Former James Madison University men’s golfer Jay Woodson was named one of four inductees to the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame Class of 2026, the organization announced on June 2. Woodson becomes the first Duke to earn a place in the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame.
Woodson, who was inducted into the JMU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022, had a decorated collegiate career. He was named Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year in 2004 and was part of both the NCAA East Regional Team and selected as JMU Male Scholar Athlete of the Year that same year. During his time at James Madison, he earned All-CAA and All-State honors twice each.
Woodson’s achievements include being named to the CAA 25th Anniversary team, which recognized top men’s golfers from the league’s first quarter-century. He also won back-to-back Virginia State Amateur Championships in 2002 and 2003.
After graduating from James Madison, Woodson turned professional and captured three consecutive Virginia State Open Championships from 2012 through 2014 before winning again in 2016. With these victories, he became just the seventh player to win both amateur and open championships in Virginia. He has competed in two PGA Tour events and spent parts of his professional career on NGA, Web.com, and Canadian tours.
Although mostly retired from regular competition now, Woodson continues to participate in select events such as the State Open of Virginia; he finished runner-up as recently as 2024 after shooting a final-round score of 62 to reach a playoff against Logan Reilly.
The induction ceremony for this year’s class will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at The Omni Homestead Resort. Other inductees include Ned Baber, Lauren Coughlin, and Dr. Bob Rotella. Steve Sands from NBC/Golf Channel will serve as emcee for the event.
