Ellen Port
{{Short description|American amateur golfer (born 1961)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox golfer
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| image = Emma Port 2014 USA Curtis Cup Team at St. Louis CC (cropped).jpg
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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|9|21}}
| birth_place = North Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
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| sporting_nationality = {{USA}}
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| children = 2
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| status = Amateur
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| wusopen = CUT: 1993, 1994, 1996
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| award1 = Missouri Sports Hall of Fame
| year1 = 2012
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Ellen Fuson Port (born September 21, 1961) is an amateur golfer and former golf coach. At United States Golf Association events between 1995 and 2016, Port won the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur four times and the U.S. Senior Women's Amateur three times. She surpassed Carol Semple Thompson with her fourth Mid-Amateur win in 2011. Port and Meghan Bolger Stasi have the most wins at this event since 2012. With her seven titles, Port is tied for fifth for most career wins in USGA events. As a Curtis Cup golfer, her American team won in 1994 and lost in 1996.
As a coach at John Burroughs School, Port began to teach field hockey and golf in the early 1990s. With the golf teams at John Burroughs, Port was the coach of two teams that won championships held by the Missouri State High School Activities Association. After leaving John Burroughs in 2015, Port continued to teach golf with the women's team at Washington University in St. Louis until 2018. With Washington, her team was tied for tenth at the 2018 NCAA Division III Women's Golf Championships. Port was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
Early life and education
Port was born in North Kansas City, Missouri on September 21, 1961.{{cite web |title=Meet the Quarterfinalists |url=https://www.usga.org/championships/2016/u-s--senior-women-s-amateur/articles/meet-the-quarterfinalists.html |publisher=United States Golf Association |access-date=February 18, 2022 |date=September 20, 2016}} During her childhood, Port participated in basketball, swimming and tennis.{{cite news |last1=Wheatly |first1=Tom |title=Port Has No Peer In Her Love of Golf |newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=October 4, 1994 |page=1C}} While attending North Kansas City High School, Port was the 1979 girls recipient for best competitor in sports for the high school.{{cite news |last=Richman |first=Howard |title=Pick your contest |newspaper=Kansas City Star |date=July 17, 1998 |page=D-4}} For her post-secondary education, Port chose tennis over basketball while attending the University of Missouri.{{cite news |last1=Marks |first1=Andy |title=Ellen Port |url=https://www.ocala.com/story/news/2009/09/30/ellen-port/31361902007/ |access-date=February 18, 2022 |newspaper=Ocala StarBanner |date=September 30, 2009}}{{cite web |last=Young |first=Jim |title=A Quick Nine with Ellen Port |url=https://www.amateurgolf.com/golf-tournament-news/28428/A-Quick-Nine-with-Ellen-Port |website=AmateurGolf.com |access-date=February 18, 2022 |date=January 4, 2022}} In 1983, Port received a Bachelor of Education from Missouri.{{cite web |title=Ellen Port |url=https://www.washubears.com/sports/wgolf/coaches/Port?view=bio |publisher=Washington University in St. Louis Athletics |access-date=February 18, 2022}} After her studies, Port left North Kansas City to live in St. Louis.{{cite news |last=Goodwin |first=Shaun |title=Missouri amateur senior golfer to make history at U.S. Senior Women's Open |url=https://www.kansascity.com/sports/golf/article214662915.html |access-date=February 18, 2022 |newspaper=The Kansas City Star |date=July 11, 2018}}
Career
=Amateur events=
