The Coach Mo Golf Show Coach Mo

 The Coach Mo Golf Show welcomes six-time NCAA Division-III West Region Coach of the Year and a nine-time Northwest Conference Coach of the Year, Coach MJ McCloskey to the show. Coach MJ started the George Fox Women's Golf program from the ground-up in 2006 and led them to their first NCAA DIII National title in 2023 at Mission Inn, in Howie-in-the-Hills, FL in 2023.  It was a dramatic, controversial, and eventful Championship that flooded social media and national news with videos and news on the tournament's controversial pin position on #6. In this episode you'll hear all about the championship, the controversy, as well as discussions I have with Coach McCloskey's new book, "How Girls Win."


Coach MJ McCloskey Bio:
In 2006, McCloskey launched the first George Fox University women’s golf program and since then has led the team to prestige as one of the most dominant in the country bringing home 7 NCAA trophies including winning the 2023 NCAA D-III Women’s Golf National Championship. Her team was only the third NCAA D-III Golf team west of the Mississippi to win the NCAA National Championship To date, the program has won 97 collegiate tournaments and has been recognized in four separate seasons (including this season) as the top-ranked team in the country. Coach MJ has a marketing degree from the Univ. of Oregon and an MBA from the University of Portland. The team has also won 13 straight Northwest Conference titles.. The program also boasts a NCAA Individual National Champion, two NCAA Individual National RunnerUps, two National Players of the Year, three NCAA Freshman Player of the Year honorees, 27 Women Golf Coaches Assn (WGCA) All Americans, 34 WGCA All-Region team members, 10 NWC Player of the Year honorees, 57 All-NW Conference players, and 24 WGCA All-American Scholar winners. Players from her program have qualified for the US Women’s Amateur as well as for the LPGA Portland Classic event. In 2013, McCloskey was promoted to the role of Director of Golf for George Fox, one of the first women to be named to that position in NCAA Division-III and oversees the development of both the men’s and women’s golf teams at the university. For McCloskey, it’s never been about awards but helping young women find their greatness. Her passion is to help student-athletes grow stronger and realize that anything is possible with a positive mindset, strong work ethic, and a passionate desire to learn. McCloskey served 2 terms as D-III Director on the Board of Directors for the Women Golf Coaches Association (WGCA). She is currently serving on the NCAA Division-III Women's Golf Regional Championship Selection Committee and is also part of the WGCA Mentorship program. McCloskey has served on the Tournament Golf Foundation Board (operators of the LPGA Portland Classic) and many years on the First Tee of Portland/Campbell Course Board of Directors. She continues to help out as a volunteer for both organizations. In 2023, she was nominated and placed on the ballot for the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame. McCloskey holds Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Portland and a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing from the University of Oregon. For more information on Coach MJ, please visit www.CoachMJMcCloskey.com 
@mj_mccloskey
@gfuwomensgolf
Contact Coach Mo
@coachmogolfpro
www.coachmogolfpro.com
mgesualdi@stjohnsgolf.com

The Golf Academy at St. Johns
Located at St. Johns Golf & CC in St. Augustine/St. Johns, FL
@thegolfacademy_st.johns
www.stjohnsgolf.com

Next up on,  "The Coach Mo Golf Show," is 2023 LPGA National Teacher of the Year, Cheryl Anderson. Cheryl is a PGA & LPGA certified instructor and is the Director of Instruction at Mike Bender Golf Academy located in Lake Mary, FL. I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Cheryl at the 2024 Troon Southeast Teaching Summit at the PGA Show this year as she was one of the presenters showcasing how to teach with training aids.  If you are a teacher, player looking to improve, or just a lover of the game of golf, this episode offers a lot to enjoy.

