Drury University’s first women’s golf coach and the individual that helped the program become a conference and national contender is returning to lead the team again. Lisa Tinkler, who was the head women’s golf coach with the Panthers for nine seasons, will guide the program once again after a four-year absence.
Tinkler replaces Dawna Jo Hartman who resigned on June 25 to pursue other interests after four years as head coach.
“We’re pleased to have the opportunity to bring Lisa back to Drury,” said Mark Fisher, director of athletics at Drury University. “In her previous time with us, her teams and her players achieved success on a national level and they excelled in the classroom. We’re looking forward to her leadership once again.”
Tinkler was the head coach of the Drury women’s golf program from 2003 to 2012 and guided the team in their inaugural season of 2003-04. After a second place finish in the Heartland Conference in her first season, the Panthers won the league the next year and finished eighth nationally. Tinkler’s teams won three conference championships, advanced to the regional tournament in seven of her nine seasons at Drury, and her 2007 squad finished fourth at the NCAA-II national championship tournament.
She was named the GLVC Coach of the Year twice and in 2007 was the NCAA-II East Region Coach of the Year. In her seven seasons coaching within the GLVC, her teams never finished lower than third place and she advanced an individual to the postseason in each of her nine years at the helm. Her 2011-12 team posted a team grade point average of 3.72, the highest of any GLVC team in any sport that year.
Tinkler left Drury in 2012 to become the head coach of the men’s and women’s golf teams at Loyola University in New Orleans where she revived a men’s program that had been dormant for 40 years and she helped start the women’s team. She coached the Loyola teams for two seasons and guided their women’s team to an NAIA national tournament bid in 2014 in just their second year in existence.
“I’m ecstatic to come back to Drury. It feels like I’m 100 percent back home now,” said Tinkler, who returned to the area two years ago. “I have missed my Drury family. I’m excited about getting to know the ladies on this team and share my experience with them. I believe the experiences I have had during the last four years have made me a better coach.”
Tinkler is a graduate of Evangel University with a degree in business and social science education. Last year, she earned a Master’s degree from Drury University in educational leadership and administration.
The Drury women’s golf program will enter their 13th season starting this fall. They are coming off of a seventh place finish at the GLVC tournament and return four golfers from that squad for the 2016-17 season.
