Eddie Merrins has been playing golf since he was an 11-year old in Meridian, Mississippi. He won the Mississippi state amateur title at 17 and was awarded an athletic scholarship to Louisiana State University after winning the 1950 Jaycee National Junior tournament. He also won the prestigious Western Amateur Championship in 1955 before turning professional in 1957.

While Eddie Merrins has won several regional PGA and Open titles, he has devoted the large part of his professional career to teaching. In 1975, Eddie also took over the golf program at UCLA, turning it into one of the most successful collegiate programs in the country during his tenure.

In 1973 Eddie authored the popular instructional book, "Swing the Handle, Not the Clubhead." This book was the basis for his most current endeavour - the "Swing the Handle" Video Series. You can get your own copy of the book in our store.

EDDIE MERRINS

“The Little Pro”

“Golf’s Finest Gentleman”

1977 Southern California PGA “Golf Professional of the Year”
1987 Southern California PGA “Teacher of the Year”
1989 Southern California PGA “Hall of Fame” Inductee
1992 NCAA Coaches “Hall of Fame” Inductee
1996 UCLA Athletic “Hall of Fame” Inductee
2000 Mississippi Sports “Hall of Fame” Inductee
2002 Southern California Golf “Hall of Fame” Inductee
2002 California Golf Writers “Hall of Fame” Inductee
2002 College Golf Coaches Association “Honor Award” Recipient
2005 Louisiana State University Athletic “Hall of Fame” Inductee
2006 Spirit of Golf Foundation Inaugural “Eddie Merrins Award” Recipient
2006 USMC Scholarship Foundation “John R. Wooden Sportsmanship Award” Recipient
2007 Southern California PGA “Lifetime Achievement Award” Recipient
2008 World Golf Teachers “Hall of Fame” Inductee presented by GOLF Magazine
2008 Southern California Golf Association “Hall of Fame” Inductee
2009 PGA of America “Hall of Fame” Inductee

“UCLA Men’s Golf Coach”

1975-1989

1988 NCAA National Champions
65 Team Tournament Victories
12 Consecutive NCAA Tournament Appearances – 1978-1989
7 Current Bruins on the PGA Tour – Jay Delsing, Brandt Jobe, Scott McCarron, Steve Pate, Corey Pavin, Tom Pernice, Jr., Duffy Waldorf

1982, 1983, 1985 Pacific 10 Champions
1982, 1983, 1984 Pacific 10 “Coach of the Year”
1982 #1 National Team Ranking
1984 NCAA District 8 “Coach of the Year”
Developed 16 NCAA “All-Americans”
Developed 2 NCAA “Players of the Year” – Corey Pavin and Duffy Waldorf

“Club Professional Experience”

2003-Present Golf Professional Emeritus at the Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, CA
1962-2002 Head Professional and Director of Golf at the Bel-Air Country Club
1962 Teaching Professional at the Westchester Country Club in Rye, NY
1960-1962 Head Professional at the Rockaway Hunting Club in Cedarhurst, NY
1959-1960 Assistant Professional at the Thunderbird Country Club in Palm Springs, CA
1957-1959 Assistant Professional at the Merion Golf Club in Philadelphia, PA

Other Chips and Putts:

Served on the Board of Directors of the Southern California PGA
1973 Published “Swing the Handle, Not the Clubhead”, the years best selling golf book which continued through 1974
1974-1975 Considered one of the “Top 10 Teachers in America” by the PGA
1974-1977 Served as a Golf Digest Instructor and Panelist
1978 Published “Golf for the Young” for the LA Unified School District
1981 Served as Instructor for the French and Italian National Teams
1983-1984, 1986, 1988-1989 Served as a Golf Magazine Instructor
1990 Helped to Organize the First St. Andrews International Golf Congress
1991-1995 Listed as one of Golf Magazines “50 Best Teachers”
1991 Served as Speaker for the First European Teaching Summit in Milan, Italy
1995 Guest Instructor for the King of Malaysia
1996-2008 Listed as one of Golf Magazines “Top 100 Instructors”
2002 Produced the Eddie Merrins, “Swing the Handle Video Collection”
2002-2008 Honorary Chairman of the World Club Championship in S. Korea
2002 Guest Lecturer at the PGA of America’s Teaching Summit
2006 Published “Playing a Round with the Little Pro, A life in the Game”

Current PGA Tour Students:

Duffy Waldorf – 4 PGA Tour Tournament Victories
Bob May – British Masters Champion, 2000 PGA Championship Runner Up
Rocco Mediate – 5 PGA Tour Tournament Victories

Former Professional Students Include:

Amy Alcott Helen Alfredsson Craig Barlow Gay Brewer

Jim Colbert Ben Crenshaw Betsy Cullen Jay Delsing

Heather Drew Raymond Floyd Amy Fruwirth Jason Gore

Chako Higuchi Hale Irwin Brandt Jobe Tom Kite

Frank Lickliter Scott McCarron Gary Nicklaus Steve Pate

Corey Pavin Tom Pernice, Jr. Tim Simpson Vijay Singh

Former Junior and Amateur Champions Include:

· 1981 Walker Cup Team Member Corey Pavin

· 1982 USGA Junior Champion Richard Marik

· 1983 USGA Women’s Amateur Champion Joanne Pacillo

· 1985 Walker Cup Team Member Duffy Waldorf

· 1985 PGA National Junior Champion Jeff Manson

· 1886 Doug Sanders International Junior Champion Bob May

· 1987 Doug Sanders International Junior Champion Ken Tanigawa

· 1991 Walker Cup Team Member Bob May

· 1991 USGA Women’s Amateur Champion Amy Fruwirth

· 1997 Walker Cup Team Member Jason Gore

“Competitive Experience”

Junior and Amateur:

