FRANKLIN, Tenn. – Former Belmont Head Women’s Golf Coach Lissa Bradford has been honored with the PGA Tennessee Section 2024 Distinguished Career Award as announced by the organization on Thursday.

This is second time Lissa has been honored by a Tennessee golf organization.  Earlier this year, she was inducted into the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame. 

Bradford has a resume in Tennessee golf that has spanned five decades.   It started with her being one of the top junior and amateur golfers in the state, but for the past 30 years she has dedicated her life of service to turning the Tennessee Golf Foundation’s junior golf program into one that is envied nationwide.

During her nearly 20 years as the leader of Belmont’s women’s golf program, the Bruins won six team championships, had seven golfers win a total of 12 individual titles, and finished in the top-six of the conference tournament nine times.  The program also produced one conference Player of the Year and nine different players earned All-Conference honors.   In 2011-12, she began a four-year term as a member of the NCAA Women’s Golf Committee.  After her term was completed, she continued her work with the NCAA, serving as a rules official annually at NCAA regional and national championship events.  

Lissa also embraced Belmont’s ideal of crafting true student-athletes as her program earned numerous academic honors.   During her tenure, 15 golfers were named Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-American Scholars, while 49 golfers have earned academic honors from the Ohio Valley and Atlantic Sun Conferences.  In addition, the program earned the NCAA’s APR Recognition Award for 12 consecutive years. 

Bradford starred as a prep golfer at Harpeth Hall, where she won a TSSAA state championship in 1981. She then went on to have a stellar career at the University of Alabama, serving as team captain from 1984-86 and being named a Southeastern Conference Academic All-American as a senior.

Also, while at Alabama, Bradford won two Tennessee Women’s Amateur championships (1983,1985) and qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 1983.

Upon graduation, Bradford received her PGA Class A membership in 1989 and has maintained that professional standing ever since.  Her first job as a golf professional was as the Assistant Golf Professional at Gleneagles Country Club in Texas. She also held Assistant Professional roles at Dallas Country Club and Springhouse Golf Club at Opryland Hotel. She became the Assistant Golf Professional at Belle Meade Country Club in 1990 and stayed there until she joined the Tennessee Golf Foundation in 1995. She now serves as the Senior Director of Junior Golf for the TGF at Golf House Tennessee.

Bradford has served on numerous committees and boards throughout her career in golf, including: Growth of Game Committee for the TPGA, NCAA Women’s Golf Committee Competition Liaison, USGA Regional Associations Committee, Tennessee School for the Blind Golf Program, Special Olympics Golf rules official, PGA Magazine 41 Leaders Platform, and more.

Among some of her awards and recognitions are: 2010 WGCA Gladys Palmer Meritorious Service Award, 2019 PGA Kim Evans Award, 2019 Tennessee Section PGA Bill Strausbaugh Award, 2018 Harpeth Hall Athletic Hall of Fame, 1998 PGA National Junior Golf Leader Award, 1997 and 1998 TPGA Junior Golf Leader Award.

 For more information on the award, go to www.tennpga.com.