Ellen Port

Ellen Fuson Port (born September 21, 1961) is an amateur golfer and former golf coach. At United States Golf Association events between 1995 and 2016, Port won the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur four times and the United States Senior Women's Amateur Golf Championship three times. In 2011, she surpassed Carol Semple Thompson for most wins at the Mid-Amateur. From 2012 to 2023, she was tied in first with Meghan Bolger Stasi. With her seven wins, Port is tied for fifth for most career wins by an USGA golfer. As a Curtis Cup golfer, her American team won in 1994 and lost in 1996.

As a coach at John Burroughs School, Port began to teach field hockey and golf in the early 1990s. With the golf teams at John Burroughs, Port was the coach of two teams that won championships held by the Missouri State High School Activities Association. After leaving John Burroughs in 2015, Port continued to teach golf with the women's team at Washington University in St. Louis until 2018. With Washington, Port and her team were tied for tenth at the 2018 NCAA Division III Women's Golf Championships. Port was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

Early life and education

Port was born in North Kansas City, Missouri on September 21, 1961.^[1] During her childhood, Port participated in basketball, swimming and tennis.^[2] While attending North Kansas City High School, Port was the 1979 girls recipient for best competitor in sports for the high school.^[3] For her post-secondary education, Port chose tennis over basketball while attending the University of Missouri.^[4][5] In 1983, Port received a Bachelor of Education from Missouri.^[6] After her studies, Port left North Kansas City to live in St. Louis.^[7]

Career

Amateur events

Port began playing golf in 1986 when she started working for John Burroughs School.^[8] As a member of the Missouri Golf Association, Port won the Amateur Championship nine times between 1992 and 2014. During this time period, Port won the event back to back from 2000 to 2003.^[9] She also was second at the Amateur Championship five times from 1996 to 2013.^[10] At the Senior Amateur Championship, Port won the event in 2020 and 2021.^[11]

For Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association events, Port won the Metropolitan Women's Amateur Championship sixteen times from 1993 to 2018. During this championship, Port was the back-to-back winner from 2000 to 2006.^[12] At the Women's Western Amateur, Port reached the quarterfinals during the 1992, 1993 and 2001 events.^[13] As a Women's Trans National Golf Association player, Port won their Amateur Championship in 1994.^[14] Her win at the 2021 Metropolitan Senior Amateur made Port the first female golfer to ever win the championship event for male golfers.^[15] The following year, Port was the senior winner during the 2022 Women's Amateur Championship held by the Amateur Golf Alliance.^[16]

At the 1992 U.S. Women's Amateur, Port reached the quarterfinals.^[17][18] The following year, she was tied for ninth at the Canadian Women's Amateur.^[19] Port was 53 years old at the 2015 U.S. Women's Amateur and was older than all of the other golfers at that year's event.^[20] At the age of 56, Port was the oldest ever U.S. Women's Amateur golfer in the match play round during the 2018 event.^[18]

Port won the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur in 1995, 1996, 2000 and 2011. She was the runner-up at this event in 2002.^[21] With her 2011 win, she passed Carol Semple Thompson for most wins at the Women's Mid-Amateur.^[22] After Meghan Bolger Stasi won her fourth Mid-Amateur, they remained tied for first between 2012 and 2023.^[23] Competing at the United States Senior Women's Amateur Golf Championship, Port won the 2012, 2013 and 2016 editions while also finishing in second in 2021.^[24] With seven first places at United States Golf Association events, Port is second for most wins won by a female golfer and tied for fifth for most wins by any player.^[25]

In team events, Port was on the American Curtis Cup team that won in 1994 and lost in 1996.^[26][27] Port was also captain of the American team that won the Curtis Cup in 2014.^[28] At the 2021 U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball, Port and Lara Tennant did not qualify for the playoff round.^[29]

Open and senior events

Port received an alternate spot at the 1992 U.S. Women's Open before she withdrew from the event.^[30] As a first-time U.S. Women's Open player, Port was cut during the 1993 U.S. Women's Open.^[31][32] Port was also cut at the 1994 U.S. Women's Open and 1996 U.S. Women's Open.^[33][34] During these years, Port played at several events in the 1994 LPGA Tour season.^[35]

Competing at the U.S. Senior Women's Open, Port first appeared at the 2018 U.S. Senior Women's Open. Her highest finish at the event was 20th place at in 2021.^[36] During that year's Senior Women's Open, Port held the amateur records for the least score during an individual round of golf and after 72 holes.^[37] She was second at the 2024 Canadian Women's Senior Championship.^[38]

Coaching career

While at John Burroughs, Port taught physical education and was a coach for multiple sport teams at the school.^[8] For individual sports, Port was a field hockey coach in early 1990s.^[2] During the late 1990s, Port continued to teach field hockey while also teaching golf.^[3] For her golf experience, Port became a golf coach in 1993 for boys before expanding in 2011 to girls.^[39] At championships held by the Missouri State High School Activities Association, Port won the Class 1A-2A event with the boys team in 1996.^[40] With the girls team, Port won the 2013 Class 1 event.^[41]

In 2015, Port left John Burroughs to coach the women's golf team at the Washington University in St. Louis.^[42] With Washington, Port was named the best Division III coach of the Central Region for the 2016–2017 season by the Women's Golf Coaches Association.^[43] At the 2018 NCAA Division III Women's Golf Championships, Port and her team finished in a tie for tenth place with DePauw University.^[44][45] That year, Port left the Washington golf team.^[46]

