The Board of Directors of the South Dakota Golf Association is pleased to announce the election of three new members to the South Dakota Golf Hall of Fame. An induction ceremony will be held at the SDGA Annual Banquet at 6 PM on Saturday, September 14 at the South Dakota Golf Hall of Fame, located at the Holiday Inn and Suites at 2040 West Russell Street in Sioux Falls. Those interested in attending can email hof@sdga.org or call 605-740-7085. The three new members being honored are:
Bert Olson, Sioux Falls, SD – Bert grew up in Detroit Lakes, MN and was a standout golfer, winning the City Championship in 1978. He returns to Detroit Lakes almost every year to play in the Pine to Palm tournament, winning the 2022 Super Senior Championship and runner-up in the 2021 Senior Championship. He also qualified for two USGA Mid-Amateur Championships.
Bert and his wife Cindy have won one SDGA Husband-Wife and three SDGA Senior Husband-Wife Championships. He also has seven runner-up finishes in SDGA Championships.
Bert exhibits his deep commitment to the growth and future of the game through contributions to the SDGA Junior Golf Foundation and First Tee — South Dakota, including service on the First Tee Board of Directors from the program’s inception in 2008 through 2022, helping to grow and guide the program.
Chris Long, Presho, SD – Chris was introduced to golf at a young age by his parents and enjoyed playing casually throughout his youth. His competitive golf career began in his late 20s, playing in his first SDGA event in 2001. Chris earned his first Championship title at the 2010 SDGA Amateur, and is still vying for Championships today.
Since that first title, Chris has earned six additional SDGA Championships and ten runner-up finishes. He participated in the USGA Public Links Championship in 2011 and participated in a USA State Team Championship representing South Dakota. He was the 2019 SDGA Male Golfer of the Year and has been a mainstay for the Amateur team at the SoDak Cup.
Beyond his golfing accomplishments, Chris has a lifetime of dedication to mentoring people of all ages in golf, sport, and life as a long-time coach, sports official and school administrator in South Dakota. Chris thanks his parents and family (Wife Shelly, Daughter Mya and Son Cooper) for their continued support of his amateur golf career.
Doug Murphy, Hartford, SD – Doug grew up in Watertown, SD and was a standout multi-sport athlete. In his senior year, he captured the individual title at the SD State High School tournament and propelled his Watertown HS team to the State Championship. He moved on to have great success at Black Hills State University, including an SDIC Conference Individual Championship and invitations to three National Championships.
After living outside the state for 20 years, Doug moved back to South Dakota where he has won six SDGA titles including the 2006 SDGA Pre-Senior Championship and the 2013 SDGA Senior Championship. With his partner Steve Beardsley, they have three SDGA Mid-Am Two-Man Championships and one SDGA Senior Two-Man Championships. Doug has five holes-in-one, including two on par 4’s.
With the addition of these three inductees, there are now 80 members enshrined into the SDGA Hall of Fame, since its inception in 1977. A complete list of members can be found at www.sdga.org.