Greg Zeller speaks during his Jackson Hall of Fame induction on Sunday at Ella Sharp Park Golf Course. Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.
By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports
Sometimes those who wait will be rewarded.
That happened Sunday for Jackson area golfer Greg Zeller.
Zeller was inducted into the Jackson Golf Hall of Fame during a ceremony at Ella Sharp Park Golf Course Sunday after noon.
He has won 23 local tournaments, all after the age of 40.
“I didn’t play in any tournament at a younger age because I was working at Commonwealth and then teaching,” Zeller said before the ceremony. “I got a late start.”
Zeller played high school golf and basketball at East Jackson and then Greenville University.
“Greg’s success came later than most,” Hall of Fame chairman Gary Kalahar said in a press release when Zeller was announced as the inductee earlier in the summer. “But once he started winning, he has consistently remained among the city’s top competitors. His record over the last 20 years puts him in the top echelon of those who have played the game here.”
He has won a record-tying six Tournament of Champions titles and lost in the playoffs in two others. Zeller has won three County Open titles and finished in the top five an additional 11 times. He has also finished in the top 10 in the County Open 13 of the last 14 years.
The only major local title to elude him is the Jackson Masters, where he tied for second in 2010 among his nine top-10 finishes.
Zeller said to see his names along with the other hall of fame members is humbling.
“It has been a good run,” Zeller said.