Eddie Merrins, the gentlemanly golf pro at the Bel-Air Country Club who taught the game to the likes of Bing Crosby, Ringo Starr, George C. Scott, Dean Martin, Celine Dion and Jack Nicholson, has died. He was 91.
Merrins died Wednesday after a long illness, according to UCLA, where he coached for 14 years. His son Michael had launched a GoFundMe campaign this year to help the family with expenses.
Nicknamed “The Little Pro,” the 5-foot-7 Mississippi native played on the PGA Tour before serving as Bel-Air’s head pro from 1962 until he was asked to step aside in 2003. However, he remained a beloved fixture at the fabled club as pro emeritus in a jacket/sweater, tie and white driving cap.
Remarkably, Bel Air, which opened in 1925, has had only three head pros: Joe Novak, Merrins and now Dave Podas.
Inducted into the PGA Hall of Fame in 2009, Merrins arranged for Jack Nicklaus to meet Tiger Woods,...
Merrins died Wednesday after a long illness, according to UCLA, where he coached for 14 years. His son Michael had launched a GoFundMe campaign this year to help the family with expenses.
Nicknamed “The Little Pro,” the 5-foot-7 Mississippi native played on the PGA Tour before serving as Bel-Air’s head pro from 1962 until he was asked to step aside in 2003. However, he remained a beloved fixture at the fabled club as pro emeritus in a jacket/sweater, tie and white driving cap.
Remarkably, Bel Air, which opened in 1925, has had only three head pros: Joe Novak, Merrins and now Dave Podas.
Inducted into the PGA Hall of Fame in 2009, Merrins arranged for Jack Nicklaus to meet Tiger Woods,...
- 11/25/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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