The South Carolina Golf Association’s Golf Day celebration was part business meeting and part awards presentation.

The business meeting included the election of Greenville’s Rob Reeves to a two-year term as president of the state organization.

The awards presentation honored the players of the year, several special awards to people and organizations helpful to the SCGA and the induction of two new members into the Association’s Hall of Fame.

Charleston’s Ron Cerrudo and Walter Todd from Laurens became the newest members of the Golf Hall of Fame.

During a nearly 40 year amateur career Todd accumulated a golf resume any Hall of Fame member would be proud to own.

“Being in the Hall of Fame never crossed my mind,” said Todd. “It is a great honor and one that I will always cherish,” he said.

Among his top accomplishments are wins in both the SCGA and the CGA Mid-Am Championships to go along with almost a dozen four-ball and team championships.

Todd also advanced to several national events including playing in this year’s USGA Senior Amateur championship.

“The friends and relationships I have made and the places I have been to have been so great I know I will never be able to give back to the game what this has meant to me and my family,” he said.

Todd captured a few of the team wins with his brother T.D. , but his favorite tournament titles have come playing and winning in both the CGA and SCGA Father-Son championships. Todd has claimed wins in both Association’s events and won with each of his sons, Walt and Neal.

“Golf has been an important part of our families life for as long as I can remember and it still is very important,” he said.

The new SCGA HOF member not only was an outstanding player, but has also contributed to the game as a past president of the Carolinas Golf Association and Director of the South Carolina Golf Association.

Cerrudo, who was unable to attend the presentation, was a four-time winner on the PGA Tour after a distinguished amateur career.

The California native was a two-time All-American at San Jose State. Among his accomplishments as an amateur was his selection to the 1967 Walker Cup team where he joined SCGA Hall of Fame member Jack Lewis to help win the Cup for the USA.

After injuries forced Cerrudo to leave the PGA Tour he began a long and successful second career as an instructor.

As the head of instruction at the Daniel Island Club, Cerrudo has been recognized by the Carolinas PGA and by Golf Digest as a top instructor in South Carolina.

It is estimated Cerrudo has given over 30,000 lessons in his time as an instructor.

With the induction of Cerrudo and Todd the SCGA Hall of Fame now has 78 members.

The 2023 South Carolina Players of the Year were honored as Spartanburg;s Todd White won his sixth SCGA honor, but for the first time as a senior.

White had an amazing run of great golf during the year. He won the SCGA Amateur at Musgrove Mill for his second win in the state championship. His first win came 33 years before after finishing an All-American career at Furman.

White followed up the state championship with a national championship. The Spartanburg High School golf coach was the medalist and went on to win the USGA Senior Amateur.

Somehow he found the time to be qualifying medalist for the USGA Mid-Am and then went on to make Match Play at the championship.

“You could say that this year is a validation of a lot of hard work,” said White. “As a teacher, I cannot think of a better lesson to take into a classroom to show the students that hard work and perseverance do pay off.”

The SCGA Player of the Year was a repeat winner of the award as West Columbia’s Sam Jackson narrowly topped White for the honor.

Jackson’s year included a win in the CGA Mid-Am championship and top-ten finishes in 10 of the 11 events he entered.

Jackson played his way into the semi-finals of the USGA Mid-Am championship before dropping a 1 up match to the eventual champion Stewart Hagestad.

“It’s been a special year, I’ve stayed sharp mentally this year and that allowed me to play well week in and week out. I was able to win four events this year along with a number of top five finishes. It is such an honor to win this award once, much less twice,” said Jackson.

The SCGA made special presentations to the Santee Cooper Resort as the SCGA Club of the Year. McConnell Golf (Musgrove Mill and The Reserve Club on Pawleys Island) received the Tom Fazio Service to Golf Award and Katie Atkinson received the Rick Miller Volunteer of the Year Award for her work with The Golf Ball..

The Charles Drawdy Distinguished Service Award was presented to Paul Graham, who helped begin and continues to support the Hootie and the Blowfish Monday after the Masters.

As the new president of the SCGA Reeves, who founded one of the most successful junior events on the SCJGA schedule The Blade expects to continue to build on the solid foundation the SCGA enjoys.

“We are going to keep building on what has been good for the SCGA. There are a lot of opportunities to continue to grow the game and support junior golf,” said the new SCGA president.

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