Kirkwoodgolf.co.uk tries to keep "the folks back home" up todate with news of all the golfing Scots who are students at colleges in America. We usually have to rely on information gleaned from the college and university websites. But, on this occasion, we have news straight from one of the top women's head coaches on the American college golf circuit. We asked Therese Hession of Ohio State University to tell us a little bit about how Gemma Webster is faring so many miles away from her native Glasgow.

GEMMA WEBSTER HAS MADE BIG STRIDES

- AND SHE WILL KEEP ON IMPROVING

By THERESE HESSION
Ohio State University head women’s golf coach
First of all it is a real honour to be Gemma Webster's coach in the US.
Gemma is a fine representative of Scotland as a player and more importantly as a person. I have been around many fine players as I competed on the LPGA Tour for 12 years and now coached 16 years. She is a hard worker and has made many fine improvements to her physical as well as mental game. I am pleased, but not satisfied with her progress! She has made some fantastic strides and I only see her continuing to improve from here!
Our university boosts a proud athletic tradition in 36 different sports. We have many outstanding athletes (Olympians and many who sign extremely large sports contracts after they graduate) and it is not unusual to be vying for a national championship in many of these sports each year.
As a matter of fact our year doesn’t seem complete without our season ending in the finals as we usually do! I say this to explain that elite athletes are more common place for us than most US schools. Therefore many don’t stand out as much because excelling athletes are expected.
Our golf team plays a very difficult schedule (mostly because of my scheduling and belief that it will make my players better in the long run) and it is extremely difficult for Gemma to have many top performances every time out.
Her finish this past fall in the Mason Rudolph event in Nashville, Tennessee was what I considered an All-American performance. At the end of the year only about 40 lady golfers of nearly 2,000 that play the sport in US colleges are awarded such an honour. That is how well I thought she played!
As a coach I have been blessed with the opportunity to develop a lot of players and Gemma is clearly on track to follow some of the young ladies that have graduated from Ohio State and are now members of the LPGA Tour.
She has gained valuable experience competing with top-notch competition 4-5 times every three months and the depth of competition sometimes doesn’t make her finishes appear as good as they are! She is becoming the player all of Scotland will be very proud of some day!


Colin Farquharson writes:

To put things in perspective:
*The state of Ohio covers 44,828 square miles and is approximately one and a half times bigger than Scotland (30,405 square miles).
*The University of Ohio State is based at Columbus, the state capital, which has a population of 733,203 (2006 census). Columbus is named after Christopher Columbus. The population of the Columbus metropolitan area is 1,725,570. The city is the 15th largest in the United States.
+There are more than 60,000 students at Ohio State University. The city of Inverness in Scotland has a population of around 66,000.


MEET THERESE HESSION


Ohio State University head women’s golf coach THERESE HESSION is in her 17th year at the helm of the Buckeye golf program and has continued Ohio State’s strong women’s golf tradition, building it to even greater heights.

Over her tenure, Hession has led the Buckeyes to seven Big Ten championships, including four of the last six, and 10 NCAA championship appearances. Her squads have also competed in 14 NCAA regionals the past 16 years.

For her efforts and impressive results, Hession has been named Big Ten Coach of the Year six times (1993, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003 and 2005).

Hession has guided many of her student-athletes to prestigious individual awards on the course and in the classroom. During her reign, Buckeye golfers have been honoured with 10 All-America selections, 36 All-Big Ten selections, five Big Ten Player of the Year awards and four Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.

A strong proponent of education, Hession’s players have earned numerous academic awards as well. She has coached 23 National Academic All-Americans, 70 Academic All-Big Ten selections and 101 OSU Scholar-Athletes.

Despite injuries and obstacles in 2006-07, Hession led Ohio State to another successful season. The Buckeyes finished in the Top 5 at four tournaments including a fourth-place finish at the 2007 Big Ten Tournament.

Hession’s student-athletes also experienced individual success under her tutelage with Dana Je selected First Team All Big-Ten in her senior season and then-sophomore Gemma Webster named Second Team All Big-Ten.

The Buckeyes enjoyed perhaps their best season in school history in 2002-03. Hession guided the team to fourth place at the NCAA championships, the highest finish in the program’s history. In addition, Ohio State captured its eighth overall and second-consecutive Big Ten championship. Three Buckeyes were honoured with First Team All-Big Ten selections and Hession was named the conference’s coach of the year.

The season also marked the first time in school history Ohio State could boast two All-Americans in one season in Lindsay Knowlton and Kristen White.

Hession, a former LPGA tour professional, became the seventh head coach in the program’s history in 1991. In her inaugural season, she led the Buckeyes to a fourth-place finish in the Big Ten championships—three places better than the previous year.

In just her second season, Hession struck gold, winning five regular season tournaments and claiming the 1993 conference title, Ohio State’s first championship since 1988. The Buckeyes would go on to place fifth at the NCAA East Regional, advancing them to their first NCAA Championship appearance in five years.

A full-time professional golfer for 11 years, Hession competed in more than 250 LPGA tournaments during her illustrious career. She was among the Top 150 in all-time LPGA career money-winners when she concluded her career in 1991.

Hession also willingly gave her time to charity during her playing career, participating in more than 150 pro-celebrity charitable events.

As a collegiate player for Southern Methodist University, Hession led the Mustangs to a national championship in 1979 while earning All-America laurels. She graduated with honours, acquiring a bachelor’s degree in business administration. In January of 1980, after just three months on the Women’s Professional Golf Tour, she earned her LPGA tour card.

An Indianapolis native, Hession is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Golf Ministry advisory staff. An avid participant in charity programs, she was the recipient of the 1989 LPGA Tour Samaritan Award.


Coaching Career Highlights

• Seven Big Ten championships, including four of the last six

• 14 NCAA regional appearances

• 10 NCAA championship appearances

• Six Big Ten Coach of the Year awards

• Coached 10 All-America and 36 All-Big Ten selections

• Produced five Big Ten Player of the Year and Four Big Ten Freshman of the Year award-winners
+Courtesy OhioStateBuckeyes.com

MEET GEMMA WEBSTER

Born Glasgow, March 15, 1986.

Beaten in final of Scottish Under-18 girls' championship at Powfoot in 2002.

2002-2003: Represented Scotland at hockey and athletics and was co-captain of Scotland girls' hockey team.

2004: Played for Scotland in European girls' team championship.

2005: While a student at Dundee University, won the British universities' women's stroke-play championship at Murrayshall. Played for Scotland in women's home internationals.

Autumn 2005: Enrolled at Ohio State University.

2006/2007: Eight top-20 finishes in last 13 tournaments on US women's college circuit, including three of the last four in the autumn season. Named captain of the Ohio State University women's golf team.

2007: Ranked No 54 (second Scot) by European Golf Association in end of year final women's amateur ratings.