Louisiana Legends – 10 Of The Greatest Golfers

The extraordinary talent and unwavering perseverance of women and men who pioneered golf are important legacies to remember. Their passion and love for the game profoundly impacted other athletes to compete at the top of their game.

The endurance of golf trailblazers, who broke records or shattered glass ceilings, is the reason golf is at the forefront of worldwide sports competitions today. Thousands of Louisiana athletes have contributed to golf's rich legacy. Below is a look at some of the top players and their many achievements in amateur and pro competitions.

1. JAY HEBERT
St. Martinville
Won 10 PGA Tours, the 1960 PGA Championship.

2. CLIFFORD ANN CREED
Alexandria
Won 11 LPGA Tours/Singles and more than $280,000 in prize money. Creed was also the first woman to be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.

3. DAVID TOMS
Monroe
Won 13 PGA Tours, 1 Masters and 2001 PGA Championship.

4.  HAL SUTTON
Shreveport
Won the PGA Tour 13 times, the 1983 PGA Championship, and 2000 Players Championships. Sutton was also the PGA Tour's leading money winner in 1983 and named Player of the Year.

He established the Christus Schumpert Sutton Children's Hospital in his hometown and, along with fellow Louisiana golfers Kelly Gibson and David Toms, raised more than $2 million for Hurricane Rita and Katrina victims. In 2004, he was awarded the Omar N. Bradley Spirit of Independence Award and the Golf Writers Association of America's 2006 Charlie Bartlett Award with Gibson and Toms for their relief efforts.

5.  KELLY GIBSON
New Orleans
In 1991, he won the Ben Hogan Tri-Cities Open and earned his PGA Tour card the year through qualifying school.
Gibson created the Kelly Gibson Foundation in 2005 to support Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and a Junior Golf Tour in 2009.

6. INGRID LINDBLAD
Baton Rouge
One of the top women's best amateur golfer and SEC Player of the Year.

7. LIONEL HEBERT
Lafayette
Won five times on the PGA Tour, including the PGA Championship in 1957.

8. MILLER BARBER
Shreveport
Won the longest tournament in PGA Tour history. The World Open Golf Championship played at Pinehurst Country Club was a 144-hole affair. Barber won by three strokes over Ben Crenshaw.

9. GARY KOCH
Baton Rouge
Won 6 PGA Tours, 1979 PGA Championship, 1982 U.S. Open, and 1988 Open Championship, including the longest regulation tournament in PGA Tour history at Pinehurst Country Club, a 144-hole event. Barber won by three strokes!

10. DOUG TEWELL
Baton Rouge
Won two PGA Tours, the 1983 PGA Championship, and two Senior Major Championships.

Louisiana's golf legacy appears to be in pretty capable hands. The future of golf is looking bright. Take a look at some of the newest stars in the sport.