Patti McGowan is a native of Spartanburg, and was delighted to return to her “hometown” and take the reins of the Converse Golf team in the spring of 2015. Success came quickly, with a Valkyrie golfer earning the Conference Carolinas “Freshman of the Year” honors in 2015. In 2017, another Valkyrie Golfer coached by McGowan captured the Conference Carolinas “Player of the Year” award. Even more impressive – to date Valkyrie golfers coached by McGowan have made the Conference Carolinas "Academic All-Conference" teams on dozens of occasions, 14 have simultaneously earned Conference Carolinas "All-Conference Tournament Team" selections, and Valkyrie golfers have been named to the WGCA "All-American Scholar Athlete" list on 20 occasions; with several earning this prestigious honor each year.
Valkyries Golf often faces up to twenty-two other teams during tournament competitions so both victories and well as top finishes deserve to be celebrated. This fall (2022) alone, the Valkyrie Golf team finished as the "Runner-Up Team" in two events and celebrated a victory at the King Invitational. In years prior, this young Valkyrie team has enjoyed four additional victories, and an impressive ten "Runner-Up Team" finishes.
In addition to consistently pursing competitive excellence, with McGowan’s leadership the Valkyrie team is also setting the standard for future Valkyries in many other important areas. In 2020 Valkyrie Golf had the second highest number of volunteer service hours of all Division ll golf teams in the entire nation! While the team’s volunteer efforts slowed during the years of the pandemic, the team is now recommitted to resuming their volunteer efforts, that also serve as fantastic team bonding experiences.
Valkyries Golf often also attains one of the highest team grade point averages of all the athletic teams at Converse. With a record high team GPA of 3.79, Valkyrie Golf has captured the “Valkyries Academic Excellence Award" on numerous occasions, and hopes to soon re-capture the coveted “Valkyries Academic Excellence Award”!
Unlike many sports, college golf actually has two “countable” seasons, so it is very time demanding. Even so, Valkyrie golfers are encouraged to participate in campus wide leadership roles and are afforded the flexibility to do so. In recent years Valkyrie golfers have served as President of SAAC (the NCAA’s Student Athlete-Athlete Advisory Committee), President of FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) and been active members of Nisbet Honors Program at Converse, as well as active participants in the “Converse College for Women” within Converse University.
As a result of their exceptional commitment not only to their sport but the Converse Community as a whole, in 2022 a Valkyrie golfer – Emma Reid was awarded the Weisiger Cup (an esteemed award given to a senior student athlete who has distinguished herself as a leader and a valuable member of the Converse Community), the Baye Williamson Student-Athlete of the Year award, and the “Come-back Player of the Year” Award. While these are largely a result of the individual student athlete’s extraordinary efforts, Coach McGowan believes they are an indirect result of the “Valkyrie Vision” for Converse Golf and a true commitment to the “Valkyrie Way” and the “Converse Way”. McGowan stresses that these aren’t just hashtags, but important lifelong values that must be practiced daily by all.
Despite the significant time demands of building and leading a competitively excellent team with a championship team culture, since returning to South Carolina, McGowan has been honored by her inclusion on the Golf Digest “Best Teachers in Your State” on multiple occasions. Patti is also currently a Science and Motion Level 2 Certified Putting Instructor, currently is one of two “Level 2” in South Carolina.
Prior to coming to Converse, McGowan operated her own teaching/training/coaching company for over a decade. In 2013 McGowan also served as the Director of Coaches Training and Certification for the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy - an internationally recognized top junior golf academy.
McGowan’s career initially took off after joining David Leadbetter and the Leadbetter/IMG Golf Academies assisting with all phases of their original multi-facility global expansion. She was a Senior Instructor and the DLGA International Director of Instructor Training and Certification for a decade. McGowan was instrumental in developing and implementing the Instructors/Coaches Training programs, processes, and the original "Leadbetter Certification" internationally.
Patti also designed the curriculum to many of the various levels of Player Development Programs that have been modeled extensively and remain in use today across the Globe. In addition to teaching/coaching/training extensively throughout the United States and Europe; Patti was also the primary Assistant Coach to many top touring professionals when they were at the very top - such as Sir Nick Faldo (3x Masters Champion, 3x Open Champion, PGA Player of the Year 1990, World Golf Hall of Fame Class of 1997).
Prior to joining Leadbetter full time - Patti was a Teaching Professional in Long Island, NY and taught and trained with Chuck Hogan (mentor of Lynn Marriott of Vision 54) for two seasons. Marriott and McGowan assisted Chuck with "SEA Golf Schools" which focused primarily on teaching/coaching the "Mental & Strategic" side of the game.
McGowan spent 14 years on Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers List as well as being named 2012-13 Golf Digest Women “America’s 50 Best Women Teachers and 2010-11 Golf Digest’s Inaugural Top 50 Women Teachers List. McGowan is currently a “Class A” member of the LPGA Teaching/Club Professional Association and was a “Class A” member of the PGA of America for 20 years. McGowan has also earned Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) Level 1 Certification.
McGowan attended Furman University as a freshman before transferring and graduating from Florida International University with a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality and Restaurant Management. McGowan played collegiate golf at both Universities and competed professionally in the United States and Europe (briefly) prior to turning her focus to teaching and coaching.
McGowan has also authored and self-published one book - "Knack 4... almost Anything..."
