states’ tournaments and for an
overall championship.
“Righties are welcome, but
they have to play left-handed,”
said Stinson of his desire to
avoid excluding any golfers. He
added that players from states other than
Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana will be
unable to enter the three state tournaments,
but that they are welcome to participate in
the overall championship.
Stinson discussed a general decline in golf
tournament participation, but he said that
while Alabama’s numbers have dwindled,
Mississippi’s have slightly increased.
“I was very excited the first year just
to have 12 golfers,” Stinson said. Last
year’s Mississippi Lefties tournament at
Dancing Rabbit Golf Club in Philadelphia,
Mississippi, saw 21 participants and
involvement from four states. Stinson hopes
to garner even higher participation for it
and Southern Southpaw. Of the possibility
of gaining participant numbers into the
70s, Stinson said, “I would relinquish my
role and go on to heaven at that point.”
One of Stinson’s primary goals is
informing people of the existence of this
group and these tournaments so that they
have the ability to participate. “The golfers
that have played in it have been very
complimentary of it,” he said.
His means of informing left-handed
golfers vary, but he said social media comprise
his biggest promotion for the tournaments.
Stinson works part time at his friend’s shop,
Edwin Watts Golf in Ridgeland, and he
takes this as an opportunity to discuss the
lefties group with left-handed customers.
The Professional Golfers’ Association
and the Mississippi Golf Association help
with advertising as well. His full-time job
is director of community services for the
Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency.
Along with his co-host Jon Wiener,