Bill McDonald
Player - amateur
Class of 2025
In the summer of 1964, a 20-year-old Washburn University golfer named Bill McDonald boarded a train to Minneapolis with one golf bag, a simple dream, and a quiet determination. Days later, the Topeka native stunned the field by defeating Dean Wilson Jr. of Omaha, Neb., 5 and 3, to win the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship. It was the first USGA title ever claimed by a golfer from Topeka—and one of the proudest moments in Kansas golf history.
McDonald’s victory helped launch a remarkable amateur career that would span more than six decades. A three-time NAIA All-American and member of Washburn University’s 1966 NAIA National Championship Team, he combined academic and athletic excellence before earning a doctorate in guidance and counseling.
While a senior at Washburn University, McDonald was invited to play in a special exhibition at Topeka Country Club alongside Jack Nicklaus, then a reigning U.S. Open champion; a 16-year-old Tom Watson; and Jean Ashley, the 1965 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion. The moment was a fitting highlight for a young Kansan whose career would become intertwined with the state’s rich golf legacy.
After college, McDonald spent 33 years in education as a guidance counselor and elementary school teacher in the Detroit metro area, all while continuing to compete in amateur golf at the highest levels. His list of accomplishments is long and distinguished: 1981 Michigan Amateur Champion, 2011 Trans-Mississippi Super Senior Match Play Champion, three-time U.S. Senior Challenge Super Senior Champion, five-time Michigan Publinx State Champion, four-time Michigan State Senior Match Play Champion, five-time Topeka Golf Association Senior Stroke Play Champion, and five-time Kansas Golf Super Senior Division Champion.
Over the years, McDonald competed in 15 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championships—qualifying for 14 of them—and two U.S. Senior Amateurs, a testament to his enduring skill and passion for competition.
His excellence on the course has been recognized with induction into numerous halls of fame, including the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, NAIA Hall of Fame, Washburn Athletic Hall of Fame, and Topeka-Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame.
Through it all, Bill McDonald has remained a proud ambassador for Kansas golf.
