LPGA Professionals member recognized for giving back in the spirit of Nancy Lopez.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 3, 2024) The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Professionals announced today that Sue Powers is the recipient of the 2024 Nancy Lopez Golf Achievement Award which recognizes an LPGA Professional who gives back to the game in the spirit of Nancy Lopez.
The Nancy Lopez Golf Achievement Award was created in 2007 and is given to an LPGA Professional who emulates qualities valued by Lopez: leadership, passion, giving, and approachability. Lopez is a 48-time LPGA Tour winner and four-time Rolex Player of the Year. She was inducted into the LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame in 1987 and captained the victorious 2005 U.S. Solheim Cup Team.
“I am ‘over the moon’ to be the recipient of the 2024 Nancy Lopez Golf Achievement Award. I have had the great honor to work beside Nancy Lopez for the past 10 years in our business adventure and value our friendship,” says Powers. “Over the years, I have witnessed Nancy’s spirit, approachability, and passion for the game firsthand, but more importantly felt her true passion - helping others. She has that special charisma that only a few possess and makes everyone she meets feel special. I strive to emulate Nancy’s qualities in my career and in life. She is an inspiration, and it is truly an incredible honor to receive her award.”
Sue Powers first met Nancy Lopez in her rookie year on tour in 1977. As an amateur, playing in the Sara Coventry event in California, Powers’ mother had the delight of following Lopez as her scorekeeper, and to this day, the signed scorecard hangs on her “Nancy” wall back home. And as fate would have it, fast forward to 2014, she was offered the co-ownership of “Nancy Lopez Golf Adventures” with co-founder Teresa Zamboni and Nancy Lopez herself.
An infectious, positive energy, and generosity are the words Powers used to describe Lopez, but with recognition of this achievement, numerous accolades throughout her career and her dedication to the LPGA since 2003, these words undoubtedly reflect Powers herself. Over the last ten years, she has made it her mission to honor the “Play Happy” business motto through her passion and dedication to each one of her students by not only learning the game but loving it as well.
“I want to congratulate my friend Sue Powers for being awarded the Nancy Lopez Golf Achievement Award. She represents all the things that this award stands for. She loves teaching and always has that friendly touch when helping anyone learn this great game. I enjoy teaching side by side with her with Nancy Lopez Golf Adventures,” says Nancy Lopez, LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame member.
No matter the age or skill level, Powers dedicates all her time and energy to impacting the lives of so many through her enthusiasm for the golfing community. For 22 years, she has served at Pelican Pointe Golf and Country Club as a Controller and Director of Instruction. She actively serves the LPGA as an LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Academy Instructor, Committee Member, LPGA Professionals Teacher Education Program Instructor, Global Education Team evaluator, and a Leadership Academy Instructor. She is no stranger to the front lines at LPGA Tour events, serving the LPGA Lesson Zones and Girls Golf Clinics, and she even developed the Pilot Mentoring program for the LPGA Symetra Tour Players (now Epson Tour) in 2017. Her reach is not just limited to the course, but to several local churches, businesses, and the Chamber of Commerce where she engaged in presentations inviting more individuals to the game of golf.
Her unwavering compassion for others shines through the personality and lives she’s touched not only through her career but over the numerous hours she has set aside for others. On top of her teachings, she volunteers for the Nancy Lopez Charity – AIM for the Handicapped, an instructor for the local Wounded Warrior and Adaptive Golf programs, and as a Nine Hole Coordinator for the Greater Sarasota County Junior Golf Association. She is a Role Model and Head Coach for the State of Florida Special Olympics golf program where she was also named Special Olympics Coach of the Year.
Powers has earned a lifetime of achievements defining the ambitious and selfless career she has already led. She was voted a Top 50 LPGA Best Teacher over the years of 2018-2024, and elected 2013 LPGA National Teacher of the Year as well as Southeast Section Teacher of the Year. She was a featured instructor on the Golf Channel in 2016, LPGA.com, and LPGA Women’s Network.
Including Powers among the noteworthy list of past recipients continues elevating this award and honors those who have done so much for the game and all who play. Past recipients of the Nancy Lopez Golf Achievement Award include: Debbie O’Connell (2007), Troy Beck (2008), Patti Benson (2009), Lynn Stellman (2010), Malia Folquet (2011), Suzy Whaley (2012), Marvol Barnard (2013), Angela Aulenti (2014), Teresa Zamboni (2015), Donna White (2016), Sandy LaBauve (2017), Lynn Marriott (2018), Louise Ball (2019), Dana Rader (2020), Cindy Miller (2021), Tina Tombs (2022), and Deb Vangellow (2023).
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