The Virginia State Golf Association mourns the passing of Bill Millsaps, a Virginia Golf Hall of Famer, Red Smith Award Winner, and past member of the Virginia State Golf Association’s Board of Directors. Millsaps died Friday evening at his home at the age of 77.
Millsaps was one of the most honored voices in Virginia media. He began his newspaper career at the Knoxville Journal after studying at the University of Tennessee. He came to the Richmond Times-Dispatch in September 1969, was named associate sports editor in 1972 and executive sports editor in 1973.
Millsaps was the first managing editor after The Richmond News Leader and Times-Dispatch merged in 1992. He was promoted to vice president and executive editor in 1994. The Times-Dispatch received the Virginia Press Association’s top honor—the W.S. Copeland Award for public service and journalistic integrity—four times during Millsaps’ 11-year tenure as executive editor. Millsaps was honored 11 times as the Virginia Sportswriter of the Year by state members of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters.
Millsaps was one of Virginia’s leading voices in golf coverage, having covered 15 Masters, 13 U.S. Opens, two Open Championships, two U.S. Amateurs and one Ryder Cup. A former president of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and The Associated Press Sports Editors, Millsaps was also a contributing writer to Sports Illustrated and the U.S. Golf Association Journal.
Millsaps earned sports writing’s highest honor in 2011 when the APSE presented him with the Red Smith Award, given yearly to a person who has made major contributions to sports journalism.
Millsaps was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. A member of the selection committee for the inaugural Virginia Golf Hall of Fame class, Millsaps was himself inducted into the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame in 2019.
Millsaps was a member of the VSGA’s Board of Directors from 2007-18 and was chairman of the Virginia Golfer magazine editorial committee.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Click here for Millsaps’ obituary in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.