To learn more about Cheryl, please see her bio below compliments of Mike Bender Golf Academy (https://www.mikebender.com/cheryl-anderson/)

Cheryl Anderson brings a unique combination of teaching and playing skills to the Mike Bender Golf Academy in Lake Mary, FL. She is a two-time LPGA National Teacher of the Year (2006 and 2023). She is currently one of Golf Digest’s 50 Best Teachers in America. GOLF Magazine has recognized her as one of America’s Top 100 Teachers since 2013 and She is also one of the LPGA’s Top 50 Teachers.
A native of Connecticut, Cheryl taught in the Metropolitan New York area from 1992-2007. She was recognized by the Metropolitan PGA Section in 2007 as the Teacher of the Year and was one of the first instructors in the world to be certified as a golf coach by the Certified Golf Coaches Association. More recently, Anderson was named the 2020 North Florida PGA Section Teacher of the Year.
Cheryl has taught several top 100 juniors in the country including a number one ranked junior girl whom she had taught for nearly a decade. She also coached the Lake Mary Prep Girls Golf team to two state championship victories in Florida including a national record 14-under-par performance in an 18-hole event. 
 In 2004, she earned the Met PGA Section Womens’ Player of the Year award for a record fifth consecutive season. More recently she tied for 17th at the 2021 U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Brooklawn C.C. in Fairfield, CT on rounds of 74- 76-71-72. Her 16 birdies for the week were second to only the championship’s winner Annika Sorenstam.
Her play in 2002 was historic as she became the first women to win all three of the Metropolitan PGA women’s events in one season: The Metropolitan Women’s Open, the Met Women’s Stroke Play Championship and the Met Women’s Match Play Championship. She also was runner-up in the LPGA’s National Club Professional Championship in Southern Pines, North Carolina and in the LPGA’s Northeast Section Championship in Manassas, Virginia. 
Another professional highlight for Anderson was being named The Journal-News Suburban Golfer Magazine’s “Golfer of the Year” in 2001. Her season that year included making the cut at the LPGA Tour’s Betsy King Classic in Pennsylvania (the only teaching professional to make a cut on the LPGA Tour that season) and winning her first Metropolitan Woman’s Open.
A graduate of Rutgers University, Anderson competed on the golf team for four years, including two as team captain. Before turning professional in 1992, she qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur and U.S. Women’s Public Links Championships.
Anderson has authored numerous instruction articles in all of the major golf publications including Golf Digest, Met Golfer Magazine and Golf Digest Woman Magazine. Her first book Teach Yourself Visually Golf was published in 2007. She also has appeared multiple times on Golf Channel’s instruction programs including The Golf Fix and Swing Expedition.
Contact Coach Mo
@coachmogolfpro
www.coachmogolfpro.com
mgesualdi@stjohnsgolf.com

The Golf Academy at St. Johns
Located at St. Johns Golf & CC in St. Augustine/St. Johns, FL
@thegolfacademy_st.johns
www.stjohnsgolf.com

Today's episode we welcome CEO & Founder of Ladies Executive Golf Society (LEGS), Jillian Johnson to the show. LEGS is a women's empowerment businsess that launced in 2018 with the initiative to use golf as a platform to "build business, forge friendships, and connect on a deeper level," (www.ladiesexecutivegolfsociety.com).

"We are seeking to change the paradigm not only on the golf course, but in the business world as well.   Rather than fitting into tradition, we felt that women were craving a different experience of golf, designed specifically for women. We are on a mission to create a welcoming, inclusive, female-friendly platform for women to grow professionally and personally through the game of golf." (www.ladiesexectutivegolfsociety.com)
Jillian is going to tell us all about LEGS, why and how she started it, and the vision of LEGS and how it can be the connection of the future of women in golf to their begining.

Emily Atkinson, a member of LEGS Jacksonville, also joins the show to talk about her involvement with LEGS and her upcoming event, LEGS Goes Red with Coach Mo, and how since 2004, the American Heart Association's “Go Red for Women” initiative has addressed the awareness and clinical care gaps of cardiovascular disease.

