Ethel Funches facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ethel Funches |
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United Golf Association trophy won by Funches in 1968
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | Ethel Powers Funches |
| Born | August 29, 1913 Owens, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | January 6, 2010 (aged 96) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Residence | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Spouse | Eugene Funches |
| Career | |
| Status | Amateur |
| Major tour wins | 7 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| National Afro-American Golfers Hall of Fame |
1969 |
Ethel Funches (1913–2010) was an amazing amateur golfer. From the 1950s to the 1980s, she won many golf competitions. These included local, regional, and national championships. She won the United Golfers Association National Women's Open seven times. She also won the Wake-Robin Golf Club Championships fourteen times. Overall, she collected over 100 local and regional titles and trophies!
Contents
Early Life and Golf Beginnings
Ethel Funches was born on August 29, 1913, in Owens, South Carolina. In 1932, she moved to Washington, D.C. This was during the Great Depression, a time when many people struggled to find jobs.
After moving, her husband, Eugene Funches, taught her how to play golf. Golf became a fun way for Ethel to meet people and compete. She spent a lot of her free time getting better at the game. During the day, Ethel worked as a cafeteria manager at Dunbar High School. She retired from her job in 1970.
A Golfing Star
Ethel Funches joined the Wake-Robin Golf Club (WRGC) in 1943. This club was started seven years earlier by Helen Webb Harris and 13 other women. It is the oldest golf club for black women in the United States.
At that time, golf courses were often segregated. This meant black and white golfers had to play on separate courses. The Wake-Robin Golf Club members worked hard to change this. Along with their husbands, they convinced the government to create the Langston Golf Course. This was the second golf course in Washington, D.C., that allowed all races to play together.
The Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA) also had rules that stopped African Americans from joining. Because of this, African American golfers created their own group, the United Golf Association (UGA), in the 1920s.
Dominating the UGA Championships
The UGA Championships were very important competitions for black golfers. Winning the UGA National Open Women's Championship was like winning the biggest golf tournaments today. It showed a golfer had amazing talent.
Ethel Funches became the only player to win 7 UGA Championships. This was a huge achievement because the event was held in a different city and on a different course each year. She even won two years in a row, in 1959 and 1960! This proved she was a truly skilled golfer.
Rivalries and Competitors
During her career, Ethel Funches played against many strong golfers. She had a long-standing rivalry with another amateur golfer, Ann Gregory. In 1957, they both played in the UGA National Open Championships in Washington, D.C. Ethel was playing on her home turf and felt confident. However, Ann Gregory won the championship, and Ethel came in second.
Ethel also played against famous tennis champion Althea Gibson in 1961. This was during the quarterfinals of the black women's golf national Championship.
Major Victories
Ethel Funches had many big wins throughout her career.
Wake-Robin Golf Club Championships
She won the Wake-Robin Golf Club Championship 14 times! Here are the years she won:
| 1952 |
| 1953 |
| 1954 |
| 1955 |
| 1957 |
| 1958 |
| 1959 |
| 1961 |
| 1962 |
| 1964 |
| 1969 |
| 1971 |
| 1973 |
| 1978 |
The red and grey colors show years where she won consecutively.
United Golfers Association National Women's Open
The United Golf Association was started in 1928. It was a place for golfers who were not allowed to join the Professional Golfers' Association of America.
When Ethel first played in the UGA National Open Women's Championship in 1955, she came in second place. She was competing against the best women golfers since 1946! In 1957, she again placed second, losing to Ann Gregory. After another loss in 1958, Ethel worked even harder. She finally won her first UGA National Open Women's Championship in 1959.
She proved she was a true champion by winning her second UGA Open in a row in 1960. She won the title back in 1963. Even after losing to other players in 1961 and 1962, she kept going. These losses pushed her to win four more Open Championships between 1967 and 1973. Three of these wins were consecutive!
Ethel Funches holds the record for the most UGA Championship titles. She won 7 in total, more than anyone else in the Men's or Women's Amateur and Men's Professional categories.
Here are the years she won the United Golfers Association National Women's Open:
| 1959 |
| 1960 |
| 1963 |
| 1967 |
| 1968 |
| 1969 |
| 1973 |
Red indicates consecutive wins.
Other Wins
Ethel Funches also won many other championship trophies and titles, including:
- D.C. Recreation Open
- Eastern Golf Association Open
- Pennsylvania State Open
- Howard University "H" Club Tourney
- New Jersey State Open
- Maryland State Open
- Green's Ladies Annual
- Ballentine's 3-Ring Golf Classic
- Rheingold's Tournament of Champions
