by Bill Wagnon
photos by Fred Faulk

George Bryan, a 1966 Mississippi State business graduate and senior vice president of Sara Lee Corp., congratulates Juli Inkster, the 1999 U.S. Women's Open champion.

A Look Back in Pictures

Mary Capouch, center, chairman of the USGA's Women's Committee, honors George Bryan and his wife, Marcia, for their support of the 54th Women's Open.

When all was said and done, some 100,000 people had passed through the turnstiles at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point. ESPN and NBC had broadcast 14 hours of live television to 75 countries. Nearly 500 representatives of the media from around the world had come and gone. More than $1.5 million in prize money had been distributed. And a crowd favorite, Juli Inkster, owned the most coveted title in women's golf. Mississippi State alumnus George Bryan had brought the 54th U.S. Women's Open Championship to Mississippi, and it was a success of major proportions. Mississippi State University played a major role in the championship by providing student interns, transportation vans, on-campus housing for tournament volunteers, and faculty expertise in such areas as global positioning for grounds keeping, among many other things. University photographer Fred Faulk was on hand to capture the historic event.

Scott Maynard, right, director of the university's Professional Golf Management program, and Jon Crane, center, a 1998 MSU PGM graduate and assistant golf professional at Old Waverly, help a young golf fan in the 6,000 square-foot merchandise tent.

Sandra Harpole, left, a Mississippi State physics professor and volunteer chair of the player registration committee, chats with two of the 150 women golfers who came to Old Waverly.

Spectators surround the 18th green at Old Waverly, the state's No. 1 ranked course founded by Bryan in 1986. More than 100,000 golf fans attended the weeklong Women's Open Championship.