Three-time LPGA winner Austin Ernst takes job as assistant coach at Texas A&M

Ernst plans to make a couple more LPGA starts this summer before starting her new job in August.

Austin Ernst won an NCAA Championship at Texas A&M’s home course, and now she’s headed to College Station to begin a new career. The three-time LPGA winner announced during her pre-tournament press conference at the ShopRite LPGA Classic that she has accepted a job as an assistant coach at A&M.

“I’m sad to step away from professional golf full time,” said Ernst, “but it’s health-wise what I have to do.”

Ernst hasn’t played an LPGA event in 14 months after suffering a neck injury. The 31-year-old said she didn’t realize the seriousness of the injury at first, thinking she’d only miss a couple tournaments.

It wasn’t until last June when she heard that the worst-case scenario was that she couldn’t play golf anymore, that reality hit her square in the face. She’d gone 10 years without any injuries.

“I haven’t had anything like this,” she said. “You kind of think you’re invincible.”

LPGA: Walmart NW Arkansas Championship - Final Round — Austin Ernst holds the trophy after winning the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship golf tournament at Pinnacle Country Club. (Photo: Gunnar Rathbun/USA TODAY Sports)

Ernst volunteered at the University of Richmond last semester and got her first taste of college coaching. The former LSU player was along for the ride when Richmond won its conference championship and advanced to regionals.

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“I think my area of expertise is more player development, you know, preparing for tournaments, course management,” said Ernst. “How to get that little bit better, make that next step.

“I’m looking forward to that aspect of it. I love golf. I’m one of those golf nerds that likes golf a lot, so it’ll be cool for me to still be able to play a little bit with them.”

LSU’s Austin Ernst is the 2011 Division 1 NCAA Women’s Individual Champion at Traditions Golf Club in Bryan, TX.

Stacy Lewis’ husband, Gerrod Chadwell, is head coach at A&M and led the Aggies to an SEC title this spring and a semifinals’ run at the 2023 NCAA Championship. Ernst plans to make a couple more LPGA starts this summer before starting her new job in August.

Ernst turned professional in 2012 and won her first LPGA title in 2014 at the Portland Classic. Six years later, she won again in Arkansas. Her latest victory came in 2021 at the Drive On Championship. A two-time Solheim Cup participant, Ernst’s best finish in a major was a runner-up finish to Angela Stanford at the 2018 Evian Championship.

Ernst’s brother Drew caddied for on the LPGA and now works for Andrea Lee.

“I think everybody thinks they’re seeing a ghost when they see me,” said Ernst. “I’ve had a lot of double takes this week so far. It’s been fun to be back out on tour.”

The rapid rise under Texas A&M women’s golf under Gerrod Chadwell has been impressive

When Gerrod Chadwell walked into his first day of work as coach of the Texas A&M women’s golf team, he knew a tall task was ahead of him.

When Gerrod Chadwell walked into his first day of work as head coach of the Texas A&M women’s golf team, he knew a tall task was ahead of him.

The building needed a fresh coat of paint. Some contemporary graphics. Even worse, a major freeze in Texas destroyed the practice greens. “College athletics is a facilities arms race,” Chadwell says. “Everything, for lack of a better word, was tired.”

Chadwell acknowledges that in two years, he couldn’t have imagined that the women’s golf team’s selection party would draw a large crowd and a throng of media to affirm its No. 1 seed at the 2023 NCAA San Antonio Regional.

The personnel was in need of a major update, too. In order to take a 90th-ranked team to the top of the SEC, talented players were going to need to buy into Chadwell’s vision. He’d spent the past eight years with the Houston Cougars, a program he led to six consecutive regionals and three individuals over at nationals.

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He took to the transfer portal in search of players who also wanted a new start. Zoe Slaughter, who he had also recruited to Houston, was top of mind. So was Hailee Cooper, whose incredible game had faltered and had her on the brink of quitting altogether. Above all, their selflessness was what Chadwell loved most.

“They are the consummate teammate, and that’s me too. I was a pass-first guy,” he says, referring to his basketball days. “I’m so thankful for them to take that leap of faith and see the vision we had.”

Jennie Park, a talented player from TCU who had made plenty of noise in her junior career, was also in the conversation. Despite nerves surrounding the big change, all three of these players would take on Chadwell’s first year right beside him.

But what most might have perceived as a rebuilding year, didn’t pan out that way at all. “It’s kind of cool that ended up being us,” Cooper said. “I definitely didn’t think it was going to happen that fast.”

This story originally appeared on our partner site, AmateurGolf.com. To continue reading, click here.

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