LEGS, American Heart, Playing Through Performance, & Coach Mo at The Golf Academy of St. Johns are teaming up for this event to raise awareness about women's health and women's golf businesses, and have a blast doing it with fun competitions and prizes from Taylormade Golf as well as a raffle full of local goodies from local women's businesses like F45 Bartram Park, Casey Hayes with Golden Effervescence, The Golf Academy at St. Johns, LEGS, and more!

To get involved as a local women's business, attend the event, or donate to our American Heart campain, please see the links below:
LEGS GOES RED w/ COACH MO registration: https://ladiesexecutivegolfsociety.com/event-5614386

If you are unable to attend, you can still support LEGS Member Emily Atkinson and AHA’s “Go Red for Women” initiative by donating here: https://www2.heart.org/site/TR/GoRedforWomen/GSA-GreaterSoutheastAffiliate?pg=team&fr_id=10473&team_id=837497#loaded

LEGS Goes Red w/ Coach Mo: Women’s Golf Launch & Awareness Day
Date: Saturday, March 23rd
Time: 12:30pm-2:30pm
Location: The Golf Academy at St. John’s
Attire: Comfortable golf or workout attire – Preferably red!

Come learn, support and network with several local women’s and girl’s golf organizations for the benefit of the American Heart Association!

Please join us for a women’s golf launch and heart disease awareness event featuring LEGS, Coach Mo, Playing Through Performance, and Welcome2Golf! We're bringing together communities of women and girls to raise awareness about how they can empower and learn from each other's initiatives with the goal of amplifying each cause's impact through the platform of golf.

All proceeds will benefit the American Heart Association’s (AHA) “Go Red for Women” Women of Impact Campaign. Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women. Since 2004, the AHA’s “Go Red for Women” initiative has addressed the awareness and clinical care gaps of cardiovascular disease.

Admission includes a complimentary golf clinic, competitions, raffles, refreshments, educational sessions, and more!

Tickets: $30 per person.


@ladiesexecutivegolfsociety
@legsgolfjax
@emilyatkinson10
@playingthroughperformance
Contact Coach Mo
@coachmogolfpro
www.coachmogolfpro.com
mgesualdi@stjohnsgolf.com

The Golf Academy at St. Johns
Located at St. Johns Golf & CC in St. Augustine/St. Johns, FL
@thegolfacademy_st.johns
www.stjohnsgolf.com

Coach Mo sits down with her alma matter, the Furman Women's Golf Coaching Staff, Coach Jeff Hull, PGA, and Mackenzie Raim, aka Coach Mac to discuss all things about this Division I Program.  

Furman, ranked in or slightly outside the Top-50 in Division I Women's Golf is a small liberal arts school with a reputation of a fantastic women's golf program. Incredible Hall-of-Famers and/or LPGA Players of the Year like Betsy King, Beth Daniel, Dottie Pepper are former Furman Women's Golf grads as well as former Nike Golf Ceo, Cindy Davis.  2020 Annika Award Winner and former #1 college player in the USA, Natalie Srinivasian and now two-time Annika Watch-list player, who just earned her seventh career college victory, finds her name amongst the list of legendary women to come out of Furman.  

What's even more incredible about Furman, is it's ability to develop really smart, academically strong girls who are average to above average junior golfers into much stronger players throughout the time at Furman.  Furman has one of the best golf facilities in the country, located right outside the back gate of campus. It's facilities include Bent and Bermuda grass greens, bunkers, indoor/outdoor facility, SAM Putt Studio, Trackman, Flightscope, Swing Catalyst, and an area to hit into an actual green from 200 yards and in.

Furman's Jeff Hull is a former talented player himself for the University of Georgia, and Coach Mac a former three-time collegiate winner for UNLV, make-up the coaching staff. Coach Jeff is a PGA intructor and has a phenomenal sense of coaching the full-swing, while Coach Mac is referred to as the "short-game guru."  The team often collaborate with former Furman Women's Golf Alum, Dawn Woodard, who is now a mental performance coach and assists the team on their mental performance.  With all of this accessable and right on Furman's beautiful campus, players truly get the whole package as a student-athlete at Furman. 

