S. Golf Association committee for 19 years and is a leading force in junior golf. Other renowned women in the association are Beverly Eller Pearce, three-time state Women’s Senior titlist and past president of the Womens Tennessee Golf Association, and her husband, Gene. Judy Eller Street won seven state women’s armature titles, two USGA Junior Girls championships and a national college title in 1961.
Edyth Duffield
A history of the Tennessee Golf Association is an important part of this organization’s history. The TGA’s first amateur tournament was organized in 1890 by Horace F. Smith. The WTA later joined the TGA. Later, the organization became the Women’s Tennessee Golf Association. Duffield was instrumental in the development of women’s golf in Tennessee. Her many victories include the 1916 and 1921 Memphis City Amateurs, the Southern Amateur, and the State Amateur.
Betty Andrews
Betty Andrews was born in Johnson City, Tenn., and graduated from Reitz High School in 1942. She earned her undergraduate degree from Indiana University, where she served as the Junior class director and received the Indiana Scholarship ring. She also served as president of the Asian Art Society at the IMA. Betty and Jimmy were married in 1956, and together they raised six children, 12 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
Betty Stratton
Stratton won the prestigious Tennessee Amateur last year and the Women’s Open last month. This year, she will play against fellow Tennessee alumna Kendall Martindale, who finished fourth at the Open. Stratton was named a first-team All-American during her junior season and is among six letter winners returning to the Commodores. In May, she finished 11th at the NCAA Championship.
Betty Stratton’s championship
The tournament featured the Tennessee Amateur champion Lauren Stratton. Lauren, a top collegiate golfer, beat Oakland, Tenn.,’s Ashley Averitt for the title. The fifth seed, Stratton, was also named to the National Golf Coaches Association’s first team in May. Stratton defeated 2011 Amateur champion, Kendall Martindale, in the semifinals.
Jean Eller
Founder and first president of the Women’s Tennessee Golf Association, Maggie Scott was inducted into the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame Tuesday. She won the women’s state amateur championship twice and was runner-up a third time. She has played in every women’s state amateur tourney since 1974. She helped the Tennessee Women’s Team to two victories over Canadian teams. She played in 23 events for the S.E. team during three USGA Team competitions (2003-05-11). Maggie Scott is a former Brainerd High School graduate and attended MTSU.
Richard Eller
The Richard Eller, Women’s Tennessee GolfAssociation award is given to a professional golfer for outstanding contribution to the growth of the game. Since Richard started the Women’s Tennessee Golf Association in 2002, he has worked to grow the sport in the state. The award is named for a legendary golfer, Richard Eller, who was awarded the award by the Middle Tennessee PGA in 2011.
Ruth Eller
In the last decade, Sarah Ingram has won more national championships than any other golfer in the history of the NCAA Division I-AA program. In 1999 and 2000, she led her squad to the AAA Tennessee State High School Championship, won the Region and Conference titles, and finished seventh in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur. In addition, she won two women’s Southern Amateurs and the TGA State Women’s Amateur. In 1999, she was named to the Rut