University of Central Florida's Katie Detlefsen named 2010 Dinah Shore Trophy Award recipient
Collegiate standout honored for her academic, golf and service records
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., May 22, 2010 - The University of Central Florida's (UCF) Katie Detlefsen has been selected as the recipient of the 2010 Dinah Shore Trophy Award. Administered by The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Foundation, the award was presented to Detlefsen last night during the annual National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) Division I Women's Collegiate Golf Awards Banquet held at the Landfall Clubhouse in Wilmington, North Carolina.
The Dinah Shore Trophy Award recognizes a female collegiate golfer who excels in both academics (3.2 on a 4.0 scale) and athletics - playing in at least 50 percent of the team's scheduled events - while maintaining a 78.00 or less scoring average. The nominees must also demonstrate outstanding leadership skills and community service.
Detlefsen has balanced an impressive college golf career while maintaining an impeccable community service record and a 4.0 GPA. She graduated from the UCF undergraduate program in just two years and is currently pursuing her Master's Degree in Mass Communications.
On the course, she had the first five par-or-better rounds of her career this year and two top-10 finishes after having just one during her first two years combined. Her 218 at the FIU/Pat Bradley Invitational in October tied for the fourth-best par-72 54-hole tournament score in school history. She also had a top-20 finish in February's Hurricane Invitational as the Knights claimed their first team title since 2002. She was UCF's top finisher at both the UCF Challenge and the Tiger/Wave Classic. Most recently, Detlefsen was named to the women's golf All-Conference USA third team in a vote of the league's coaches. She was also named to the C-USA All-Academic Team for the second consecutive year.
Service-wise, Detlefsen has participated in a number of Christian activist groups, while also working with children through The First Tee and elementary school programs to help them with both golf and academics. With a special focus on the Orlando community, Detlefsen worked as an unpaid public relations intern under Margaret Stokes at the national headquarters for the nonprofit organization House of Hope: A home for hurting teenagers. She also taught golf to young girls in conjunction with women's sports day at UCF (2009), addressed middle school students in Orlando with other UCF athletes regarding the importance of academics for their futures (2009), and led UCF women's golf in participation in Operation Christmas Child (2007), among other UCF-related charitable endeavors.
As part of the Dinah Shore Trophy Award, UCF's women's golf program will also receive a $10,000 grant. The award and the grant are both funded through The LPGA Foundation's Dinah Shore Scholarship Fund and the Friends of Golf (FOG) organization.
The Dinah Shore Trophy Award is a cooperative effort between The LPGA Foundation, FOG and the Kraft Nabisco Championship - one of the LPGA's four major championships and the largest contributor to the Dinah Shore Scholarship Fund. Past winners of this prestigious award include: Duke University grad and LPGA Tour rookie Amanda Blumenherst (2008, 2009), University of Arkansas alumna and LPGA Tour sophomore Stacy Lewis (2007), and the University of South Carolina's Erica Battle (2006).
The LPGA Foundation introduced the Dinah Shore Scholarship Fund in March of 1994 in honor of the late Dinah Shore, a graduate of Vanderbilt University and an honorary member of the LPGA and LPGA Tour Hall of Fame. Including this year's award, the Dinah Shore Trophy Award has contributed more than $124,000 to women's collegiate golf programs.
About the contributing organizations
Friends of Golf (FOG) is a fundraising organization founded and administered by Eddie Merrins, golf professional emeritus at Bel-Air Country Club in Beverly Hills, Calif. FOG contributes annually to collegiate, high school and junior golf programs throughout the country, and Dinah Shore was considered the "First Lady" of FOG.
A part of the LPGA Tour since 1972, the Kraft Nabisco Championship was designated as a major in 1983. Three-time champion Amy Alcott began a winner's tradition of jumping into the lake at the 18th hole after her victory in 1991. The event was called the Colgate Dinah Shore from 1972-81 and the Nabisco Dinah Shore from 1982-99. Dinah Shore's legacy and heritage is preserved with the "Dinah Shore Walk of Champions" at the 18th hole at Mission Hills Country Club. In addition, a statue of Dinah Shore, serving as the walk's focal point, was created by noted sculptor George Montgomery, who was Shore's former husband. The tournament's trophy is called the Dinah Shore Trophy.
Established in 1991, The LPGA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to empowering and supporting girls and women through developmental and humanitarian golf initiatives. Key funding priorities include: junior golf programs; scholarships and the Dolores Hope LPGA Financial Assistance Initiative for those in the golf industry. The LPGA Foundation is supported by corporate and private donations, foundation grants and contributions from LPGA members. For more information on how to contribute to The LPGA Foundation, please contact LPGA headquarters, 100 International Golf Drive, Daytona Beach, FL 32124, or by phone, 386.274.6200.
Topics: Press Release
