Former Augusta National Golf Club vice chairman Joe Ford headlines the Arkansas State Golf Association Hall of Fame Class of 2024.
LPGA member Audra Burks, world-renowned and award-winning golf course architect Tom Clark and former state standout Ron Whittaker join Ford in this year's class.
This year's class was selected by the ASGA Board of Directors at its Dec. 8 meeting at the Country Club of Little Rock.
Ford is one of two Arkansans who are members of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. His philanthropic efforts are well known in the state and include The First Tee of Central Arkansas and countless charities.
"I am deeply touched," Ford, 86, said of this hall of fame induction. "I only wish my wife was here to see it."
Ford's wife of 64 years, Jo Ellen, died on Aug. 28.
Burks, 57, won numerous state junior tournaments, including the Bruce Jenkins Memorial and the Arkansas State championship. She attended Oklahoma State University, where she earned team most valuable player honors her senior season.
Burks had one victory on the LPGA Futures Tour in 1990 leading to membership on the LPGA Tour. She is vice president of the LPGA Legends Tour Board of Directors and is the third female from the state to play on the LPGA Tour after Dot Germain and Rosey Bartlett, who are both members of the ASGA Hall of Fame.
"This is quite an honor," said Burks, who currently resides in Illinois. "Although I have been gone from Arkansas for quite some time, I still have many close friends that live there."
Clark is a past president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects and established Ault, Clark & Associates Golf Course Architects in 1971 with his partner, Ed Ault. In 2016 he was named president of Tom Clark Golf Architect, LLC. He or his firm have designed courses in Bella Vista and all the courses in Hot Springs Village. Twelve of these courses have been ranked in Golf Digest's Top 10 in Arkansas and two were ranked number one.
"I am dizzy with excitement," Clark, 74, said of his ASGA induction. "I spent close to three years in Arkansas with all the courses we designed and built, but I never owned a home there. I am over the moon to receive this honor."
Whittaker, 52, began winning state and national tournaments at the age of 14, including the Arkansas State Junior Championship, the Bruce Jenkins Memorial, the San Antonio Junior Championship and the Texas Games Championship. He won the Arkansas Junior Match Play Championship and reached the third round of the USGA Junior Amateur in Vail, Colo., at the age of 15. Whittaker won the Arkansas High School Overall in 1988 and the state junior championship and match play in 1989 on his way to winning the ASGA Junior Player of the Year title. He later became an NCAA All-American at Wake Forest where he was a four-year letterman.
"Wow, this is totally unexpected," said Whittaker, who lives in Little Rock with his wife and two children. "This means a lot to me."
The ASGA Hall of Fame banquet site and date have yet to be determined.