Port began playing golf in 1986 when she started working for John Burroughs School.{{cite web |title=Ellen Port |url=https://www.stlshof.com/ellen-port/ |publisher=St Louis Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=November 3, 2021}} As a member of the Missouri Golf Association, Port won the Amateur Championship nine times between 1992 and 2014. During this time period, Port won the event back to back from 2000 to 2003.{{cite web |title=Amateur Championship History |url=https://www.mogolf.org/amateur-championship-history/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211030032130/https://www.mogolf.org/amateur-championship-history/ |archive-date=October 30, 2021 |publisher=Missouri Golf Association |access-date=August 21, 2024}} She also was second at the Amateur Championship five times from 1996 to 2013.{{cite web |title=Amateur Champion Runner Up |url=https://www.mogolf.org/amateur-champion-runner-up/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221223814/https://www.mogolf.org/amateur-champion-runner-up/ |archive-date=February 21, 2022 |publisher=Missouri Golf Association |access-date=August 21, 2024}} At the Senior Amateur Championship, Port won the event in 2020 and 2021.{{cite web |title=Senior Amateur Champion History |url=https://www.mogolf.org/senior-amateur-champion-history/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221222919/https://www.mogolf.org/senior-amateur-champion-history/ |archive-date=February 21, 2022 |publisher=Missouri Golf Association |access-date=August 21, 2024}}
For Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association events, Port won the Women's Amateur Championship sixteen times from 1993 to 2018. During this championship, Port was the back-to-back winner from 2000 to 2006.{{cite web |title=Metropolitan Women's Amateur Champions |url=https://www.metga.org/metropolitan-womens-amateur-champions/ |publisher=Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association |access-date=November 3, 2021}} Her win at the 2021 Metropolitan Senior Amateur made Port the first female golfer to ever win the championship event for male golfers.{{cite web |last=Romine |first=Brentley |title=Ellen Port becomes first woman to win Metropolitan Senior Amateur |url=https://www.golfchannel.com/news/ellen-port-becomes-first-woman-win-metropolitan-senior-amateur |work=Golf Channel |access-date=November 3, 2021 |date=August 26, 2021}} Port reached the quarterfinals during the 1992, 1993 and 2001 editions of the Women's Western Amateur.{{cite web |last=Cronin |first=Tim |title=Women’s Western Amateur Championship Records & Statistics Guide 1901-2023 |url=https://womenswesternamateur.com/images/download/2024/2024_Womens_Western_Amateur_Guide_PDF.pdf |publisher=Women's Western Amateur |edition=Eighth |access-date=August 29, 2024 |pages=121, 123, 141 |date=2024}} Port won the Women's Trans National in 1994.{{cite news |last1=Agostini |first1=Ron |title=No 'quit' in Trans final |work=The Modesto Bee |date=July 17, 1994 |page=C-1}} As the Ladies National Golf Association, Port won their Senior Amateur during 2024.{{cite web |last1=Williams |first1=Julie |title=If you plan it, they will come: Ladies National Golf Association creates new event for mid-ams, seniors |url=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2021/03/09/amateur-golf-ladies-national-golf-association-mid-am-senior/ |magazine=Golfweek |access-date=July 24, 2022 |date=March 9, 2021}}{{cite web |last=MacLeod |first=Ken |title=Port prevails in LNGA Senior at Muskogee; Miller second in Super Senior |url=https://golfoklahoma.org/port-prevails-in-lnga-senior-at-muskogee-miller-second-in-super-senior/ |website=Golf Oklahoma |access-date=May 10, 2025 |date=November 11, 2024}}
At the 1992 U.S. Women's Amateur, Port reached the quarterfinals.{{cite news |last=Mayes |first=Warren |title=Port Hopes To Land A Spot On U.S. Curtis Cup Team |work=St Louis Post-Dispatch |date=December 27, 1992 |page=10F}}{{cite web |last1=Williams |first1=Jule |title=Age is Just a Number: Port, 56, Makes Women's Am Match Play |url=https://www.amateurgolf.com/golf-tournament-news/21561/Age-is-just-a-number--Port--56--makes-Women-s-Am-match-play |website=AmateurGolf.com |access-date=November 3, 2021 |date=August 7, 2018}} The following year, she was tied for ninth at the Canadian Women's Amateur.{{cite news |title=Cdn. Women |newspaper=The Winnipeg Sun |agency=Canadian Press |date=August 21, 1993 |page=29}} At the age of 56, Port was the oldest ever U.S. Women's Amateur golfer in the match play round during the 2018 event.
