DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., May 25, 2007 – University of Arkansas’ Stacy Lewis is the 2007 recipient of the Dinah Shore Trophy Award. Lewis received the award, which is administered by The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Foundation, this evening during the annual National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) Women’s Golf Banquet. The banquet was held in conjunction with the 2007 Division I NCAA Women’s Golf Championship at the Plaza Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The award recognizes a female collegiate golfer who excels in both academics and athletics. Lewis’ impressive 3.728 overall grade point average (GPA) exceeds the 3.2 on a 4.0 scale requirement. The recipient must also play in at least 50 percent of her team’s scheduled events and maintain a scoring average of 78.00 or less. Lewis, who will remain at the University of Arkansas for a fifth year to complete her senior year of eligibility, has maintained a 72.78 scoring average this season and earned two victories during the regular season. Amid all of the on-course accolades, Lewis has also dedicated many hours to philanthropic activities off the course.
As part of the Dinah Shore Trophy Award, the University of Arkansas (UA) women’s golf program will receive a $10,000 grant in Lewis’ name. The award and the grant are funded through The LPGA Foundation’s Dinah Shore Scholarship Fund and the Friends of Golf (FOG).
Lewis was a 2007 SEC First Team selection, 2006 Golfweek Amateur of the Year, three-time Southeastern Conference (SEC) Golfer of the Week, 2005 SEC Championship medalist, and 2005 SEC Freshman of the Year. She was also the low amateur at the 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship—the LPGA’s first major of the season—with a tie for fifth. After redshirting her freshman year at UA due to back surgery, Lewis went on to set multiple school records, including: lowest round; lowest tournament score in 36-, 54- and 72-hole events; lowest season and career stroke average; and most rounds in a season. Her skills in the classroom were also recognized as a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and two-time NGCA/W Scholar Athlete Award recipient.
She has shared her talent and love of the game with others as a member of the 2007 SEC Community Service Team and a UA "Champion of Character." Lewis has assisted with golf clinics for the Girl Scouts; the local First Tee program; and at National Girls and Women in Sports Day clinics. She is also active in Sweat Hogs, a program administered by the UA Women’s Athletics Department that promotes physical activity in area youth. During the holiday season, Lewis volunteered serving Thanksgiving dinner to local families in need and also participated in Razorbacks for Christmas, which hosts a play date on campus for local children.
During the banquet, Lewis was presented with a crystal replica of the actual Dinah Shore Trophy from LPGA Vice President of Professional Development Dr. Betsy Clark and LPGA Foundation Executive Director Patricia Browning. 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.
The LPGA Foundation introduced the Dinah Shore Scholarship Fund in March 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. Since then, the Dinah Shore Trophy Award has donated more than $94,000 to women’s collegiate golf programs.
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.
Established in 1991 to complement the charitable activities of the LPGA and its tournaments, the LPGA established The LPGA Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The LPGA Foundation has four main goals: to develop and maintain junior golf programs across the country; to develop and maintain scholarship programs for junior golfers; to maintain a financial assistance fund for those in the golf industry; and to conduct research and develop educational activities related to golf instruction.
Since its inception, The LPGA Foundation has created and supported a number of programs to achieve those objectives through tax-deductible donations from individuals and businesses.
Contact:
Dana Gross-Rhode, LPGA; 386.274.6200, dana.grossrhode@lpga.com
