Now in her sixth season as the head coach of St. Lawrence men's and women's golf, Mary Lawrence has built both programs into highly competitive teams and took both teams to the NCAA Division III Championships in just their fourth season as varsity sports.

A Canton native and a LPGA professional, Lawrence won the first Women's Senior Golf Tour qualifying school tournament last spring and played on the tour during the summer. She competed on the LPGA tour from 1978-83 and was the winner of five professional events.

Prior to turning professional, she was the winner of the New York State Junior Championship in 1973 and in 1977 was New York State Women's Champion, a USGA Women's Amateur medallist and a Florida Intercollegiate Champion. A graduate of the University of Miami and a first-team All America in 1977, she was part of two NCAA National Championship teams at Miami. She has played in nine USGA Women's US Opens and was LPGA Teaching Division Western Section champion in 1993 and played in the 1994 Women's British Open.

Prior to returning to Canton and taking over as golf coach for the Saint men and women, she was assistant golf professional and head teaching professional at San Luis Rey Downs Country Club in Bonsall, CA and was special events coordinator at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, IL.

In addition to her duties as golf coach, Mary also is teaching professional and director of golf at the St. Lawrence University golf course and runs the St. Lawrence Indoor Golf Center, a teaching and indoor practice facility which is used both by the golf teams and the general public during the winter months.

 

Assistant Coach John Pezdek

A 2003 graduate of St. Lawrence and a four-year member of the golf team, John Pezdek returns for his third year as assistant golf coach.

 

Pezdek was an All America in 2002 and was captain of the 2003 golf team which made the Saints’ first NCAA Division III tournament appearance and the first NCAA appearance by a Saint Golf team since the 1950s. Pezdek finished 39 th overall in the NCAA field with all four rounds in the 70s including back-to-back three-over-par 74s on the final two days of competition.

 

An all conference player and an all academic selection, he is a native of Ilion , NY . He was a three-time Saint golf MVP and was team captain as a senior, leading the team with a 75 stroke average and six top ten finishes. Pezdek earned his Masters in Educational Administration this past May and plans on continuing his education through the PGA apprentice program.