2026 CLASS of the VIRGINIA GOLF HALL OF FAME
Career Highlights
• Won State Open of Virginia three consecutive years( 2012 – 14) and added a fourth title in 2016 in a playoff. In 2024, he shot a final-round 62 to reach a playoff against eventual winner Logan Reilly.
• Won back-to-back VSGA Amateur titles( 2003 – 04); one of eight players to win both the State Open and VSGA Amateur.
JAY WOODSON
J ay Woodson and Gib Palmer go way back— Woodson has given Palmer and his sons golf lessons for years. So, when Palmer called, Woodson wasn’ t expecting anything out of the ordinary.
“ He called, and I said,‘ Hey Gib,’ and he repeated,‘ Hello Jay, this is Gib Palmer with the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame.’ My first reaction was,‘ Why is he making this so formal?’” he recalled.“ Then it hit me— the only reason he would say with the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame was because there was a chance I’ m getting the nod and getting inducted.
“ It’ s one of those things you don’ t expect, but when it happens, memories come back, and it hits you all at once,” he said.“ I’ m very excited, very humbled.” One of those memories was his State Open run from 2012 to 2016.“ There were five Opens during that time, and I only lost to one person and that guy is PGA Tour winner Lanto Griffin,” Woodson said.“ Four first-place finishes and a runner-up, that’ s not a bad little stretch … I never got full status on the PGA Tour, but I worked my tail off and had something to show for it.”
• James Madison University’ s 2004 CAA Player of the Year, 3-time All-CAA honoree, and 2022 JMU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee; two-time Scholar-Athlete of the Year( 2000, 2004).
• Competed on the Golf Channel’ s“ Big Break Mexico” reality show in 2013 and won the $ 300,000 grand prize from“ Big Break Invitational” in 2014.
Career Highlights
NED BABER
• Won the VSGA Amateur( 1960) in a tournament-record 39 holes; two VSGA Four-Balls( 1968 – 69) with Vinny Giles; two VSGA Super Senior Amateurs( 2010, 2017); and a VSGA Grand Masters( 2007).
• Won the Valentine Invitational( 1964); the inaugural Fox Puss Invitational( 1972); and 10 club championships at
W hen Ned Baber’ s son, Miller, told his father he was going to nominate him for the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame, Ned“ shrugged his shoulders and he was like,‘ All right, well, thank you.’ He was just a humble guy,” Miller recalled.
Ned died in April 2024 at the age of 87, but the man known by some in Roanoke golf circles as the“ godfather of golf in Roanoke” or“ a legend” will be inducted into the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame posthumously in October.
“ He is going to be listed in the Hall with some of the other greats from Virginia,” Miller said.“ I think he would be very honored.”
The titles“ godfather” and“ legend” fit Baber well. According to Miller, his father spent 40 percent of his time giving back to the game mostly through the Roanoke Valley Hall of Fame, the Scott Robertson Memorial Junior Tournament, and the First Tee. He spent the other 60 percent playing, competing, and enjoying the game.
“ He got as much enjoyment out of seeing the kids that got scholarships and got awards and went on to being successful in life,” Miller said.“ He got as much enjoyment out of that as he did winning lots of championships himself.”
Roanoke CC. Qualified for one U. S. Amateur and two U. S. Senior Amateurs.
• Co-founded and served as executive director of the Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame.
• Devoted supporter of the Scott Robertson Memorial Junior Tournament; honored through an annual scholarship in his name.
VSGA ARCHIVES( 2)
30 V IRGINIA G OLFER | S EPTEMBER / O CTOBER 2026 vsga. org