PHOENIX – Legendary Sun Devil women's golf coach Linda Vollstedt and All-American Lauri Merten were inducted to the Phoenix Union High School District Sports Hall of Fame Monday night.
Vollstedt started her teaching and coaching career at Alhambra High School, coaching from 1970 and 1980 before starting her legendary career at ASU. During her time at Alhambra, the Lady Lions won two state championships (1971, 1977) and were runners-up twice (1970, 1978). Additionally, her teams won three Metro Region titles and had four undefeated seasons.
At ASU, Vollstedt coached the Sun Devils to six national titles, coached 41 All-Americans, 12 conference medalists, 71 All-Conference golfers, 15 Academic All-Americans, 11 U.S. Amateur and Public Links Champions and 22 LPGA professionals. A five-time Golfweek National Coach of the Year, she was named Pac-12 Women's Golf Coach of the Century in 2016.
Merten was honored as a four-year varsity letterwinner and member of the 1977 Championship team at Alhambra High School (class of 1977). At ASU, she was the first All-American coached by Vollstedt (First Team in 1982), won the Western Collegiate Athletic Association's individual championship in 1980 and 1981, and helped lead the Sun Devils to a third-place national finish in 1980 in addition to three consecutive WCAA titles (1980-82).
In 1983, Merten joined the LPGA tour, winning her first of three tournaments, the Rail Charity Golf Classic. In 1984, she won the inaugural Jamie Farr Toledo Classic. Finishing second at the 1993 LPGA Championship, she won the U.S. Open in Indianapolis six weeks later. Retiring from the tour in 1997, she played at the inaugural U.S. Senior Women's Open in 2018.
Vollstedt (2002) and Merten (2000) are both members of the Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Distinction and Hall of Fame, respectively.
Vollstedt started her teaching and coaching career at Alhambra High School, coaching from 1970 and 1980 before starting her legendary career at ASU. During her time at Alhambra, the Lady Lions won two state championships (1971, 1977) and were runners-up twice (1970, 1978). Additionally, her teams won three Metro Region titles and had four undefeated seasons.
At ASU, Vollstedt coached the Sun Devils to six national titles, coached 41 All-Americans, 12 conference medalists, 71 All-Conference golfers, 15 Academic All-Americans, 11 U.S. Amateur and Public Links Champions and 22 LPGA professionals. A five-time Golfweek National Coach of the Year, she was named Pac-12 Women's Golf Coach of the Century in 2016.
Merten was honored as a four-year varsity letterwinner and member of the 1977 Championship team at Alhambra High School (class of 1977). At ASU, she was the first All-American coached by Vollstedt (First Team in 1982), won the Western Collegiate Athletic Association's individual championship in 1980 and 1981, and helped lead the Sun Devils to a third-place national finish in 1980 in addition to three consecutive WCAA titles (1980-82).
In 1983, Merten joined the LPGA tour, winning her first of three tournaments, the Rail Charity Golf Classic. In 1984, she won the inaugural Jamie Farr Toledo Classic. Finishing second at the 1993 LPGA Championship, she won the U.S. Open in Indianapolis six weeks later. Retiring from the tour in 1997, she played at the inaugural U.S. Senior Women's Open in 2018.
Vollstedt (2002) and Merten (2000) are both members of the Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Distinction and Hall of Fame, respectively.