Judy Bell, no relation to the matriarch of Pine Needles, was informed by Ruffin Beckwith that she had been selected for induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Bell, who was one of the USGA officials fielding questions during the press conference, was given a Hall of Fame pin by Beckwith, senior vice president of the World Golf Foundation.
“Well, you swept me off my feet and then you gave me a pin, so there you are,” Bell said. “This is terrific for me to hear this news. I didn’t know anything about it.”
Bell, 64, of Colorado Springs, Colo., was the first woman to serve as USGA president, holding the post from 1996-97. She was president the first time the U.S. Women’s Open came to Pine Needles.
She also has played in 38 amateur championships, and she was a captain of the Curtis Cup team. She played in the Women’s Open when she was 14.
Karsten Solheim and Allan Robertson joined her in the 2001 class. Robertson was a professional in Scotland in the 19th century. Karsten, creator of PING golf clubs, is recognized as a pioneer in the golf club manufacturing business.
As for the rest of the USGA officials on hand, most of the conference dealt with questions about earning a spot in the Women’s Open and the impact that the Supreme Court decision about allowing Martin to use a cart in PGA events would have.
Unlike in the Men’s Open, which has an 18-hole local qualifier followed by a 36-hole sectional event, the women have just one 18-hole qualifier. But then again, more than 8,000 players entered men’s qualifying, while the women had 980 entrants.
Going to a 36-hole one-day qualifier for the women is something the USGA is going to take a good look at, said Kendra Graham, USGA director of women’s rules and competitions.
“I think the idea of a 36-hole test for qualifying to get into the largest, the best national women’s championship is something that needs to be seriously considered and seriously considered right away,” she said.
One way to develop a larger field of women golfers with the ability to play on a national championship level is to reach out to junior golfers, several officials said.
Bringing kids to golf is getting emphasis at this year’s Open with the Catch the Spirit program, operated under the auspices of the USGA Foundation.
Children under 15 get in free with a paying adult, the front row of the bleachers is reserved for children, and an inside-the-ropes tour of the golf course is offered.
It was announced during the conference that two initiatives the organization is helping to spearhead would hopefully assist further.
“What we decided (in a conference last November),” Beckwith said, “is that there is a lot going on in junior golf that we don’t know about. We decided it didn’t make any sense to start a new program; there are a lot of programs out there. What was needed was more information and more communication.”
The two Foundations (USGA and World Golf) are helping to develop a web site that has a master database of junior golf programs throughout the United States. They will also facilitate Junior Golf Summits.
As far as the Martin case and its impact on golf, the USGA might be close to the forefront in that also.
“You could conceivably have an issue with the Men’s Open … because sectional qualifying begins next week,” David Fay said. “It’s possible that a player could request a golf cart. So as early as next week – actually we might be getting requests or questions today, I can’t tell you.”
Asked what the Martin decision means to golf in general, Fay repeated that he didn’t know.
“I haven’t even plowed through the entire opinion yet,” he said. “So it would be too early for me to say. What I can say is that we have a great championship this week, so we’re all going to be focused on that.”
