Juli Inkster recalls being an impatient player when she turned pro and joined the LPGA in 1983, the first step of what would become an LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame career. And while Inkster won an LPGA event in 1983 and two majors in 1984, including the Nabisco Dinah Shore in Rancho Mirage, California, she wants others to heed her advice about taking their time.
“It’s all about a process. It’s not ‘I need to win now,’” said Inkster, the part-time La Quinta resident and winner of 31 LPGA titles. “I hate to say it, but I was super impatient myself. You’ve got to just kind of let it happen. Let it come to you.”
That’s just part of the advice Inkster was dispensing this month as a mentor for budding women’s golf star Jenny Bae, the 2023 winner of the Inkster Award. As part of that award, given to the highest-ranking Division I collegiate golfer in her final year of eligibility, Bae earned a mentoring retreat with Inkster at Tradition Golf Club in La Quinta.
“She’s talked to me a lot ever since I got off the flight,” said Bae, a former top player at the University of Georgia who set numerous school records as well as going to a playoff at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur before falling to Rose Zhang. “I’ve been just starting to warm up with all my questions for her.”
Bae is the fourth winner of the Inkster Award sponsored by Workday, something that Inkster, a four-year player at San Jose State and a three-time U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, hopes is different from other postseason golf awards. Inkster wanted to honor golfers who stay in school rather than leave after a year or two for the professional life.
“As an amateur, you could go to the LPGA qualifying school and if you make it, you can get your card and you can leave (school), so you can start on the LPGA in January,” Inkster said. “But as a college coach or a college player, you are taking your best player off the team and you might have a chance to win a national championship. And now that’s gone.’
“So my thing was to reward a person who stays all four years in college, or five as it is now. Workday was great, because they are our South Bay company, which is where I’m at,” Inkster added.
Juli Inkster during the second round at the 2019 Senior LPGA Championship. Photo: Rick Sharp
The other key was Inkster didn’t want to just hand over a trophy to the winner. She wanted to have an impact as a mentor, something she did for dozens of…
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