Las Vegas teaching pro wins LPGA/USGA spirit award
March 22, 2017 - 2:00 pm
Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Jennifer Alexander continues to serve after her distinguished military career, but now uses golf to inspire others, most notably young ladies.
Alexander, 65, a Ladies Professional Golf Association Class A teaching professional and Girls Golf site director at Las Vegas Golf Club, recently won the prestigious LPGA/USGA Sandy LaBauve Spirit Award.
The award recognizes an individual who has inspired the lives of junior golfers. Alexander has operated a Girls Golf program for 10 years, six at Las Vegas Golf Club.
“When I first started a Girls Golf program in San Francisco, there were only 2,000 girls in the program nationally,” Alexander said. “Now there are more than 60,000. LPGA Tour commissioner (Michael) Whan has set a goal of 100,000 by 2020. I think I won because of the wonderful letters from the parents. Our motto is changing lives one swing at a time. These girls are the future, and females age 7 to 17 are the fastest growing demographic in golf.”
Parent Cheri Stanton supported Alexander for the award.
“Jennifer draws from her life experience in the military and as a golfer to teach lessons our modern young ladies so desperately need,” Stanton said. “My husband has been deployed several times to Southwest Asia during the time we have been involved in golf. Alexander personally understands the challenges girls go through when their parents are deployed and work long hours.”
Alexander also has helped fellow professionals Kristen Sunderhaft and Shawna Elliott start Girls Golf programs at Legacy and Rhodes Ranch. Information is available at GirlsGolf.org.
GIRLS AMERICA’S CUP
Some of the world’s top female junior golfers will visit Southern Nevada in July for the annual Girls America’s Cup, hosted by the nonprofit Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association. To help raise funds for the event, several local professionals are offering clinics for all ages.
The first clinic is at 2 p.m. April 2 at Wildhorse. Sunderhaft, Kerri Clark and Wildhorse head pro Sarah McGuire will provide instruction.
A second clinic is at 1 p.m. April 9 at Rhodes Ranch. Rhodes Ranch director of instruction Shawna Elliott, PGA teaching pro Nicole Dutt-Roberts and PGA lifetime member Jerry Roberts will provide instruction.
Visit SNJGA.org to register.
DEAL OF THE WEEK
Locals can play Club at Sunrise for as low as $35 and receive a $10 food and beverage credit.
PGA PRO WINNER
RW Eaks from Scottsdale, Arizona, shot 71 at Anthem Country Club to win the National Car Rental Pro-Am. The team of Wynn professional Patrick Duty and amateurs Buzz Kaser, Doug Lee and Monty Kaser won the team title.
$48 MILLION PROGRAM
RivalsCup.com tracks PGA Tour players who played college golf and their earnings to determine which schools are best represented. UNLV golf alumni recently eclipsed $48 million since 2013. The Rebels rank seventh this season with $3,345,249.
DEMO DAY AT PETE DYE PAIUTE
Hit the newest clubs from Callaway, Cobra, TaylorMade, Mizuno, Cleveland, Titleist and Ping from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday during the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort Demo Day Extravaganza. Ping and Titleist will be available Saturday only.
LEGACY CHAMP
Jerry Boyd defeated Tim Hartman 3 and 2 to win the Legacy men’s association match play tournament.
STARS ON, OFF COURSE
— Golf Channel host Bailey Mosier, a 2004 Centennial High School graduate, is now Bailey Mosier Chamblee. She married fellow Golf Channel announcer Brandel Chamblee in a New Year’s ceremony in Phoenix.
— Shintaro Ban recorded the lowest round in UNLV history when he shot 62 on Saturday at the Thunderbird Invitational at Arizona State.
The golf notebook appears each Thursday. Freelance writer Brian Hurlburt is a two-time author who has covered golf in Las Vegas for more than two decades. Story ideas can be sent to bhurlburt5@gmail.com.
CALENDAR
Friday: UNLV PGM Golf-A-Thon, Angel Park
Saturday: Golf Channel Spring Classic, Highland Falls
Saturday, Sunday: Recruit Look Junior North Las Vegas, Aliante
Sunday, Monday: Golf to a Cure Golf Classic, DragonRidge
Wednesday: SNGA Tour, Wildhorse
April 1: Academy of Country Music Lifting Lives Classic, TPC Las Vegas
April 2: SNJGA Benefit Clinic, Wildhorse
April 1, 2: SNGA Sunrise Throwback, Club at Sunrise
April 4: UNLV RAF Scholarship Golf Classic, Southern Highlands
April 5: Women’s SNGA, Desert Willow
April 9: SNJGA Benefit Clinic, Rhodes Ranch
April 10-13: Topgolf Junior Academy
April 11, 12: Recruit Look Boulder City Junior Championship, Boulder City Golf Club
April 15: Golf Channel March on Concord, Revere
April 15, 16: Future Champions Golf Tour, Primm Valley
April 19: UNLV Football Foundation Tournament, Spanish Trail
April 19: Women’s SNGA Black Mountain Invitational, Black Mountain
April 19-22: Derek Jeter Invitational, Shadow Creek
April 20: Nevada Broadcasters Association Tournament, Las Vegas National
April 22: PGA Jr. League Kick-Off, TPC Las Vegas
April 26: National Golf Day, various courses
April 28: SNGA Tour, Desert Willow
May 6: Henderson Police Charity tournament, Legacy
May 6, 7: Southern Nevada Junior Golf Nye Classic, Mountain Falls
May 19: U.S. Golf Classic Qualifier, Royal Links
May 19, 20: Tiger Jam, Shadow Creek
May 20, 21: IMG Junior World Qualifier, Wildhorse
May 20: A Level Playing Field charity tournament, Bear’s Best
June 13: HELP of Southern Nevada Golfer’s Roundup, Cascata
PRO SCHEDULES
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF PGA TOURS
What: WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
When: Wednesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (Golf Channel). Saturday, 7-11 a.m. (Golf Channel), 11 a.m.-3 p.m. (NBC). Sunday, 7-11 a.m. (Golf Channel), noon-4 p.m. (NBC).
Where: Austin Country Club (7,108 yards, par 71), Austin, Texas.
Purse: $9.75 million ($1,660,000 first place).
Defending champion: Jason Day.
Last WGC: Dustin Johnson won the Mexico Championship on March 5.
Next WGC: Bridgestone Invitational, Aug. 3-6.
PGA TOUR
What: Puerto Rico Open.
When: Thursday, Friday, 7:30-10:30 a.m. (Golf Channel). Saturday, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (Golf Channel). Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Where: Coco Beach Golf & CC (7,506 yards, par 72), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
Purse: $3 million ($540,000 first place).
Defending champion: Tony Finau.
Last week: Marc Leishman won the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Next week: Shell Houston Open.
LPGA TOUR
What: Kia Classic.
When: Thursday, Friday, 5:30-7:30 p.m. (Golf Channel). Saturday, 2:30-6 p.m. (Golf Channel). Sunday, 3-6 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Where: Aviara Golf Club (6,593 yards, par 72), Carlsbad, Calif.
Defending champion: Lydia Ko.
Last week: Anna Nordqvist won the Bank of Hope Founders Cup.
Next week: ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
Last week: Tom Lehman won the Tucson Conquistadores Classic.
Next week: Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic.