ATHENS, Ga. — Emilie Meason, a four-time All-American as the former Emilie Burger, is returning to Georgia Golf as volunteer coach, head coach Josh Brewer announced on Tuesday.
“It’s a great day for Georgia Golf,” Brewer said. “Just like in recruiting, we try to add talented people to our program, and we’ve added one of the best players in our history. We have one in our assistant coach (Whitney Young), and now we’ve added another one.”
Meason, also a four-time All-SEC performer, was a mainstay of the Bulldogs’ lineup from 2009-13, posting 14 top-10 and 28 top-20 finishes in 43 events played. She was a three-time medalist, securing wins at the 2010 Auburn Invitational, the 2012 Mason Rudolph Championship and the 2013 Bryan National.
“I’m super excited about this,” Meason said. “To be able to come back and represent Georgia in a coaching role is just an amazing opportunity. I know I’ll learn a lot from Josh because he’s such a great coach. This is a great way to get my foot in the door for coaching.”
Meason’s career-low round of 6-under 66 is second all-time at Georgia. She posted that score both in the first round of the 2012 Lady Puerto Rico Classic and in the third round of the 2010 Tiger/Wave Invitational. Meason also owns two the top-15 season stroke averages in Georgia history. As a junior, she recorded the No. 9 effort of 73.28, and a senior she notched the No. 14 tally of 73.47.
Burger’s senior season was Brewer’s first with the Bulldogs.
“We had one year together and created a special bond,” Brewer said. “We’ve kept that relationship, and I’m very excited that we’re adding such a talented and energetic person to our program. She wants to help us win that second national title, and it’s neat to have her back trying to live that as a coach versus as a player.”
Following a brief career competing professionally, Meason regained her amateur status in 2015. She qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur that summer and also helped Georgia win the USGA’s Women’s State Team Championship later in the year. This year, she finished eighth in stroke play and reached the round of 16 at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am.
A native of Hoschton, Ga., Meason was a standout junior who advanced to match play at both the 2008 U.S. Girls’ Junior and the 2009 U.S. Women’s Am and participated in the Canon (now Wyndham) Cup.