1944 Age 11

Began the Game in Meridian, Mississippi

1947 Age 14

Mississippi State Amateur Championship-Qualifier

1948 Age 15

Won the Mississippi State Junior Championship
Won the Mississippi State High School Championship
Won the Northwood Country Club Men’s Club Championship
Jaycee National Junior Championship-Qualifier

1949 Age 16

Won the Mississippi State High School Championship
Mississippi State Amateur Championship-Medalist
USGA Junior Championship-Medalist
Jaycee National Junior Championship-Qualifier

1950 Age 17

Won the Jaycee National Junior Championship
Won the Mississippi State Amateur Championship
Won the Mississippi State High School Championship
Defeated Sam Snead (68-71) in a Foursomes Match at Northwood C.C.
Defeated Byron Nelson (68-71) in a Foursomes Match at Northwood C.C.
USGA Junior Championship-Medalist and Quarter-Finalist
Southern Amateur-Quarter-Finalist

1951 Age 18

Southern Amateur-Runner-Up
Western Junior Championship-Medalist and Semi-Finalist
Jaycee National Junior Championship-Qualifier

1952 Age 19

USGA Amateur Championship-Qualifier
Mississippi State Amateur Championship-Medalist

1953 Age 20

Won the Mississippi State Amateur Championship
USGA Amateur Championship-Qualifier

1954 Age 21

Won the Gulf Coast Open (Professional Event)
Won the New Orleans Invitational
Won the Deep South Four-Ball
USGA Amateur Championship-Qualifier
George S. May All-American Championship-Runner-Up to Arnold Palmer
George S. May World Championship-Third Place to Winner Arnold Palmer

1955 Age 22

Won the Western Amateur
Won the Colonial Invitational
Won the Mississippi State Amateur Championship-Medalist
Won the Western Four-Ball Championship with Partner Hillman Robbins
USGA Amateur Championship-Medalist

1956 Age 23

Southwest Amateur-Runner-Up
Commissioned Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force

Collegiate:

Louisiana State University

1951

Entered Louisiana State University on its First Athletic Golf Scholarship
Freshmen Were Not Eligible

1952

NCAA Championship-Runner-Up
SEC Championship-Third Place
Southern Intercollegiate Championship-Eight Place

1953

Won the SEC Championship
Won the Southern Intercollegiate Championship

1954

Won the SEC Championship
NCAA Championship-Third Place
Southern Intercollegiate Championship-Third Place

1955

Graduated from Louisiana State University with a Degree in Business Administration

Professional:

1957-2003

Played in Over 200 PGA Tour Events
8 USGA Open Championships-Qualifying Medalist 5 Times
6 PGA Championships-Qualifying Medalist 1 Time
2 British Opens
6 PGA Club Professional Championships-Qualifying Medalist 2 Times

1958

Won the Yorktown Open in Yorktown, PA

1961

Won the Metropolitan PGA Championship in Long Island, NY
Won the Long Island Open in Long Island, NY
Fourth Place in the Beaumont Texas Open, Beaumont, TX

1962

Shot a Course Record 66 in the Western Open at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, IL – Playing with Ken Venturi and Lloyd Mangrum

1964

Southern California PGA Match Play Championship-Runner-Up

1970

Shot the Course Record 62 at the Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, CA

1972

Southern California PGA Medal Play Championship-Second Place
International Four-Ball Championship in Gleneagles, Scotland-Second Place

1974

Won the Southern California PGA Medal Play Championship

1975

Won the Southern California PGA Medal Play Championship

Other Notes:

Eddie Merrins has recorded 16 career Holes-In-One, including two in the same round on the same nine holes while he was 18 years old. This occurred at the Northwood Country Club in Meridian, MS and was featured in Ripley’s Believe It or Not.

One of Eddie Merrins most memorable aces occurred on the 107 yard 7^th hole at the Pebble Beach Golf Links during the 1964 Bing Crosby National Pro-Am. This feat occurred with a 3 iron into a gale force wind.

In 1980, Eddie Merrins founded Friends of College Golf, Inc., a non-profit organization designed to raise money for struggling college golf programs. Upon his retirement from coaching in 1989 the name was changed to Friends of Golf, Inc. (FOG). At this time the focus not only included colleges but also now incorporated numerous high school golf programs, caddie programs and the Evans Scholar Foundation. To date the FOG organization has donated almost 5 million dollars to these worthy causes and more. FOG is responsible for the creation of the Ben Hogan Trophy, which annually goes to the top amateur player in the country who is a collegiate golfer. This trophy was the dream of former Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon and became a reality with the blessing of Ben Hogan. Eddie Merrins and FOG are also responsible for the creation of two other highly regarded collegiate awards, the Byron Nelson Trophy and the Dinah Shore Trophy. These trophies are awarded annually to the male and female golfer of the year who has excelled in both academics and on the golf course. Tom, Ben, Byron and Dinah, four wonderful people whom we miss dearly and who will forever be Friends of Golf.

Some of the Athletes and Celebrities Instructed by Eddie Merrins:

Marcus Allen Fred Astaire Mikael Barishnikov Ray Bolger

Michael Bolton Pat Boone Larry Brown Glen Campbell

Jimmy Conners Sean Connery Richard Crenna Bing Crosby

Mac Davis Celine Dion Rich Eisen Janet Evans

Thomas Gibson Gail Goodrich Hugh Grant Jim Hill

Tom Harmon Dean Martin Ann Meyers Drysdale Joe Namath

Craig T. Nelson Jack Nicholson Haley Joel Osment Joe Pesci

Dennis Quaid Randy Quaid Jerry Rice George C. Scott

Ringo Starr Tony Trabert Kiki Vandeweghe Jack Wagner

Robert J. Wagner Jerry West Andy Williams James Woods