Minnesota Golfer - Directory 2021 - 35

KATHY
to apply for an Evans scholarship, which
would become another first for Williams.
" It was the right time because of Title
IX and equal opportunity, " Williams
says. " And, my goodness, if you have girls
out there caddying and you are offering
a scholarship, they should have access to
that. Now it's come full circle-look at
all the women in that program. "
At the U of M, the small town girl
came to the big city with nervous apprehension,
yet took it by storm. When
Williams was on the course, her comfort
level increased, and she set a school
record (that still stands today) of six victories
that first year.
" I was on fire, and I had a blast, "
Williams says. " I just went out there and
played-no pressure-because I was a
freshman and just teed it up and let it
go. "
Williams was a member of the
Gophers' first Big Ten champion golf
team in 1978. She captained the team for
her final three seasons, which included
11 more victories-a record of 17 career
wins that also remains intact. As a senior
in 1981, she earned AIAW All-America
honors, was named the Minnesota
Women's Athletics Senior Athlete of the
Year, the Evans Scholar Athlete of the
Year, the U of M Senior Athlete of the
Year, and was a Patty Berg Award recipient.
She appeared ready to go pro.
After some time on mini-tours,
Williams earned her LPGA tour card,
but then took some bad advice from
a pro at a San Diego club where she
worked as an assistant. He convinced
her to change her swing from a fade to
a draw and " it all went downhill from
there. " Although she won the 1986 Reno
Classic before leaving the Tour after one
season, Williams was never able to find
her old swing.
" It's a life lesson I always tell people as
a teacher: 'You're not changing a thing if
it's working,' " Williams says.
Teaching and coaching golf became
Williams' next move-another successful
one. She returned to the U of M to
coach the Lady Gophers from 1991 " As
a senior in 1981,
Williams earned AIAW
All-America honors, was
named the Minnesota
Women's Athletics
Senior of the Year, the
Evans Scholar Athlete of
the Year, U of M Senior
Athlete of the Year, and
was a Patty Berg Award
recipient. "
WILLIAMS
99 and led her charges to three NCAA
Regional Tournament invitations,
becoming the 1992 Big Ten Coach of the
Year. In 2005, she received HOF honors
from the university for her contributions
as a player and a coach.
Still in love with the game and always
on the lookout for the next adventure,
Williams moved to West Chicago, Ill., for
a teaching job at Prairie Landing Golf
Club (which she continues in today).
In 2002, she became the golf specialist
at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital
in Wheaton for its Golf Medicine and
Therapeutic Programs. She began working
with patients who wanted to get back
into golf, and it set her on a new career
path.
" You name it and I had it: traumatic
brain injury victims, stroke survivors,
amputees, patients with new hips, knees,
any kind of physical ailment, " Williams
says. " They wanted to get back in the
game, and I was their go-to person. "
When funding for the program dried
up in 2005, Williams and her boss
Donna Strum recognized the need for
their services remained, so they created a
not-for-profit called RevelationGolf that
helps veterans and their families get back
on the golf course.
" We have all the VA hospitals in the
Chicagoland as clients, " Williams says.
" We have a PTSD program, a female vets
program, one for active duty personnel
and military children programs. We hold
clinics every week for these VA hospitals. "
RevelationGolf works with more than
a 1,000 veterans a year, and the programs
are free of charge. Fundraising is the biggest
challenge, but Williams also dreams
of expanding the program.
" The model we put together works,
and we would love to share that with
other places, " she says.
It's all about giving someone a second
shot in the game. Something Williams
knows well:
" I think about the beginnings and
how my life started with golf. It put me
on a path to where I am today. So, I have
been blessed with that. " MG
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Minnesota Golfer - Directory 2021

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