Hatcher Making History At CSU

Columbus, GA - Leslie Hatcher took some golf lessons from Columbus State head coach Mark Immelman. Immelman is head coach of the men’s team and and Hatcher asked Mark about CSU starting a women’s program. After three times of asking, she got a call from CSU Athletics Director Jay Sparks, who checked into Hatcher’s eligibility. Leslie was getting her masters degree in health care public administration, and found out she had one year of college athletic eligibility. So at 54 years old Leslie Hatcher was a collegiate golfer.

And the rest has been, history in the making. As last month she became the first woman to hit a golf shot in CSU women’s golf history, teeing off first, in the first tournament of the year. “This is not going to come your way again, so I said, well you know, sign me up,“ Hatcher said.

“ We were trying get to eight golfers, we had to get that number,“ head women’s coach Brian Padgett said. “She jokes she was number eight, but I respect her so much and what she is doing I thought, why not let her be the first to hit for this program. Certainly the age, everyone wonders about the age, but I don’t see it, she is just another player to me.“

“ I think America is the land of opportunity, and I thought what a great story for an opening program,“ Immelman said. “Someone like Leslie who has such a vibrant and bubbly personality.“

“ I will tell you what surprised me is that it never occurred to me that my age would matter,“ Hatcher said.

Hatcher says she does not try to be a mother to the girls, even though she is old enough to be their mother. She wants to be another member of the team, and if they asked for advice she will help out. “These girls are in college they need to make their own mistakes, I know I made mine,“ Hatcher said. “I would not want my mom at my college so I try not to be theirs.“

Hatcher graduated from UGA, in 1977, worked as a para-legal, raised a family, (she has a 15 year old son and 3 adult step-daughters), has a house broker business, remodeled houses, ran an antique booth, and now golfer in college. “As my mother would say, ‘I’m a jack of all trades, master of none.‘ But I am getting my masters, and a collegiate golfer.
   
“You know maybe I name a tournament after her one day, who knows,“ Padgett said. “But if she takes nothing from it, she hit the first shot in CSU women’s history.“

“You are never too old to learn something new,“ Hatcher said. “But the one thing I know I will never be able to do is sing.“

But she did say she wants to learn to play the violin, wouldn’t you know, Columbus State has a great music department.