GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The new Davis and Faxon Training Facility at REK was dedicated on Thursday at a Furman University ceremony attended by donors, alumni, current student-athletes and coaches, and friends of the Paladin golf programs.
This 100 percent donor-funded facility, which will be utilized by both the Furman men's and women's golf programs, is named in honor of former Paladin golf greats Cindy Davis and Brad Faxon, who provided lead gifts in the capital campaign.
A three-time All-American selection, Davis was the individual runner-up at the 1983 NCAA Championship where she helped the Paladins to a ninth-place finish, and she went on to finish 12th and lead Furman to a third-place showing at the event as a senior the following season. The 1984 Edna Hartness Furman Female Athlete of the Year, she captured individual medalist honors at the 1983 U.S./Japan Cup and was inducted into the Furman Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011. The former president of Nike Golf, Davis is a member of the Furman Board of Trustees and has served as both vice president of the LPGA and senior vice president of the Golf Channel.
A 1991 inductee into the Furman Athletics Hall of Fame, Faxon won the 1983 Haskins Award, which is given annually to the nation's most outstanding male collegiate golfer. A two-time All-American, he competed on the 1983 Walker Cup Team and received both the 1983 Golf Magazine and NCAA Coaches' Awards as the country's top amateur golfer. Faxon, who turned professional in 1983, captured eight tournament victories on the PGA Tour. He led the PGA Tour in putting average in 1996, 1999, and 2000, when he set the single season record with only 1.704 putts per green in regulation.
"I am so grateful to Cindy and Brad for their leadership and generosity, without which this facility would not be a possibility," said Furman President Elizabeth Davis at the ceremony. "Cindy and Brad exemplify the best of Furman Golf, not only in their storied golf careers, but also in their community involvement and commitment to ensuring the next generation of Furman golfers have all the tools they need for success. It is a powerful testament to the impact of the Furman experience that we have alumni who turn their passion for a program into an investment in its future."
A video showcasing the Davis and Faxon Facility is available at https://youtu.be/e55Yxr5C6UY.
Over $800,000 in donor commitments were secured to fund a two-phase expansion and upgrade to the REK Complex. Phase one included the addition of the new state-of-the art facility, will began in the fall of 2020. The Davis and Faxon Training Facility at REK boasts six hitting stations in three covered bays, an indoor putting studio, a club repair shop, plus a workout area. Graphics and branding that celebrate the Furman golf legacy are prominent in the space, which was designed in collaboration with women's golf alumna Christina Harrell of Jack Porter.
Besides providing an indoor training alternative for the Paladin teams during inclement weather, the Davis and Faxon Training Facility at REK will help Furman continue to attract the nation's top talent and both develop and retain elite golfers. Not only does the facility offer new amenities beyond those in the current facility, it celebrates the legacy and longstanding tradition of Furman golf by honoring Paladin legends such as Dottie Pepper, Beth Daniel, and Betsy King, along with Faxon and Davis.
"The outpouring of support that we receive from Furman alumni and golf alumni alike is incredible and not something that you see at every school," said Furman junior Anna Morgan, who has been invited to compete at the 2022 Augusta National Women's Amateur. "This new facility represents opportunity. We have the opportunity to continue the Furman legacy, the opportunity to continually improve our game, and now the opportunity to recruit even more of the top players in the country."
Phase two of the project included a renovation of the REK Center. Office suites and locker rooms for both programs were renovated, and the building features a new Frank Keener Team Meeting Room, generously gifted by Judy Keener of Nashville, Tenn., which includes study space and a kitchen area for student-athletes and coaches. Graphics and branding from Jack Porter are also prominent in the locker room, team meeting room, lobby, and coaches offices. The reconfigured REK better facilitates coaching, recruiting, and team building.
"The first time I drove through the gates of the REK, I knew something was special about this place, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it," said Paladins senior Jack Crosby. "While we have our great outdoor facility, the new training facility provides a home for both teams to work on their games no matter what weather conditions come our way. I could go on and on about all the different ways we have already utilized the new training facility in just the past couple of months. The Davis and Faxon Facility takes what was an already elite practice facility and elevates it to one of the nation's best practice facilities."
