Women's Golf
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- lstrom@kent.edu
- Phone:
- 330-672-4600
Kent State University announced the hiring of Lisa Strom as its head women's golf coach on July 1, 2019. Strom became just the third head coach in the 21-year history of the women's golf program after spending three years as the head coach at Texas State.
During her first two seasons. Strom led the Golden Flashes to nine tournaments victories, including the program’s 22nd consecutive Mid-American Conference title this past season. Kent State finished 17th at the 2021 NCAA Championships and senior Chloe Salort advanced individually to the final round of stroke play. She was named a 2020-21 Division I Jackie Steinmann WGCA National Coach of the Year finalist.
The Flashes enjoyed a historic 2019-20 season prior to its cancelation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Strom’s team was victorious in each of her first three tournaments at the helm and won five of seven events overall. Kent State set program records for scoring average (283.00), average vs. par (-3.86) and finish percentage (.940). The Flashes climbed as high as No. 3 in the national rankings, the highest in the history of the program, and Caley McGinty was the national leader in final round scoring average.
Strom mentored Flashes golfers to five WGCA All-American honors, which included a program record three selections for the 2019-20 season. She was named MAC Coach of the Year this past season after leading the Flashes to a 36-stroke victory at the conference tournament.
The women’s golf program also achieved milestones in the classroom during Strom’s tenure. The Flashes posted the three highest term GPAs in program history over the past three semesters, including a record 3.738 last fall. Kent State also had four members of the 2019-2020 WGCA All-American Scholar Team.
Strom led Texas State to a historic 2018-19 season, which included several program records for best scoring average (296.70), score vs. par (+10.30), rounds at or below par (5), par-4 scoring (4.24), par-5 scoring (5.04), lowest team round (278, -10), and lowest 54-hole score (850, -14). Texas State also carded 365 birdies on the season to rank second in program history and finished with its highest national ranking to date under Strom after closing the season at No. 84.
While at Texas State, Strom led the Bobcats to a runner-up finish at the 2019 Sun Belt Conference Championship and two team tournament titles, including a victory at the UTRGV Invitational by a 21-stroke margin. In her first season, Strom guided the Bobcats to a 299.58 scoring average, which ranked as the third-best in program history along with a final Golfstat ranking of 88th.
Strom's extensive coaching resume includes a five-and-a-half-year stint as an assistant coach at her alma mater Ohio State, where she was mentored by Hall of Fame head coach Therese Hession and helped guide the Buckeyes to six straight NCAA Regional appearances and four showings at the NCAA Championships (2011, 2012, 2014, 2016). She was also instrumental in the team's nine tournament victories, including back-to-back-to-back Big Ten Championships in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
At Ohio State, Strom played a key role in recruiting, team travel, and instruction with the student-athletes on all aspects of their game.
Strom's background stretches from her four-year playing career at Ohio State. A 2000 graduate with a degree in Exercise Science, the South Dakota native was a two-time All-Big Ten and four-time Academic All-Big Ten. In 2000, Strom earned a first-place finish at the NCAA East Regional Championship and was a member of the 1999 Big Ten Championship team.
Following her playing career, Strom turned pro in August 2000 and competed in more than 50 LPGA sponsored events as a member of the LPGA Tour (2003, 2007-2010). In 2007, she earned a career-best finish of 13th at the Navistar LPGA Classic.
In addition to her time on the LPGA Tour, Strom competed on the Futures Tour for seven seasons, recording her best finish at the 2002 El Paso FUTURES Golf Classic where she finished second overall. Strom is a three-time winner of the Ohio Women's Open and a two-time winner of the Michigan Women's Open.
