SHREVEPORT, La. — Meredith Duncan, the 2001 Women’s United States Amateur Golf Champion, has been named the Independence Bowl Foundation’s Sportsperson of the Year, the foundation announced on Tuesday.
Duncan becomes the first female recipient of the award, as well as the youngest recipient in the 26-year history of the Independence Bowl.
“It’s such a huge honor to be recognized by the people of my hometown,” said Duncan. “I hope this raises awareness of women’s athletics to another level, especially women’s golf.”
The LSU senior’s 37-hole victory in the Amateur final moved her to the top spot in the newest GolfWeek/Titleist Women’s Amateur rankings that were released last Thursday.
Duncan, who will begin her final season of golf at LSU in just under four weeks, concluded a summer of Amateur golf rarely seen, first repeating as the champion of the Women’s Western Amateur, then taking the North-South Women’s Amateur at famed Pinehurst No. 2 before taking co-medalist honors and running through the field in the U.S. Amateur match play.
For the summer, Meredith compiled an astounding 20-1 match play record and never trailed through the final 94 holes of the U.S. Women’s Amateur. She also qualified to participate in the LPGA’s Women’s U.S. Open earlier this summer.
Duncan, a two-time All-America selection, played to a stroke average of 74.42 during her junior season at LSU with a season-best finish of fourth in two events. She compiled six top-10 finishes on the year, playing in all 11 events for the Tigers. For the second straight year, Meredith finished in the top-10 at the Southeastern Conference Championship