Influential Golf Figure 'Little Pro' Eddie Merrins Dies at 91

Merrins, a longtime pro at Bel-Air Country Club and former UCLA coach, was known for his significant contributions to the sport.

Eddie Merrins, known as 'The Little Pro' due to his 5-foot-7 stature, passed away at age 91 after a long illness.
Merrins was a longtime pro at Bel-Air Country Club and had a significant influence on golf, touching everyone from U.S. Open champion Corey Pavin to Fred Astaire and Mikhail Baryshnikov.
He played 82 times on the PGA Tour, qualified for the U.S. Open eight times and the PGA Championship six times, and once held the course record at Medinah.
Merrins was also a coach at UCLA for 14 years, during which the Bruins won an NCAA title in 1988.
He started the 'Friends of Collegiate Golf' in 1979 to support junior golf, which has raised more than $10 million for juniors across the country.