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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Title IX: A Look Back at Golf
November 03, 2022 | General, Women's Golf
In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Title IX, BGSU athletics is taking a look at the history of women's sports throughout the years. The information in this series was lifted from the book 'Forward Falcons: Women's Sports at Bowling Green State University' written by Janet B. Parks, Ann Bowers, and Adelia Hostetler Muti. Forward Falcons documents and preserves the history of Bowling Green State University women's sports from 1914 through 1982. During these pre-NCAA years, women coached most of the teams, and organizations composed primarily of women set the program standards.
To read the entire book, you can go to:Â https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bgsu_books/3/
This series will also include some of our Heritage Sports and current teams.
Golf
Across many years, a unique feature of the BGSU women's golf program was the rapport that existed between professional golfers and the University physical education faculty, who arranged for the pros to come to BG to engage in a variety of activities. The earliest recorded visit occurred in May 1947, when Betty Hicks, winner of nine major tournaments and vice-president of the Women's Professional Golf Association (WPGA), came to campus.
Four years later, Marilynn Smith, a co-founder of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), came to BG to conduct a clinic at the University golf course. While on campus, she played an exhibition match with Shirley Spork, a BGSU physical education instructor and also a co-founder of the LPGA.
Early in 1941, Jean Drake Hendrickson organized BG's first women's golf club with the purpose of fostering "interest and enjoyment in golf among the women students of the campus." The club was open to women who either had had nine weeks of golf instruction or could pass the "efficiency" test.
In a 1961 tri-match on the Scarlet course in Columbus, a BG foursome prevailed over teams from Ohio State and Ohio University. The medalist was Falcon Lorraine Abbott, who ultimately became a professional golfer.
By the 1970s, Black's team had become very competitive with teams from across the Midwest. In 1972, BG won the team championship at the Ohio Invitational Tournament, with Falcon Sue Barkhurst winning medalist honors. In the fall of 1974, the Falcons dethroned Ohio State to win the Ohio Association of Intercollegiate Sports for Women (OAISW) Tournament on the BGSU course.
Coach Black returned to full-time teaching in 1976, and Sally Hattig assumed the coaching role. The BG linksters began the season with a third place in the Wisconsin Invitational. In 1977-78, Hattig became the coach of the softball team, and Janet Parks began a 4-year stint with the golfers. In her first year, the Falcons placed 2nd at the Central Michigan Invitational, 4th at Cincinnati, and 6th at Purdue.Â
Fall 1980 was a record-setting season for BG. The Falcons came in 2nd in the Longwood (VA) Invitational, where they set school records for 18-, 36-, and 54-hole team scores (BG News, Sept. 21, 1980). Kris McKelvey's score of 73 tied the 18-hole individual record that Shelley Dye had set at the 1979 Indiana Invitational. McKelvey also set individual records for 36-hole and 54-hole totals.
When Parks returned to full-time teaching in 1981, professional golfer A. J. Bonar assumed the coaching responsibilities. The Falcons won the fall 1982 Wolverine Invitational, registering BG's first NCAA D-I victory and defeating Michigan State for only the second time in the history of BGSU women's golf.
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To read the entire book, you can go to:Â https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bgsu_books/3/
This series will also include some of our Heritage Sports and current teams.
Golf
Across many years, a unique feature of the BGSU women's golf program was the rapport that existed between professional golfers and the University physical education faculty, who arranged for the pros to come to BG to engage in a variety of activities. The earliest recorded visit occurred in May 1947, when Betty Hicks, winner of nine major tournaments and vice-president of the Women's Professional Golf Association (WPGA), came to campus.
Four years later, Marilynn Smith, a co-founder of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), came to BG to conduct a clinic at the University golf course. While on campus, she played an exhibition match with Shirley Spork, a BGSU physical education instructor and also a co-founder of the LPGA.
Early in 1941, Jean Drake Hendrickson organized BG's first women's golf club with the purpose of fostering "interest and enjoyment in golf among the women students of the campus." The club was open to women who either had had nine weeks of golf instruction or could pass the "efficiency" test.
In a 1961 tri-match on the Scarlet course in Columbus, a BG foursome prevailed over teams from Ohio State and Ohio University. The medalist was Falcon Lorraine Abbott, who ultimately became a professional golfer.
By the 1970s, Black's team had become very competitive with teams from across the Midwest. In 1972, BG won the team championship at the Ohio Invitational Tournament, with Falcon Sue Barkhurst winning medalist honors. In the fall of 1974, the Falcons dethroned Ohio State to win the Ohio Association of Intercollegiate Sports for Women (OAISW) Tournament on the BGSU course.
Coach Black returned to full-time teaching in 1976, and Sally Hattig assumed the coaching role. The BG linksters began the season with a third place in the Wisconsin Invitational. In 1977-78, Hattig became the coach of the softball team, and Janet Parks began a 4-year stint with the golfers. In her first year, the Falcons placed 2nd at the Central Michigan Invitational, 4th at Cincinnati, and 6th at Purdue.Â
Fall 1980 was a record-setting season for BG. The Falcons came in 2nd in the Longwood (VA) Invitational, where they set school records for 18-, 36-, and 54-hole team scores (BG News, Sept. 21, 1980). Kris McKelvey's score of 73 tied the 18-hole individual record that Shelley Dye had set at the 1979 Indiana Invitational. McKelvey also set individual records for 36-hole and 54-hole totals.
When Parks returned to full-time teaching in 1981, professional golfer A. J. Bonar assumed the coaching responsibilities. The Falcons won the fall 1982 Wolverine Invitational, registering BG's first NCAA D-I victory and defeating Michigan State for only the second time in the history of BGSU women's golf.
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