NEW ORLEANS, La. – Earlier this month, Tulane Athletics announced Sue Bower '85 will be inducted into this year's Hall of Fame Class.
Bower was a charter member of Dartmouth Women's Golf in 1981-82 and was dominant in her four-year career as a student athlete. She won two Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference titles as well as three New England Collegiate Championships. She was also an All-America honorable mention in 1985 as well as a Dartmouth College Rufus Chaote Scholar for her work in the classroom.
After graduation from Dartmouth, Bower played professionally, having success in mini-tours as well as earning a spot in the finals of the LPGA Qualifying school in 1988.
In 1993, she qualified for the U.S. Women's Open before taking over the Green Wave.
Tulane Women's Golf was the second to last ranked NCAA Division I Women's Golf team in 1992. Four years later, Tulane was in the top 50 and four years after that, the Green Wave finished third in Conference USA and 31st nationally, jumping 90 spots in just eight years. This season, the 1999-00 season, also saw Tulane make its first NCAA Regional appearance.
In her first decade at the helm of the program, Bower's Green Wave moved to 18th in the country in Golfweek Magazine and 20th on Golfstat.com.
In her 24 years at Tulane, Bower coached 12 All-Conference USA Honorees, one three-time C-USA Player of the Year, three Freshman of the Year, two Louisiana Players of the Year, and four LWSA Freshman of the year.
While success on the course was apparent, Bower's Green Wave thrived in the classroom as well. She had 33 players named to the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll, four named NGCA All-Scholars and two C-USA Women's Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year winners.
Personally, Bower earned nine Coach of the Year Awards, including three in 2003. She was named the National Golf Coaches Association East Region Coach of the Year, the LPGA Central Division Coach of the Year, and was recognized by the Louisiana Sportswriters Association.
Following her time at Tulane, Bower became the first full-time athletic director at Guilford College. She worked with the Quakers for about two years.