Las Vegas teaching pro wins LPGA/USGA spirit award

Las Vegas Golf Club LPGA Class A teaching professional Jennifer Alexander, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force, recently received an LPGA/USGA spirit award from LPGA Tour commissioner Michael Whan.

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.