Port won the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur in 1995, 1996, 2000 and 2011. She was the runner-up at this event in 2002.{{cite web |title=U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur History |url=https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/2014/us-womens-midamateur-champions-21474865073.html |publisher=United States Golf Association |access-date=November 3, 2021}} With her 2011 win, she passed Carol Semple Thompson for most wins at the Women's Mid-Amateur.{{cite web |last=Lance |first=Christina |title=Port Wins Record Fourth Women's Mid-Amateur |url=https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/articles/2011/09/port-wins-record-fourth-womens-midamateur-21474843452.html |publisher=United States Golf Association |access-date=September 10, 2024 |date=September 21, 2011}} She shares the Mid-Amateur lead with Meghan Bolger Stasi since 2012.{{cite web |title=U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Records |url=https://championships.usga.org/uswomensmidamateur/u-s--women-s-mid-amateur-records.html |publisher=United States Golf Association |access-date=September 10, 2024 |date=September 20, 2023}} Competing at the U.S. Senior Women's Amateur, Port won the 2012, 2013 and 2016 editions while also finishing in second in 2021.{{cite web |title=U.S. Senior Women's Amateur History |url=https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/2014/us-senior-womens-amateur-champions-21474864039.html |publisher=United States Golf Association |access-date=November 3, 2021}} With seven first places at United States Golf Association events, Port is second for most wins won by a female golfer and tied for fifth for most wins by any player.{{cite web |title=USGA Superlatives |url=https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/media/online-media-center/usga-records/usga-superlatives.html |publisher=United States Golf Association |access-date=November 3, 2021 |date=October 11, 2021}}
In team events, Port was on the American Curtis Cup team that won in 1994 and lost in 1996.{{cite web |title=USA Curtis Cup Team All-Time Roster: 1932 to Present |url=https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/media/online-media-center/usga-records/usa_curtis-cup-team-all-time-roster--1932-to-present--193-player.html |publisher=United States Golf Association |access-date=November 19, 2021 |date=August 28, 2021}}{{cite web |title=Curtis Cup Match History |url=https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/2018/curtis-cup/curtis-cup-results-1932present-21474862019.html |publisher=United States Golf Association |access-date=November 19, 2021}} Port was also captain of the American team that won the Curtis Cup in 2014.{{cite news |title=US regains Curtis Cup with 13-7 victory |url=https://wtop.com/news/2014/06/us-regains-curtis-cup-with-13-7-victory/ |access-date=November 19, 2021 |work=WTOP |date=June 8, 2014}} At the 2021 U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball, Port and Lara Tennant did not qualify for the playoff round.{{cite web |title=2021 U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball qualifying roundup |url=https://www.amateurgolf.com/golf-tournament-news/27404/FINAL-2021-U-S--Women-s-Amateur-Four-Ball-qualifying-roundup |website=AmateurGolf.com |access-date=July 30, 2022 |date=April 6, 2021}}
=Open and senior events=
Port received an alternate spot at the 1992 U.S. Women's Open before she withdrew from the event.{{cite news |last=Montre |first=Lorraine Kee |title=Port In Women's District Hunt After Firing Steady Round Of 75 |newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=June 9, 1993 |page=2D}} As a first-time U.S. Women's Open player, Port missed the cut during the 1993 U.S. Women's Open.{{cite news |last=Pastin |first=Bob |title=Port Rights Game To Win Open Berth |newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=July 18, 1993 |page=11F}}{{cite news |last=Boone |first=Kevin E. |title=Port Runs Away With Metropolitan Title |newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=July 29, 1993 |page=6D}} Port also missed the cut at the 1994 U.S. Women's Open and 1996 U.S. Women's Open.{{cite news |title=U.S. Women's Open |newspaper=Tallahassee Democrat |date=July 24, 1994 |page=2D}}{{cite news |title=U.S. Women's Open |newspaper=The Tennessean |date=June 1, 1996 |page=7C}}
Competing at the U.S. Senior Women's Open, her highest finish in the event was 20th place during 2021.{{cite web |title=Ellen Port |url=https://www.wagr.com/playerprofile/ellen-port-17417 |publisher=World Amateur Golf Ranking |access-date=November 19, 2021}} At that year's Senior Women's Open, Port held the amateur records for the least score during an individual round of golf and after 72 holes.{{cite web |title=U.S. Senior Women's Open Records |url=https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/media/online-media-center/usga-records/u-s--senior-womens-open-records.html |publisher=United States Golf Association |access-date=July 30, 2022 |date=January 5, 2022}} She was second at the 2024 Canadian Women's Senior Championship.{{cite news |last=Garbutt |first=Herb |title=Samuel holds off American's late charge to win third Canadian Women's Senior Championship in Georgetown |url=https://www.haltonhillstoday.ca/local-news/samuel-holds-off-americans-late-charge-to-win-third-canadian-womens-senior-championship-in-georgetown-9453767 |access-date=September 14, 2024 |newspaper=Halton Hills Today |date=August 29, 2024}}
=Coaching career=
While at John Burroughs, Port taught physical education and was a coach for multiple sport teams at the school. For individual sports, Port was a field hockey coach in early 1990s. During the late 1990s, Port continued to teach field hockey while also teaching golf. For her golf experience, Port became a golf coach in 1993 for boys before expanding in 2011 to girls.{{cite web |last=Mickey |first=Lisa D. |title=Port Giving it the Old College Try |url=https://www.usga.org/articles/2015/08/ellen-port-giving-it-the-old-college-try.html |publisher=United States Golf Association |access-date=February 21, 2022 |date=August 9, 2015}} At championships held by the Missouri State High School Activities Association, Port won the Class 1A-2A event with the boys team in 1996.{{cite web |title=Boys Golf State Championships |url=https://www.mshsaa.org/Activities/StateChampionships.aspx?alg=23 |publisher=Missouri State High School Activities Association |access-date=February 21, 2022}} With the girls team, Port won the 2013 Class 1 event.{{cite web |title=Girls Golf State Championships |url=https://www.mshsaa.org/Activities/StateChampionships.aspx?alg=24 |publisher=Missouri State High School Activities Association |access-date=February 21, 2022}}
In 2015, Port left John Burroughs to coach the women's golf team at the Washington University in St. Louis.{{cite news |last=O'Neill |first=Dan |title=O'Neill: Ellen Port adjusts to new job at Washington U. |url=https://www.stltoday.com/sports/golf/oneill-ellen-port-adjusts-to-new-job-at-washington-u/article_16d8f9ab-adcf-56a6-a7a0-433a22ae4a44.html |access-date=February 18, 2022 |newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=September 23, 2015}} With Washington, Port was named the best Division III coach of the Central Region for the 2016–17 season by the Women's Golf Coaches Association.{{Cite press release |title=Women's Golf Coaches Association Announces 2016-2017 Division III Award Winners |date=May 10, 2017 |publisher=Women's Golf Coaches Association |location=Coral Springs, Florida |url=https://community.wgcagolf.com/honorsawards/new-item/new-item6 |last=Thompson |first=Paige |access-date=February 21, 2022}} At the 2018 NCAA Division III Women's Golf Championships, her team finished in a tie for tenth place with DePauw University.{{cite web |title=Division III Women's Golf Championships Records Book |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/golf_champs_records/2019/D3Women.pdf |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=February 21, 2022 |page=2 |year=2019}}{{cite web |title=2020–21 Women's Golf Record Book |url=https://www.washubears.com/sports/wgolf/2020-21/files/Golf-Womens-Record-Book.pdf |publisher=Washington University in St. Louis Athletics |access-date=February 21, 2022 |page=15}} That year, Port left the Washington golf team.{{cite news |last=Mayes |first=Warren |title=Port steps down as women's golf coach at Washington University |url=https://www.westnewsmagazine.com/sports/port-steps-down-as-women-s-golf-coach-at-washington-university/article_dce95096-7d68-5152-aa83-8dbb315b44c5.html |access-date=February 18, 2022 |work=West Newsmagazine |date=June 25, 2018}}
Honors and personal life
Port received the Bernice Edlund Award from the Missouri Golf Association in 2011.{{cite web |title=Bernice Edlund Award and Life Members |url=https://www.mogolf.org/benice-edlund-award-and-life-members/ |publisher=Missouri Golf Association |access-date=December 27, 2021}} Port won their Senior Women's Player of the Year and Women’s Player of the Year during 2023.{{cite web |title=Missouri Golf Association Announces 2023 Players of the Year! |url=https://www.mogolf.org/2023/11/missouri-golf-association-announces-2023-players-of-the-year/ |publisher=Missouri Golf Association |access-date=January 4, 2025 |date=November 2023}} She was inducted into the St Louis Sports Hall of Fame and Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.{{cite web |title=Alphabetical |url=https://www.stlshof.com/alphabetical/ |publisher=St Louis Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=November 3, 2021}}{{cite web |title=Ellen Fuson Port |url=https://mosportshalloffame.com/inductees/ellen-fuson-port/ |publisher=Missouri Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=November 3, 2021}} She was additionally inducted into a hall of fame by Missouri Golf Association in 2017.{{cite web |title=Hall of Fame |url=https://www.mogolf.org/about/hall-of-fame/ |publisher=Missouri Golf Association |access-date=March 12, 2022}} Port was named Women's Player of the Year multiple times by the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association, with her latest being given in 2021.{{cite web |last=Rohe |first=Curt |title=2019 Women's Player of the Year – Ellen Port |url=https://www.metga.org/2019/10/04/2019-womens-player-of-the-year-ellen-port/ |publisher=Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association |access-date=February 22, 2022 |date=October 4, 2019}}{{cite web |last=Redmond |first=Will |title=Introducing the 2021 MAGA Players of the Year |url=https://www.metga.org/2021/10/05/introducing-the-2021-maga-players-of-the-year/ |publisher=Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association |access-date=February 22, 2022 |date=October 5, 2021}} She is married and has two children.{{cite news |last=Nelson |first=Kathleen |title=Family life puts golf into perspective for Ellen Port |newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=August 1, 2000 |page=C2}}
References
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Category:American female golfers
Category:American field hockey coaches
Category:Washington University Bears coaches
Category:Missouri Tigers women's tennis players
Category:People from North Kansas City, Missouri
Category:Sportspeople from Clay County, Missouri