Abby Pearson, a long-time professional golfer and coach, is entering her first season as an assistant coach for Denise St. Pierre and the Penn State women[apos]s golf team. She was added to the staff in summer 2011.
A Florence, S.C., native, Pearson comes to Penn State after serving as an assistant coach for Ball State (2000-03) and Western Michigan (2003-05), as well as playing golf professionally and at the collegiate level.
[quote]I am confident that Coach Pearson will bring much to our team and help each of our golfers in their pursuits both on and off the golf course,[quote] said St. Pierre, who will enter her 20th season as head coach in 2011-12. [quote]Coach Pearson was a top collegiate player at the University of Tennessee, as well a professional player for (eight) years. Her experiences and knowledge of what it takes to be a champion bring much value to our team.[quote]
Most recently, Pearson served as a golf consultant, helping to set up numerous charity golf events as well as serving as the tournament director for the Teva/Duramed Championship in the LPGA Futures Tour. Before that, from 2006-09, Pearson took on the duties of the marketing manager for Duramed Pharmaceuticals, sponsoring many golf events.
From 1992-94, Pearson played collegiate golf at Tennessee, where she was a member of the team that helped launch the women[apos]s golf program at the university. She became the program[apos]s first-ever women[apos]s golf All-American when she was named to the second-team in 1993. Also in that season, Pearson was named Co-SEC Freshman of the Year.
As a professional golfer, Pearson joined the Future[apos]s Tour in 1995 after just two years in college. In her professional career, she had three tournament victories. In 1997, she won the Gulf Telephone Future[apos]s Classic and, in 1998, she won both the Pacific Bell Future[apos]s Classic and the MedHealth Wellness Centers Future[apos]s Classic. She also competed in the 2003 U.S. Women[apos]s Open Championship and recorded 22 top-10 finishes during her eight-year professional career.
In 2000, she returned to school and attended Ball State to earn her bachelor[apos]s degree in communication studies. She stayed there until 2003, serving as an assistant coach to the Ball State program while finishing up her schooling. Following her stint at Ball State, Pearson was a member of the Western Michigan coaching staff from 2003-05, where she assisted with every aspect of the program.
While still in high school, she recorded two South Carolina Girls[apos] State Amateur Championships (1990, 1992). In 2011, she became a TPI Certified Golf Instructor.