The LPGA Teaching and Club Professional (T&CP) membership announced the following members as winners of the 2019 national awards in acknowledgement of their dedication and achievements: Sheryl Maize, Crystal Lake Golf Club in Lakeville, Minnesota and Tatum Ridge Golf Course in Sarasota, Florida, Teacher of the Year; Carole Clark, The Club at Grandezza in Estero, Florida, Professional of the Year; Lisa Strom, Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, Coach of the Year; Jennifer Bermingham, Coto De Caza Golf & Racquet Club in Coto De Caza, California, Junior Golf Leader of the Year.

The national award winners were selected by the LPGA T&CP membership’s Executive Committee from the pool of the section award winners voted on by officers of the six regional sections: Central, International, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast and Western. All four awards will be presented during the T&CP Rolex Awards Reception at the 2020 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando on Jan. 23.

“As a player, I always felt like I left some on the table when my door to competitive golf closed due to an injury and I was determined to not let that happen again when my passion turned to teaching and coaching,” said Maize. “I wanted to do everything I could to become the best teacher possible… that is why I chose to join the LPGA T&CP over 20 years ago. I have loved the education, the development and getting to learn from amazing mentors who I now call friends. I fell in love with teaching, coaching and developing the students I felt God brought to my lesson tee. To be able to impact and bring joy to a person’s life through golf is such a blessing!

And now to be recognized by my peers as the 2019 LPGA Teacher of the Year is absolutely overwhelming. It is our highest honor as an LPGA Teaching Professional and I am truly grateful for this honor! It is incredibly humbling to see my name added to the prestigious list of legendary LPGA Teachers of the Year! My heart is truly full, and I am inspired to continue to grow the game we love!”

Maize was named in the 2017-2018 Golf Digest’s Best in State Teacher List (#4 for Minnesota), honored as the 2015 LPGA National Junior Leader of the Year and a recipient of the 2015 LPGA Southeast Section Junior Leadership Award. Recognized as a US Kids Top 50 Junior Coach in 2015 and 2016, she is dedicated to developing youth and developed comprehensive learning programs and schools for adults and juniors of all skill levels. She is a US Kids Certified Coach as well as a Level III TPI Certified Junior Golf Coach, a Level II TPI Certified Golf Pro and a Level II Certified Golf Coach.

She was the golf expert for WCCO-TV Channel 4 and was featured on the Sports Sunday TV show hosted by CBS Minnesota’s legendary sportscaster Mark Rosen before he retired in December 2018 after a career of almost 50 years. She has also appeared on KFAN’s Tee to Green Show. Maize has been a guest teacher at various corporate clinics, including the American Airlines Celebrity Golf Weekend events, and a national instructor for LPGA Golf Clinics for Women for nearly two decades.

After spending nine years as a senior instructor at Ben Sutton Golf Schools, Maize taught more than 150 students in her Amaizing Golf Schools in Iceland for several weeks during the summers of 2005-2008. She conducted teaching workshops for golf professionals and coaches in Iceland, and a seminar for top junior golfers and their parents in that country. In 2007, Maize developed the first Icelandic golf instruction manual, sponsored by Icelandair, and she was featured on Icelandic TV and radio.

An accomplished player who became Florida State HS Champion in 1986 and a Junior All-American, Maize was a full scholarship athlete and team captain at the top-ranked University of Miami from 1986-1990. She went on to play professionally on the Futures Tour, Central Florida Challenge Tour and Pacific Coast Tour before injuries curtailed her dream of playing professionally on the LPGA Tour. She was inducted into the Venice Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.