SUNRIVER, Ore. LSU senior Lisette Lee was named the recipient of the prestigious Diana Shore Award presented by the Ladies Professional Golfers Association late Saturday night at the annual banquet of the National Golf Coaches Association.
The event is held annually at the conclusion of the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championships.
The Kenner native also won the Edith Munson Cup for the top golfer who is on both the scholar-athlete and all-American teams.
Lee was chosen for the Shore award based on her outstanding achievements in golf, academics and community service. As part of the Dinah Shore Trophy Award, The LPGA Foundation and the Friends of Golf combined to give $6,000 in grants to LSU’s women’s golf program in Lee’s name.
Lee received a crystal replica of the actual Diana Shore Trophy (which is permanently kept at the home of the Nabisco Championships in California) from Dr. Betsy Clark, the LPGA’s director of education. The award recognizes a female collegiate golfer who excels in both academics and athletics.
“I wish to thank my Coach (Karen Bahnsen),” Lee told the gathering. “And my parents. This is a very special award and I am very honored.”
To be eligible for the Shore award, a player must have an overall grade point average of 3.2; participate in 50 percent of the team’s scheduled events; maintain a scoring average of 77.00 or less; and demonstrate leadership skills and/or extraordinary community affair work. The award was established in 1994 for the late entertainer who did a tremendous amount to further the LPGA and women’s golf with her own tournament which is now one of the LPGA’s four major championships.
Lee will this week be in Destin, Fla., to receive the 2000 H. Boyd McWhorter Southeastern Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award. That award includes a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship.
Shreveport sophomore Meredith Duncan joined Lee on the honorable mention All-American team announced by the NGCA. It’s Duncan and Lee’s first All-American awards as both golfers finish in the top 25 nationally in the MasterCard national rankings. Duncan also Saturday night received her award for finishing in a tie for seventh in the NCAA Championships, an event LSU finished in 10th in for the second consecutive year.
Rounding out the awards announced, Lee and junior Katy Wilkinson were named to the All-Scholar team of the NGCA.
“What a wonderful night for this golf program,” said LSU Coach Karen Bahnsen, whose team has finished in the top 10 in the national championships each of the last three years. “Lisette deserves all these accomplishments for all she has done for this program the last four years. Meredith has had a spectacular season for us, capped by her performance this week and Katy continues to be honored for her outstanding athletic and academic accomplishments.”