Four locals inducted into Southern Nevada Golf Hall of Fame

Jeff Jensen

Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008 | midnight

Four golfers with longtime ties to Southern Nevada were inducted into the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame, formerly Southern Nevada Golf Hall of Fame, on Oct. 14 at TPC at Summerlin.

Tommy Armour III, Eric Dutt, Louis Redden and Jerry Roberts were inducted into the hall, which celebrates players, administrators, benefactors, groups, instructors, teams, and other worthy golfers who have served the game in Las Vegas.

Armour, a graduate of Bishop Gorman, is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour and has amassed more than $9 million in career earnings.

"To be included in the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame is a great honor that means the world to me," Armour said.

He is grandson of the legendary golfer Silver Scot Tommy Armour and holds the lowest 72-hole stroke play total in PGA Tour history when he shot 254 at the 2003 Valero Texas Open.

Dutt has been part of the Las Vegas golf scene for 45 years as an accomplished player and course operator.

"I feel honored that the committee thinks my playing career, golf course management, and contributions to golf in Las Vegas are worthy of inclusion," Dutt said.

Currently the vice president of golf operations Las Vegas for Harrah's, Dutt won numerous events including the 1976 Nevada State Amateur, the 1993 Nevada State Match Play and the 1994 Las Vegas City Amateur. A graduate of Purdue, Dutt is also the former executive director of the Southern Nevada Golf Association.

Redden was an outstanding amateur player, capturing four Las Vegas City Amateur Championships, two Southern Nevada Amateur Championships and the Clark County Amateur. Redden also qualified for the PGA Tour's 1976 Los Angeles Open and the 1986 Panasonic Pro-Celebrity Classic.

Roberts helped create the Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association and was named Merchandiser of the Year three times by the Southwest Section PGA. He received the PGA of America Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 and was the 2006 Las Vegas Chapter Senior Player of the Year.

"This induction is the crowning achievement of my career," Roberts said. "It is an honor that distinguishes and acknowledges a dedication to golf and my PGA of America profession."

Other members of the hall include: Jerry Belt, Helen Cannon, James Cashman, Jr., Clyde Cobb, James Colbert, Eddie Draper, Brady Exber, Las Vegas Founders, Robert Gamez, Butch Harmon, Ernest Haupt, Richard Huff, Stuart Reid, Chris Riley, Tom Storey, Charlie Teel, C. Pat Walker.

UNLV's golf team, which won the 1998 national title, is also part of the hall.

Jensen’s golf column appears weekly in the News. He can he reached at jjensen72@cox.net.