Coach Mac and Coach Jeff answer Coach's Mo's questions as well as offer advice to players and parents throughout the recuriting process. This is an episode you surely do not want to miss!

@furmanwgolf
@mackenzieraim
Contact Coach Mo
@coachmogolfpro
www.coachmogolfpro.com
mgesualdi@stjohnsgolf.com

The Golf Academy at St. Johns
Located at St. Johns Golf & CC in St. Augustine/St. Johns, FL
@thegolfacademy_st.johns
www.stjohnsgolf.com

Today's episode features an All-Star line-up of Furman Univeristy fifth-year senior, Anna Morgan who just earned her seventh career collegiate victory in the Purdue Puerto Ricp Classic the day before.  Joining Anna on today's episode are members of her team, Joe Hallett, recently crowned the 2024 PGA Teacher & Coach of the Year, as well as Anna's long-time mental performance coach, Dawn Woodward.  Anna's team has come together for this episode to share their roles, stories, and importance of the team coming together to assist Anna in from her fantastic Furman career, to transitioning to the "big time" on the LPGA Tour following the completion of her collegiate career.

Anna, Joe, and Dawn have all previously been guests on the "Coach Mo Golf Show," be sure to catch-up on thier episodes to learn more about each of them!

@furmanwgolf
@annac_morgan
@judgment_matters
@dawnwoodard10





Contact Coach Mo
@coachmogolfpro
www.coachmogolfpro.com
mgesualdi@stjohnsgolf.com

The Golf Academy at St. Johns
Located at St. Johns Golf & CC in St. Augustine/St. Johns, FL
@thegolfacademy_st.johns
www.stjohnsgolf.com

The "Coach Mo Golf Show" welcomes America's Top-50 Instructor, Erika Larkin to the show.  Erika was primarily self-taught for a majority of her junior golf career, earned her way to play college golf at James Madison where she graduated in 2002 with a B.S. in Marketing.
Erika began her golf career working for the American Golf Corporation, in management, but along the way she was "roped into some teaching by Steve Loesher, PGA Director of Instruction at one of the properties and loved it," as she states on her bio. Erika became a PGA Class A Member in 2006 while working at International Country Club in Fairfax, Virginia. Four years later she opened the Larkin Golf Learning Community at Stonewall Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia where two short years later she earned 2012 MAPGA Teacher of the Year and recognized nationally as one of Golf Digest's "Best Young Teachers.
Her career took off and she became the first Director of Instruction at The Club at Creighton Farms in Aldie, Virignia where she then wrote her first book, "A True Swing." On today's episoe, Erika shares her how and why she started her book as well as her journey on social media which she now has over 150,000 followers!
Another first happened for Erika in May of 2021 when she attended her first PGA Tour event, as a Coach as her player, Larkin Gross (no relation),  qualified for the PGA Championship at Kiawah. Erika went onto win 2022  "PGA Professional National Player of the Year" Award! 
Erika has been hiired as one of Golf Digest's "teaching staff" as a regular contributor and was voted by her peers as one of the "Golf Digest Top50 Teachers in America" (#46) and  #1 again in the state of Virginia (2022-23)!  Most recently Erika was named Top 100 Teacher by Golf Magazine (2024-25)!

"I'm so honored and thrilled to be in the company of so many great coaches and to continue to do what I love everyday at an amazing home base. All of this makes me want to work even harder and see how else I can continue to grow!" -Erika Larkin.

Erika will dive into her book, her business, and her blessings on Season 2, Episode of "The Coach Mo Golf Show"

@erikalarkingolf
www.erikalarkin.com
Contact Coach Mo
@coachmogolfpro
www.coachmogolfpro.com
mgesualdi@stjohnsgolf.com

The Golf Academy at St. Johns
Located at St. Johns Golf & CC in St. Augustine/St. Johns, FL
@thegolfacademy_st.johns
www.stjohnsgolf.com