JAMES CITY COUNTY— Gail Hedgepeth began working in engraving at Colonial Williamsburg in 1978. After earning her journeyman papers, she launched her own engraving business and recently gained national attention when she engraved the Wanamaker Trophy for the PGA Championship.
At Colonial Williamsburg, Hedgepeth worked in the Golden Ball shop, where engravers were based in the Golden Ball kitchen. The kitchen had machine engraving, but also was home to the master and journeyman engravers of the museum.
“The more I got to know the master and the journeyman, the more I fell in love with the art of hand engraving. After a time, they both agreed to teach me,” Hedgepeth said.
Hedgepeth added that the 15-year-journey to earning her papers was easy. Starting at age 17, Hedgepeth said her teacher initially told her she was too old to learn the craft.
“I cried just about every day. I’d go home, I’d get really mad, and then come back the next day to start all over again,” she said.
After 20 years with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Hedgepeth started her own business engraving keepsakes for births and weddings. She has since engraved pieces for former U.S. presidents, church silver displayed at the Vatican and several PGA event trophies.
Tapped by the PGA of America to serve as official trophy engraver, Hedgepeth began working with the trophies in 2009. The Wanamaker Trophy, one of the most recognizable in sports, is engraved on-site at the PGA Championship with the winner’s name. Hedgepeth typically has about 15 minutes to complete the engraving before the victory celebration.
At the 2026 tournament, the last 13 minutes of the event featured Hedgepeth engraving the trophy.
“To be live on TV emulating what is done in England is an honor,” she said. “To attach engraving like it was done in the 18th century, like it is currently done in England, and now to be doing that same thing in the U.S. is the greatest of greatest honors.”