Honors and personal life

Port received the Bernice Edlund Award from the Missouri Golf Association in 2011.^[47] In 2012, Port was inducted into the St Louis Sports Hall of Fame and Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.^[48][49] She was additionally inducted into a hall of fame by Missouri Golf Association in 2017.^[50] Port was named Women's Player of the Year multiple times by the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association, with her latest being given in 2021.^[51][52] She is married and has two children.^[53]

References

1. "Meet the Quarterfinalists". United States Golf Association. September 20, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
2. Wheatly, Tom (October 4, 1994). "Port Has No Peer In Her Love of Golf". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 1C.
3. Richman, Howard (July 17, 1998). "Pick your contest". Kansas City Star. p. D-4.
4. Marks, Andy (September 30, 2009). "Ellen Port". Ocala StarBanner. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
5. Young, Jim (January 4, 2022). "A Quick Nine with Ellen Port". AmateurGolf.com. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
6. "Ellen Port". Washington University in St. Louis Athletics. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
7. Goodwin, Shaun (July 11, 2018). "Missouri amateur senior golfer to make history at U.S. Senior Women's Open". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
8. "Ellen Port". St Louis Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
9. "Amateur Championship History". Missouri Golf Association. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
10. "Amateur Champion Runner Up". Missouri Golf Association. Archived from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
11. "Senior Amateur Champion History". Missouri Golf Association. Archived from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
12. "Metropolitan Women's Amateur Champions". Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
13. Cronin, Tim (2024). "Women's Western Amateur Championship Records & Statistics Guide 1901-2023" (PDF). Women's Western Amateur (Eighth ed.). pp. 121, 123, 141. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
14. Williams, Julie (March 9, 2021). "If you plan it, they will come: Ladies National Golf Association creates new event for mid-ams, seniors". Golfweek. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
15. Romine, Brentley (August 26, 2021). "Ellen Port becomes first woman to win Metropolitan Senior Amateur". Golf Channel. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
16. Melia, Sean (May 26, 2022). "Greenlief Hits Home Run in AGA At Texas Rangers Golf Club". AmateurGolf.com. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
17. Mayes, Warren (December 27, 1992). "Port Hopes To Land A Spot On U.S. Curtis Cup Team". St Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 10F.
18. Williams, Jule (August 7, 2018). "Age is Just a Number: Port, 56, Makes Women's Am Match Play". AmateurGolf.com. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
19. "Cdn. Women". The Winnipeg Sun. Canadian Press. August 21, 1993. p. 29.
20. Mayes, Warren (August 12, 2015). "Port misses cut in U.S. Women's Amateur Championship". West Newsmagazine. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
21. "U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur History". United States Golf Association. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
22. Lance, Christina (September 21, 2011). "Port Wins Record Fourth Women's Mid-Amateur". United States Golf Association. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
23. "U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Records". United States Golf Association. September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
24. "U.S. Senior Women's Amateur History". United States Golf Association. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
25. "USGA Superlatives". United States Golf Association. October 11, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
26. "USA Curtis Cup Team All-Time Roster: 1932 to Present". United States Golf Association. August 28, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
27. "Curtis Cup Match History". United States Golf Association. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
28. "US regains Curtis Cup with 13-7 victory". WTOP. June 8, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
29. AmateurGolf.com Staff (April 6, 2021). "2021 U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball qualifying roundup". AmateurGolf. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
30. Montre, Lorraine Kee (June 9, 1993). "Port In Women's District Hunt After Firing Steady Round Of 75". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 2D.
31. Pastin, Bob (July 18, 1993). "Port Rights Game To Win Open Berth". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 11F.
32. Boone, Kevin E. (July 29, 1993). "Port Runs Away With Metropolitan Title". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 6D.
33. "U.S. Women's Open". Tallahassee Democrat. July 24, 1994. p. 2D.
34. "U.S. Women's Open". The Tennessean. June 1, 1996. p. 7C.
35. Wheatly, Tom (September 30, 1994). "Forest Hills Is Port Of Call For St. Louis Amateur". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 5C.
36. "Ellen Port". World Amateur Golf Ranking. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
37. "U.S. Senior Women's Open Records". United States Golf Association. January 5, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
38. Garbutt, Herb (August 29, 2024). "Samuel holds off American's late charge to win third Canadian Women's Senior Championship in Georgetown". Halton Hills Today. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
39. Mickey, Lisa D. (August 9, 2015). "Port Giving it the Old College Try". United States Golf Association. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
40. "Boys Golf State Championships". Missouri State High School Activities Association. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
41. "Girls Golf State Championships". Missouri State High School Activities Association. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
42. O'Neill, Dan (September 23, 2015). "O'Neill: Ellen Port adjusts to new job at Washington U." St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
43. Thompson, Paige (May 10, 2017). "Women's Golf Coaches Association Announces 2016-2017 Division III Award Winners" (Press release). Coral Springs, Florida: Women's Golf Coaches Association. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
44. "Division III Women's Golf Championships Records Book" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2019. p. 2. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
45. "2020-21 Women's Golf Record Book" (PDF). Washington University in St. Louis Athletics. p. 15. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
46. Mayes, Warren (June 25, 2018). "Port steps down as women's golf coach at Washington University". West Newsmagazine. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
47. "Bernice Edlund Award and Life Members". Missouri Golf Association. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
48. "Alphabetical". St Louis Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
49. "Ellen Fuson Port". Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
50. "Hall of Fame". Missouri Golf Association. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
51. Rohe, Curt (October 4, 2019). "2019 Women's Player of the Year – Ellen Port". Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
52. Redmond, Will (October 5, 2021). "Introducing the 2021 MAGA Players of the Year". Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
53. Nelson, Kathleen (August 1, 2000). "Family life puts golf into perspective for Ellen Port". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. C2.