DAYTONA BEACH, Florida, May 23, 2011 -- The University of California's Pia Halbig has been selected as the recipient of the 2011 Dinah Shore Trophy Award. Administered by the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) Foundation, the award was presented to Halbig during the annual National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) Division I Women's Collegiate Golf Awards Banquet held at the EndZone Club in College Station, Texas on Saturday night.
The Dinah Shore Trophy Award recognizes a female collegiate golfer who excels in both academics (3.2 on a 4.0 scale) and athletics, while maintaining a 78.00 or less scoring average. The nominees must also demonstrate outstanding leadership skills and community service.
"From the moment Pia stepped on campus at Cal, she embraced every opportunity she had in sport, academics and in the community, engaging in each at the highest level possible," said Nancy McDaniel, the University of California women's golf coach. "Her leadership helped to set a standard for our program and opened the door for her teammates to recognize their potential as both a student and an athlete. She has been a leader in every facet of our program."
Halbig, a native of Maintal, Germany, has balanced an impressive college golf career while maintaining an impeccable community service record. She is a senior at the University of California, and will graduate with honors in Media Studies this spring. A solid performer on and off the golf course, Halbig has maintained a 3.673 grade point average (GPA), while sustaining a 72.9 scoring average this season. A four-time Academic All-American, Halbig became the first Cal women's golfer to be honored as a NGCA All-American and an Academic All-American in the same year in 2010.
As part of the Dinah Shore Trophy Award, the University of California 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.
Entering the final week of the 2011 collegiate golf season, Halbig brings with her a remarkable four-year career as part of the University of California women's golf team. She has earned All-Pac-10 honors for four straight years and is also on pace to break the Cal career low scoring record. Over her career, Halbig has tallied 17 Top 10 finishes and shot a total of 31 rounds under par, not including NCAA appearances, while helping to lead the Cal program from a Top 50 position upon her arrival to a sixth place national ranking in 2011. In her senior season, Halbig has recorded seven Top 10 finishes, including winning the individual title at the Mason Rudolph Invitation with a Cal record score of 203 (-13).
Off the course, Halbig has demonstrated her passion for helping others by getting involved in many community outreach programs during her four years at Cal. Thanks to a program associated with the NCGA Foundation, Halbig worked with a class of fourth graders at Oxford Elementary School in Berkley, Calif. to teach core values through the game of golf. Her leadership skills also led her to take part in the Read Across America Program and the Feed People's Park Project. While at school, Halbig participated in the ODC Toe to Toe Dance Fundraiser, which pitted student-athletes against professional dancers in a variety of athletic competitions and entertaining dance routines. She also was a part of the "Cal Student-Athletes for Life" team at the Cal Relay for Life event, which is a 24-hour fundraiser for cancer research where each team always has a representative on the track, and helped her team to raise more than $5,000.
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: University of Central Florida senior Katie Detlefsen (2010), Duke University grad and LPGA Tour member Amanda Blumenherst (2008, 2009), University of Arkansas alumna and 2011 Kraft Nabisco champion 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 $134,000 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
