Maggie Scott, Gene Pearce Inducted Into Golf Hall Of Fame

 “You’ve sat on the sidelines for years watching others compete and tonight it’s your turn to hear the roar of the crowd.”

-- Ray Pearce speaking about his dad and golf historian, Gene Pearce, who was inducted into the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame Tuesday night

 

 

It is special to be honored by your peers and those in your sport.

It is also maybe a once-in-a-life time opportunity to have one of your children introduce you on your hall of fame night. Priceless.

Tuesday night at the 14th Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame dinner at the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club,

Maggie Scott and Gene Pearce were treated to a few special moments as their sons – Neil Scott and Ray Pearce – talked about their respective parent.

They were inducted along with Edyth Duffield and Horace F. Smith, posthumously.

Maggie Scott – 10-time TGA senior women’s Player of the Year … 9-time state senior women’s amateur champion … 1994 state amateur champion … Cleveland Country Club champion (33 times) … Cleveland city champion (30 times).

Gene Pearce – author of The History of Tennessee Golf, 1894-2001 … he also produces a yearly Tennessee Golf Almanac which documents the year in golf and the history of many tournaments across the state.

Edyth Duffield – first organized a statewide women’s amateur golf tournament in 1916 … which later led to the formal organization of the Women’s Tennessee Golf Association … served as president of the Women’s Southern Golf Association, 1918-19 … won the Women’s Southern Amateur (1917) and the Women’s TGA State Amateur (1920).

Horace F. Smith – spearheaded the organization of the Tennessee Golf Association during play of the 1914 Southern Amateur in Memphis … president of the Southern Golf Assoc., 1904 until his death in 1930.

Ray Pearce on His Dad

“My dad has never disappointed me in any way and was always there on the sidelines cheering me on in any sport I played growing up.”

How appropriate that Gene Pearce, a history major at David Lipscomb Univ. (Nashville) would be the one to write his first book The History of Tennessee Golf published (1894-2001).

“Dad spent 15 months researching the history of our sport and he accomplished the near impossible fete of finding every Tennessee Golf Association from 1914 to the 1940s when some said all that information couldn’t be found. Without my dad, much of the history of Tennessee golf would be lost.”

Gene Pearce Comments

“I’m so emotional that when I hear the playing of “My Old Kentucky Home” I tear up and I am not even from Kentucky,” he said which gained laughter from those in attendance Tuesday night.

“I never expected pats on the back (for his aforementioned book) … all  wanted to do was write a book on the history of golf and received great support from the TGA. Dick Horton (president of the Tennessee Golf Foundation) encouraged me the entire time I was working on the book.”

Neil Scott on His Mother

“Tonight is one of the great highlights for me to introduce a woman who has touched my life and so many others … my mom.”

“Mom – I am so proud of what you have accomplished on and off the golf course. You are the true definition of greatness.”

Maggie Scott Comments

This is a special week for Maggie Scott in several ways … Sunday she celebrated both her birthday (66th) and her wedding anniversary to husband, Jim … she is also playing the state amateur at the CGCC this week and was inducted into the TGA HOF Tuesday.

“Being inducted into the TGA Hall of Fame here at the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club is special, since I played in my first state amateur here and qualified for my first USGA senior amateur here.”

“I want to thank all the TGA volunteers because without their work we would not be what we are today as an organization.”

“I also want to thank my dad who gave me so much confidence to play this game and for the late Connie Day (TGA Hall of Fame, 2007) who convinced me I could play with anyone in the state.”

Best Story of the Night

“I was playing Betty Probasco in match play in Jackson several years ago and we were preparing to putt on the 16th green when Betty’s caddie came over and told us that Betty had actually won the match on the 14th hole,” said Scott with a laugh. “We were enjoying the round so much, neither of us knew that match was over two holes prior.”

Friends for Life: Several family members and friends attended the dinner to honor Mrs. Scott including four who were MTSU classmates - Kathy Lindsay Hayes, Janice Peterson, Tancy Daniels (roommate) and Becky Shanks (roommate) - along with golfing partner and friend Debbie Estes Durham.

Future Inductees: A few people who should be given serious consideration for induction in the near future include former Baylor golf coach King Oehmig (deceased), former Chattanooga Times golf writer Eddie Davidson (deceased), former Chattanooga News Free Press golf writer Sam Woolwine and golf writer and author Chris Dortch.

 

contact B.B. Branto at william.branton@comcast.net