May 16, 2006
Head Iowa Women’s Golf Coach Bobbe Carney announced today that she will be retiring and leave her head coaching post next month.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience at the University of Iowa,” said Carney. “Our athletic department is one for which the State of Iowa should be very proud. The entire staff has a high level of ethics and always puts the well being of the student athlete at the forefront of its decisions. I have been proud to watch the growth of the Women’s Golf Team over the past four years and have appreciated their efforts to be the best they can be.”
Carney completed her fourth season leading the Hawkeyes. While mentoring the Hawkeyes, she guided Iowa to 16 top-five tournament finishes, including four last season. Iowa won the Hawkeye Intercollegiate the last two seasons. Carney also led the Hawkeyes to a sixth-place finish at the 2005 Big Ten Championships, its best finish at the championships since placing sixth in 1998.
During her tenure, the Hawkeyes etched their names in the record books both individually and as a team. Carney led Iowa to a 77.1 fall scoring average in 2005, the best in school history. Tyrette Metzendorf boasted a 75.8 scoring average last fall, good enough for second all-time in Hawkeye annals. Liz Bennett’s 300 at the 2003 Big Ten Tournament ranks second for 72 holes, while Amy Riepma matched the school’s 18-hole record of 69 in the spring of 2005. Iowa’s 36-hole score of 598 at the 2005 Lady Buckeye Invitational is the tops in Iowa history, while its 54-hole total of 903 ranks second. Iowa’s Big Ten Tournament scores of 1,239 in 2003 and 1,253 in 2004 rank third and fourth, respectively, in the Hawkeye record books.
“I look forward to having time to play a little more golf and enjoy all the outdoor activities which have been put on the back burner in recent years,” added Carney. “Thanks to the University of Iowa for giving me the opportunity to lead a Hawkeye team.”
Prior to coming to Iowa, Carney served as teaching professional at the Walsh Golf Center in La Crosse, WI. She was named the LPGA Midwest Section Coach of the Year in 1989, and in 2001 she was named a top 50 Instructor by Golf For Women magazine.
Carney has over 40 years of playing and teaching experience. One of her most notable students is her daughter, Erin, who competed for Indiana University. She was named team captain and earned first-team all-America honors in 1998. She was also the Big Ten medalist and Big Ten Player of the Year in 1998 and 1999. Shannon, her youngest daughter, also competed for the Hoosiers.