Latshaw wins USGA Green Section Award

A quarter of a century after wrapping up his legendary run on turf, Paul R. Latshaw will receive the USGA’s 2026 Green Section Award.

Latshaw helped redefine championship golf course preparation and set new standards for the superintendent profession. One of the more accomplished figures in golf course maintenance history, Latshaw is the only superintendent to have hosted all three U.S. men’s majors, overseeing two U.S. Opens, four Masters Tournaments and a PGA Championship during a career that spanned from 1964 to 2001. His leadership shaped some of the game’s iconic venues, including Oakmont Country Club, Augusta National Golf Club, Winged Foot Golf Club, Congressional Country Club and The Riviera Country Club. 

Beyond championships, Latshaw’s influence is measured by the people and practices he helped develop. A respected mentor, more than 100 former members of his staff have gone on to become superintendents, turfgrass scientists and industry leaders. He has played a key role in advancing modern course maintenance practices, including innovations in putting green performance, environmental management and bunker construction that remain widely used today. A 58-year GCSAA member, Latshaw continues to impact the profession through mentorship, consulting and a lifelong commitment to excellence in turfgrass management. 

“This recognition means a great deal to me,” Latshaw said. “Turfgrass work is often behind the scenes, but it plays a critical role in the golfer’s experience and the long-term health of the game. I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with superintendents, researchers and industry partners who are passionate about improving how we care for golf courses, and the USGA’s recognition of our work means the world.”

The USGA will also recognize Jerry Lemieux, a 19-year USGA Committee member, with the Joe Dey Award for exemplary volunteer service and leadership within the game, and writer and historian Stephen Proctor with the Herbert Warren Wind Award for outstanding contributions to golf literature that broaden public interest in and knowledge of the game.

One of the organization’s more respected rules officials, Lemieux has worked at premier championships including U.S. Opens and the Walker Cup, while serving as a trusted mentor to new volunteers. Known for his exceptional reliability and responsiveness, Lemieux is always willing to step in when needed and can be counted on to support the USGA and its championships at the highest level. 

Beyond championship play, he is the most active Rules Queue Volunteer, resolving thousands of golfer inquiries and providing daily support to the Rules team. A past president of the Northern Ohio Golf Association, he led the successful merger with the Toledo District Golf Association and is a member of Inverness Club, where he will also serve as general chair of the 2027 U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally. 

“I’m humbled to receive this year’s Joe Dey Award,” said Lemieux. “The opportunity to work with the amazing rules and championships staff at the USGA has been a privilege and a pleasure. It’s an honor to support the USGA and its deep commitment to the game, its traditions and its future.” 

Proctor is a golf writer and historian who, in addition to his new book, Matchless: Joyce Wethered, Glenna Collett and the Rise of Women’s Golf, has written several books on early golf history, including Monarch of the Green (2021) and The Long Golden Afternoon (2022). He previously worked as an editor at the Baltimore Sun, The San Francisco Chronicle and The Houston Chronicle, and has spent the past decade studying the history of the game. 

In Matchless, Proctor explores the historic rivalry between English golfer Joyce Wethered and American golfer Glenna Collett. Through extensive research and vivid storytelling, Proctor details how Wethered’s and Collett’s exceptional skill and international rivalry brought unprecedented attention to women’s golf, helping elevate the game during its formative years. Readers are taken on a journey from their first meeting at Troon in 1925 to their remarkable match at St. Andrews, set against the broader historical context of the era. The book offers a glimpse into an often-forgotten chapter of golf history, illustrating how Wethered and Collett paved the way for the emergence of women’s professional golf tours and shaped the broader perceptions of the women’s game.

Proctor’s book will be on display at the USGA Golf Museum and Library in Liberty Corner, N.J., home to the world’s largest collection of golf books and periodicals, with more than 100,000 individual volumes. 

“I am deeply honored to be given an award named for one of my literary idols, but it is especially gratifying to receive this recognition for Matchless, as so few stories have been written about heroines of the women’s game,” Proctor said. “Joyce Wethered, Glenna Collett and the women upon whose shoulders they stood deserve to be celebrated as long as golf is played, and I hope this book and this award contribute to preserving the memory of their trailblazing accomplishments.”

Latshaw, Lemieux and Proctor will be formally recognized at the USGA’s Annual Awards Dinner in New York City, on Feb. 28, during the organization’s Annual Meeting. Ellen Port, announced last month as the 2026 Bob Jones Award recipient, will also be recognized.  

“This year, we are honored to recognize three outstanding individuals whose influence on the game is felt in many ways,” USGA CEO Mike Whan said. “Through their service and expertise, each award winner has made a lasting impact on golf, reflecting the very values these awards were created to honor.”