HTML> MICHEL

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2000 Regular Session

To: Rules

By: Senator(s) Michel

Senate Concurrent Resolution 582

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING WORLD FAMOUS PGA GOLFER FROM MERIDIAN, EDDIE "THE LITTLE PRO" MERRINS, UPON HIS INDUCTION INTO THE MISSISSIPPI SPORTS HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2000.

WHEREAS, the Jackson Touchdown Club and Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame have unveiled the historic Class of 2000 of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, with induction ceremonies to be held on Friday, March 10, 2000, in Jackson; and

WHEREAS, the MSHOF Class of 2000 features world famous PGA golfer from Meridian, who is the most accomplished golf instructor in the world, Eddie "The Little Pro" Merrins, whose golf achievements are a matter of record:

JUNIOR RECORD:

Jaycee National Junior Champion 1950

Mississippi State Junior Champion 1948, 1949

Mississippi State High School

Champion, Meridian High 1948, 1949, 1950

Medalist in Western Junior 1951

Qualified USGA Junior 1949-1950

Qualified Jaycee National Junior 1948, 1949, 1950

1951

COLLEGE RECORD AT LSU:

Southern Intercollegiate Champion 1953

SEC Individual Champion 1953, 1954

Third Place, Southern

Intercollegiate Tournament 1954

Second in NCAA Championships 1952

Third in NCAA Championships 1954

Led LSU to the SEC team titles 1953, 1954

AMATEUR RECORD:

Mississippi State Amateur Champion 1950, 1953, 1955

Western Amateur Champion 1955

Gulf Coast Open Champion 1954

New Orleans Invitational Champion 1954

Colonial Invitational Champion,

Memphis, TN 1955

Second Place in Southern Amateur 1951

Qualified USGA Amateur 1952, 1953, 1954

1955

PROFESSIONAL RECORD:

April 25, 1957 at Lake Charles, LA

to present date

Member of PGA of America 1961 to present

Golf Professional at Bel-Air

Country Club, Los Angeles, CA 1962 to present

Yorktown Open, Yorktown, PA 1958

Metropolitan PGA Championship,

Long Island, NY 1961

Southern California PGA Medal

Play Championship 1974, 1975

Long Island Open PGA Championship 1962

Second in Southern California

PGA (match) 1964

Second in Southern California

PGA (medal) 1972

Qualified USGA Open 1957, 1961, 1965

1966, 1967, 1968

1971, 1973

Qualified PGA Championship 1962, 1963, 1967

1968, 1969, 1971

Qualified PGA Club Pro

Championship Competed 7 times

Fourth in Beaumont, TX, PGA Open 1962

Second in "Little Crosby" 1975

U.S. Open Competed 8 times

PGA Championship Competed 6 times

PGA Club Pro Championship Competed 6 times

Los Angeles Open Competed 13 times

Bing Crosby Pro-Am Competed 14 times

Southern California PGA Stroke

Play Championship Competed 2 times

Player of the Year, Southern

California 1970

Professional of the Year,

Southern California 1977

COURSE RECORDS:

62 Medinah Country Club #3,

Medinah, IL 1962

64 Corona National Golf Club,

Corona, CA 1969

62 Bel-Air Country Club,

Los Angeles, CA 1970

16 Holes in One on various courses

COACHING:

Golf Teacher of the Year,

Southern California 1987

Member of Golf Digest Teaching Panel 1974-1978

Member of Golf Magazine Teaching

Panel 1978 to present

Author of Swing the Handle, Not the

Clubhead 1973, Simon & Shuster, pub.

Author of Golf for the Young 1981

Coach of UCLA Golf Team 1975-1989

NCAA Coach of the Year 1985

Pac 10 Coach of the Year 1982, 1983, 1985

Coach of Pac 10 Conference Golf

Champions at UCLA 1982, 1983, 1985

Coach of NCAA Champion UCLA Bruins 1988

Guest Instructor of Italian Golf

Federation 1980, 1981, 1982

Guest Instructor of French Golf

Federation 1981

Guest Instructor of European

Teaching Congress 1990

Organized the Joe Novak Pro-Am at

Bel-Air CC, Los Angeles, CA 15 years

Organized the Friends of

College Golf 1978 to present

Member of People to People

Committee 1970 to present

Asst. Professional, Merion Golf

Club, Ardmore, PA 1957, 1958, 1959

Head Professional, Rockaway

Hunting Club, Cedarhurst, NY 1960, 1961

Teaching Professional, Westchester

Country Club, Rye, NY 1962

Head Professional, Bel-Air Country

Club, Los Angeles, CA 1962 to present

Golf Magazine's Top 100 Golf Pros 1990 to present

ED MERRINS' HALL OF FAME MEMBERSHIPS:

PGA Hall of Fame Inducted 1989

Southern California PGA Hall of Fame Inducted 1990

NCAA Coaches Hall of Fame Inducted 1992

UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame Inducted 1996

Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Inducted 2000; and

WHEREAS, since 1962, he has been the head professional at Bel-Air CC, where he instructs seven days a week; some of his celebrity "pupils" include the late George C. Scott, the late Bing Crosby, Jerry West, Tom Harmon, Pete Sampras, Joe Dean (A.D. at LSU), former Mississippi Congressman G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery, George Bryan of Bryan Foods in West Point, and Steve Winn of the Beau Rivage Hotel and Casino in Biloxi; and

WHEREAS, Eddie and his wife Lisa have two sons, Michael Lee Merrins and Mason H. Merrins:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend and congratulate world famous PGA golfer from Meridian, Eddie "The Little Pro" Merrins, upon his induction into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2000, and wish him continued success in his sport and future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be presented to Eddie Merrins at induction ceremonies and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.