Aug. 1, 2011
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State athletic director Jim Sterk announced the hiring Monday of Leslie Spalding as head women's golf coach. Spalding played on the LPGA Tour for 10 years, and most recently was the head coach at Montana State for the last four seasons.
"We are delighted for Leslie to be our next women's golf coach," Sterk said. "Her success on the LPGA Tour will benefit the current squad immediately. Her personality and approach to the game will also attract potential student-athletes as we continue to build this program on the national level."
Spalding played on the LPGA Tour from 1996 to 2005, competing in 215 events and earning more than $600,000 in prize money. She recorded seven top-10 finishes, including a career-best third-place showing at the 2001 ShopRite LPGA Classic, when she carded a career-low 64 in the final round. The Billings, Mont., native also tallied back-to-back top-10 performances in 2002 at the LPGA Corning Classic and the Kellogg-Keebler Classic, and came in sixth at the 2000 LPGA Corning Classic and the 1998 Weetabix Women's British Open.
"This is a dream opportunity for me to be named head women's golf coach at San Diego State," Spalding said. "I'm looking forward to helping the team to improve and to reach their true potential. We will continue to compete on the national scale and my mission will be to develop a complete student-athlete who excels on the golf course, in the classroom and in the community."
Spalding began her professional playing career in 1992, competing on both the Futures and Gold Coast Tours before earning exempt status for the LPGA Tour for the first time in 1996.
Spalding was named the head women's golf coach at Montana State University in Bozeman, Mont., in the fall of 2007. On the course, she helped Kelly Gillum capture the 2008-09 Big Sky Conference Player-of-the-Year award, becoming just the second women's golfer in school history to do so. Off the course, Spalding helped raise over $100,000 to support the golf program and created the team's 19th Hole Booster Club.
As a collegian, Spalding attended the University of Alabama on a golf scholarship from 1987 to 1991. She won a pair of tournaments for the Crimson Tide, the 1990 Neva McCall/Alabama Intercollegiate and the 1991 Women's Southern Intercollegiate, before earning her bachelor's degree in telecommunication/film with a minor in marketing in 1992.
Spalding prepped at Billings Senior High School, where she won the 1986-87 girls' state title. She also captured consecutive Montana state women's amateur championships in both 1991 and 1992.
Spalding has been a PGA Member since 1995, and worked as a teaching professional at Yegen Golf Club in Billings, Mont., from 2006-07. She has extensive experience in fund raising and marketing, having played regularly in charity Pro-Am events as a LPGA Tour player and independent contractor, and secured a sponsorship with Heinz Foods Service as a tour player.
The Leslie Spalding File
Birthdate: February 22, 1969
Hometown: Billings, Mont.
High School: Billings Senior High School
Alma Mater: Alabama, 1992
Collegiate Playing Career: Alabama, 1987-91
Collegiate Coaching Experience:
2007-11 - Montana State University - Women's Head Coach
Professional Playing Experience:
1996-2005 - LPGA Tour
Athletic Achievements:�� 1986-87 Montana State Class AA High School Champion�� 1990 Neva McCall/Alabama Intercollegiate Champion�� 1991 Women's Southern Intercollegiate (WSIC) Champion�� 1991, 1992 Montana State Women's Amateur Champion�� Competed in 215 LPGA Tour events from 1996-2005�� Seven top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour�� Tied for sixth place at the 1998 Weetabix Women's British Open�� Ninth place at the 1999 Chick-fil-A Charity Championship�� Sixth place at the 2000 LPGA Corning Classic�� Tied for third place at the 2001 ShopRite LPGA Classic�� Back-to-back top-10 finishes at the 2002 LPGA Corning Classic (tied-9th) and Kellogg-Keebler Classic (tied-7th)