Anne Walker becomes head coach

of University of California-Davis

Anne Walker, 28, from Strathaven takes up her duties this week tomorrow as the new head women's golf coach at the University of California Davis (UCD) near Sacramento.
She had been first a player, then assistant coach and latterly associate head coach of the women's golf team at University of California-Berkeley over the past 10 years.
The UCD post became available when Kathy De Young announced her retirement.
"We will miss her greatly," said Nancy McDaniel, the UCB head coach. "Anne has been instrumental in the rise of California-Berkeley women's golf on the national scene over the last decade. From the moment she arrived on campus as a student-athlete in 1998, our programme has consistently been a national contender."
Anne won twice on the American women's college golf circuit as a player. She stayed on as a golf team staff member at the University of California-Berkeley after gaining a degree with honours in geography in May 2002.
Anne becomes the second Scottish-born head women's golf coach on the US college scene.
Colette Murray from Dumfries is in charge at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
Both Anne and Colette were spectators at the recent British women's open amateur championship at North Berwick.
Anne Walker was beaten by Vikki Laing in the final of the Scottish girls' championship in 1997 and went to California-Berkeley the following January. She was instrumental in Vikki following her to the same university.

Anne played for the Scotland Under-18 girls team from 1996 to 1998 and for Scotland in the European Under-21 team championships of 1997. She also won the Welsh women's open amateur stroke-play title in 1999.

She was responsible for recruiting Roseanne Niven (Crieff), the 2006 Scottish girls match-play champion, to the University of California-Berkeley.

Whether or not Anne will have a budget that allows her to continue to look for emerging golf talent from Scotland - and elsewhere overseas - to add to her new team at California-Davis, remains to be seen.

"I am thrilled to be given this opportunity. Kathy (De Young) has built a strong foundation for a golf programme to be successful and I am looking forward to continuing her efforts," said Anne.

"I was part of building a succesful programme at California-Berkeley. I hope for similar success at California-Davis. I'd like to build a programme around character. I want to built a programme that is recognised both on campus an in the community."