Eddie Merrins
MGA Hall of Fame 2020
Eddie Merrins was born on August 4, 1932 in Meridian, MS and achieved great success as a junior golfer early in his career. Merrins claimed the Mississippi Junior Amateur Championship in 1948 and 1949 while attending Meridian High School where he also won the Mississippi High School State Championship in 1949 and 1950. In 1950 he also claimed the Jacyee National Junior Championship. Merrins signed to play collegiate golf for LSU where he claimed second in the 1952 NCAA Championship, third in the 1954 NCAA Championship, back to back SEC Individual Championships in 1953 and 1954, and led the LSU Tigers to team titles in 1953 and 1954. Continuing upon his Amateur success in Mississippi, Merrins won the State Amateur in ’50, ’53, and ’55 and qualified for the USGA Amateur Championship four consecutive years from ’52 – ’55. He was the New Orleans Invitational Champion in 1954 and the Colonial Invitation Champion in 1955. Following his amateur career, Merrins became a member of the PGA of America in 1961 and has served as the Golf Professional at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, CA; a role that he holds to this day. As a professional Merrins qualified for the US Open eight times (’57, ’61, ’65, ’66, ’67, ’68, ’71, ’73), qualified for the PGA Championship six times (’62, ’63, ’67, ’68, ’69, ’71), was the Player of the Year in Southern California in 1970, and Professional of the Year in Southern California in 1977. Merrins’ success did not just come as a player. He coached the UCLA Golf Team from 1975-1989 where his team claimed the PAC 10 Conference Championships in ’82, ’83, and ’85 and won the NCAA National Championship in 1988. Along with being named the PAC 10 Coach of the year in 1985 and Southern California Golf Teacher of the year in 1987, Merrins has been named as Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Golf Professionals from 1990 to present. Authoring two books (Swing the Handle, Not the Clubhead and Golf for the Young), Merrins also has been inducted into the PGA Golf Hall of Fame (1989), Southern California PGA Golf Hall of Fame (1990), NCAA Coaches Hall of Fame (1992), UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame (1996), and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame (2000).