Bio

Melanie Gray Walker was instrumental in lifting the Tennessee Tech women’s golf program not only to two Ohio Valley Conference championships, but building it into a highly competitive collegiate golf program under coach Bobby Nichols between 1991 and 1995.

“Melanie was one of the two players, along with Lisa Phipps, who really made our program competitive and helped us to become Ohio Valley Conference champions,” said Nichols, himself a member of the TTU Sports Hall of Fame. “They came into our program and really distinguished themselves, and they set the standards for our women’s golf team to follow.

“They lifted us into a bona fide collegiate team that could compete successfully on the regional level and represent the university in a top-notch manner,” Nichols said.

A 1995 chemical engineering graduate from Niota, Tenn., Walker was named to nine all-tournament teams in her career, the school record when she left the program. She was also a two-time all-OVC selection, the only two years the league named such a post-season squad during her career.

Walker helped Tech win the league’s first-ever women’s golf championship in 1994 as a junior. She won the team’s Low Average Award (82.5), and also was named the team’s MVP. She also received the Most Dedicated Player Award.

The following year she came through with a repeat performance for an unprecedented second consecutive crown.

As a senior co-captain, Walker was instrumental in leading Tech to its second consecutive OVC championship and posted the lowest average (80.0) on the team in 15 tournament rounds. Winner of the team’s Longest Hitter Award as well as the Low Average Award, she earned four all-tournament honors as a senior, in addition to claiming all-OVC honors. She led the team in four tournaments and was second on the squad (behind Phipps) in five events.

Walker came to Tech after playing four seasons on the boy’s high school team at McMinn County High School. She earned the team’s MVP honors as a senior and became the youngest player to reach the finals of the Women’s State Amateur.