The 2022 golf year in South Carolina was completed with the player of the year awards and induction of the Class of 2022 Hall of Fame.

The awards and honors were presented during Golf Day at the Columbia Country Club on January 14th.

Spartanburg’s Todd White, Greenville’s Sheri Turner and Columbia’s Charlie Rountree, III joined 73 other members when they were inducted.

Since graduating from Furman, White has played his way into the record book in the Palmetto State as well as nationally.

“It is a great honor and one you never expect,” said White. “You look at the men and women in the Hall of Fame and you are blessed to be in their company,” he said.

White has achieved so many honors and has so many winning performances it is hard to pick out a highlight for him.

Two of his many career highlights happened in national events.

The Furman University grad was a Division I All-American in 1989 and as a mid-am White was chosen to be a member of the 2013 Walker Cup team and helped the USA team win the matches.

“It would be pretty hard not to start with the Walker Cup. I can’t think of anything more significant than representing your country,” said White.

n 2015, White teamed up with Nathan Smith to become the first winners of the USGA Four-Ball National Championship.

“When you have some success you occasionally allow yourself to think about an honor like this, but I never made being in the Hall of Fame a goal,” he said.

Turner was originally announced as a Hall of Fame inductee in 2020, but Covid prevented the ceremony.

Turner earned the 1974 and 1975 title of Carolinas Junior Girls Champion as well as the South Carolina High School Champion.

  In 1976 playing alongside teammates Beth Daniel and Betsy King. Turner won three tournaments during her collegiate career, was selected as a 1979 All American and joined the Furman Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989.

After college Turner began an LPGA career. In 1988 she won the Women’s PGA Championship and was named the 1988 LPGA Player of the Year and finished tops on the money list. 

In total, Turner had three LPGA Tour victories and 68 top-10 finishes, seven holes-in-one and earned nearly $3 million during her 23-year professional career. 

Following her LPGA career, Turner won three Legends Tour events, a Tour she was co-founder of. Turner also served on the LPGA Executive Committee from 1997-’99, was on the Board of Directors for the Legends Tour and selected as a member of the Tour’s Hall of Fame in 2018.

Rountree was a founding member of seven different organizations, he has facilitated the beginning and growth of numerous initiatives such as the South Carolina Junior Golf Association, South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation, Monday After the Masters, The Bobby Chapman Junior Invitational, Can-Am Junior Matches, Tiger Golf Gathering and The Golf Ball.

After serving on the USGA Junior Committee for 25 years, Rountree was awarded the USGA Ike Granger Service to Golf Award in 2019.

His impact on the game extends further than just junior golf since joining the Board of Trustees of the Heritage Classic Foundation in 2011. Through his position as Chairman of the Palmetto State Committee of the HCF, he has been committed to garnering support for the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing.

He served as SCGA President and was a board member for 20 years.

The son of 1978 Hall of Fame inductee Charles Rountree, Jr. Rountree, III has carried on his father’s legacy as a champion of junior golf.

2022 Players of the Year

Sam Jackson finished a season marked by consistent play to win his first SCGA Player of the Year award.

Competing in 11 events overall last year, the highlight of Jackson’s SCGA season was his first-place win with partner, Zach Herold of Lexington at the 2022 SCGA Partners Championship.

Qualifying to compete on one of the largest stages in amateur golf, Jackson excelled at the 41st U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship making it to the round of 32.

Overall, Jackson enjoyed six finishes within the top-five this year and competed on the 2022 SCGA Palmetto Cup team.

“It’s pretty fulfilling to win SCGA Player of the Year to be honest,” said Jackson. ““I got off to a pretty good start at the beginning of the year with me and Zach winning the Partners and then we also medaled at the state Four-Ball. “Having my name added to such a long list of accomplished players is easily the coolest part about winning Player of the Year and something you can’t ever take away,” he said.

Blythewood’s Eddie Hargett has been the model of consistency in earning four straight SCGA Senior Player of the Year Awards.

Hargett took home three first place victories this year, claiming the title at the Carolinas Senior Four-Ball Championship, SCGA Senior Better-Ball Championship and the SCGA Lathrop Cup.

Hargett competed in 14 total events this year and had nine impressive finishes within the top-five.

“Obviously, I am very proud to win this award,” said Hargett. “This is a very competitive state and every year there are a lot of new guys that start playing, so I am proud of the consistency I have shown over the years,” he said.

Golf Day also included awards to Bob Spear – Charles Drawdy Distinguished Service Award, Matt Harbin – Tom Fazio Service to Golf Award, Joe Ulreich – Rick Miller Volunteer of the Year Award and The Legends at Parris Island – SCGA Club of the Year.