hey may no longer be Wisconsin res-
idents, but Syd Wells of Menominee,
Wells is the 14th woman to be inducted
into the Hall, and she is grateful to have
had the pleasure of playing with several of
them over the course of her career. “I’ve
gotten to play with Mary Fossum, who
was also my coach at Michigan State Uni-
versity; Joyce Malison, who just stopped
competing a few years ago; and Katie
Falk, who is still competing and holding
her own quite nicely. I feel very honored
to be included in such a prestigious group
to say the least,” said Wells.
Wells received the news of her induction
from longtime friend Joe Stadler, executive
director of Wisconsin PGA, who wanted
to have a little fun with her before giving
her the good news. “You didn’t get in,”
Stadler initially told her. “Living in Michigan,
you’re on the wrong side of the river
again.”
“I was kind of speechless because he
was going on and on about how I lived in
Michigan and it wasn’t going to happen,”
T
said Wells.
A native of Marinette, Wells was intro-
duced to the game by her parents and re-
members spending summer nights out on
the course as a family. “We’d go play golf,
and then we’d go have dinner and they
would have a couple cocktails and say,
‘Go putt on the putting green.’ You’d
think I’d be a better putter for all the
hours I spent on the putting green.”
Wells played college golf at Michigan
State University and was All-Big Ten in
1981-83, was a second team All-American
in 1983 and was named MSU's top athlete
in women's golf for the 1982-92 span.
After college, Wells competed as a pro
during the mid-1980s on various develop-
mental tours. Despite not being a Wiscon-
sin resident, Wells was reinstated as an
amateur in the late 1990s because her
course, Riverside GC in Menomonie,
Mich., is a WSGA member course. “Al-
though technically we’re in Michigan, they
let us play in Wisconsin tournaments,”
said Wells. “I’m just very happy and thank-
ful that Wisconsin recognizes us and the
WPGA does the same thing. They include
parts of the peninsula into their section.”
Since her reinstatement, Wells has been
a force to be reckoned with on the tourna-
“
I feel
very honored
to be
included in such a
prestigious
group
to say the least.
”
– SYD WELLS
ment scene. She was Wisconsin Women’s
State Golf Association player of the year
four times (2004, ’06, ’07, ’ 10), won the
Wisconsin State Women’s Open in 2004,
won the WWSGA Match Play title twice
(2004, ’06) and the Women’s State Stroke
Play on four occasions (2002, ’03, ’04, ’07).
Wells was also WSGA Mid-Am champion
in 2010 and 2011.
Of her many accomplishments, one in
particular stands out. “There have been
some really good battles over the years at
the state level, so being named Player of
the Year four times is pretty special,” said
Wells. “It just goes to show how consis-
tent you are in state events.”
Besides still competing, Wells is also
president of the WWSGA, trying to create
more awareness and involvement among
women golfers. “A lot of people just don’t
know that the WWSGA offers these
events. They either don’t know about us
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