 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Women's Golf
Meghan Bolger is in her sixth season as head coach of the Ole Miss women's golf program after being named to the post July 2, 2001. Bolger served as an assistant coach for one season before being elevated to her current position. The promotion made her the youngest Division I head coach in any sport at the age of 23.
"Meghan has developed into one of the top young coaches in the country," Ole Miss senior women's administrator Lynnette Johnson says. "In just four years as a head coach, she has elevated our women's golf program to a totally new level. Improvement also brings about high expectations and now Meghan is charged with the task of keeping her team at that high level. With her leadership and the solid student-athletes we have, I think we have a chance to be one of the top teams in the Southeastern Conference.
"We are also pleased with the recruits Meghan continues to bring in. She finds a way to get all she can out of the individuals on her team. From an athletic standpoint, I think recruits choose to attend Ole Miss because they know Meghan will find a way for them to reach their potential."
The Lady Rebels have made two NCAA Tournament appearances (2003 and 2004) in Bolger's four seasons as head coach. In addition, she coached Laura Evans to a 22nd-place finish (74-72-74--220) at the 2003 NCAA East Regional. The individual effort ranks as the best NCAA Tournament finish in school history.
Bolger led Ole Miss to several team accomplishments in 2003-04. The Lady Rebels registered six top-five team finishes on the campaign and won the Waterlefe Invitational title, March 15-16. The squad also posted a 92-57-1 record (.617 winning pct.), which was the best in three seasons under Bolger.
On Oct. 14, 2001, in just her second tournament as a collegiate head coach, Bolger directed the Lady Rebels to the Beacon Woods Invitational title. Ole Miss wrapped up the three-day affair with a 297-302-286--885, which marked the lowest three-round total in school history. The third-round score also shattered the existing school standard.
Bolger has helped prepare some student-athletes for the professional tour, while guiding several others to a variety of individual honors.
Bernadette Luse, a four-year letterwinner from 2000-2003, is in the midst of her second full season on the LPGA Tour. One of nation's rising stars, Luse also competed in the 2004 U.S. Women's Open in South Hadley, Mass., and 2003 U.S. Women's Amateur in Gladwyne, Pa.
In 2003-04, Sarah Kate Cousart and Katie Davidson were both named Academic All-Americans by the National Golf Coaches Association. In Bolger's first season at the helm, Elizabeth Hoffman became the first Ole Miss student-athlete (in any sport) to earn academic distinction from Phi Beta Kappa, which is regarded as the nation's oldest and most prestigious undergraduate honors organization. Hoffman and Teesha Ash also garnered NGCA Academic All-America accolades.
Bolger came to Ole Miss after graduating from Tulane University in May 2000. She earned a bachelor's degree in Media Arts with a minor in Business, while earning four letters as a member of the Green Wave golf program. A three-time All-Conference USA selection, Bolger finished 26th at the 2000 NCAA East Regional in Columbus, Ohio. She recorded a total of six top-10 and 11 top-25 efforts during her collegiate career.
Six years after completing her college eligibility, Bolger continues to play competitively in tournaments across the nation. She has earned the respect of her opponents by displaying a near-perfect mix of ability, mental toughness and dedication to the sport.
In July 2005, Bolger captured her record seventh-straight Philadelphia Amateur title. In over 100 years of the tournament, Bolger is the only woman to win more than four consecutive times. Minutes after defeating Alexandra Frazier in the 2004 match-play championship, the runner up had nothing but praise for Bolger and her demeanor.
"Meghan plays like a professional," Frazier told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "There is nobody in the area who can play with her. As long as she keeps coming back, she will win this tournament."
Bolger has qualified for the U.S. Women's Amateur on three occasions (2000, 2001 and 2004). The 2004 edition produced heartbreaking results for Bolger, who was just one stroke from advancing to match play against some of the world's top competition.
Most recently, Bolger finished tied for 14th at the Dixie Amateur in December 2005. Bolger shot a 77-76-79-72 at the tournament held at the Palm Aire Country Club in Pompano Beach, Fla.
The Haddonfield, N.J., native has also participated in the North/South Championships in Pinehurst, N.C., six of the last seven years. In the 2005 edition of the tournament, Bolger lost to Morgan Pressel in 20 holes in the semifinal match.
Bolger was inducted into the Eastern High School (Voorhees, N.J.) Athletic Hall of Fame in October 2003,
She is the daughter of Mike and Linda Bolger and the oldest of five children -- Rusty (24), Tracy (21), Billy (17) and Tara (12). Her father was a Division I baseball player at Xavier, while her mother competed in both basketball and track at West Chester (Pa.) University.
|
|||||||||||||||
|
See the Women's Golf Headlines |