The Georgia State Athletic Department has added Jenny Lidback, a retired LPGA professional, to join Coach Cathy Mant's women's golf coaching staff as a volunteer assistant.
“I am excited that Jenny will become part of our program,” Mant said, regarding Lidback. “Jenny has a passion for teaching the short game and the mental game of golf, including an emphasis on course management. She will act in a limited capacity and by the spring season can be ready to accompany our team on road trips and hopefully postseason play. She is an outstanding golfer and a quality person whom I know our ladies will respect and enjoy.”
Lidback brings knowledge and experience to the Panthers program. She was a 15-year member of the LPGA Tour from 1989-2003, playing with golfers Laura Davies and Juli Inkster. Her career win came in a big way, cruising to an LPGA major victory at the du Maurier Classic in 1995.
Her total career earnings stand at $1,780,000 (ranked 64th all-time) thanks in part to 20 top ten finishes in her professional career.
Lidback was the runner-up in the 1978 USGA Junior Girls Championship, and the 1981 Golf Digest Junior Player of the Year. In 1983, Lidback's college career got on track with an NCAA Team Championship at Texas Christian University.
After transferring to Louisiana State, where she earned a degree in broadcast journalism, Lidback won seven individual titles in 1986, earning her the SEC Player of the Year and Collegiate Player of the Year award. Lidback was a three-time All-American during her collegiate playing career.
In 1989, Lidback burst on to the professional scene with a tie for fifth at the Women's Kemper Open in her rookie season.
Lidback lays claim to 13 holes-in-one in her golfing career, four of which came during tournament play. In 1997 during the Chrysler-Plymouth Tournament of Champions, Lidback recorded holes-in-one in the third and fourth rounds of the tournament, tying the record for most holes-in-one in a single event.
Born in Lima, Peru, Lidback became a U.S. citizen in 2003. She speaks four languages (Spanish, English, Portuguese, and Italian).
In 2000, Lidback earned perhaps her most staggering honor by being named the Peruvian Golfer of the Century.
Lidback joins the staff of a Panthers squad poised for dominance in the coming season. After a 2nd place finish in the CAAs and an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament, the Panthers look to 2008 as a year to move into the spotlight of collegiate golf.
