ATLANTA – Georgia State women’s golf coach Cathy Mant, who has led the program to unprecedented success over the last 19 years, announced her retirement from the program on Monday.
Mant, who was hired as the first-ever full-time women’s golf coach in 2000, led the Panthers to five conference championships during her tenure while 34 student-athletes earned all-conference recognition.
Along with the five conference championships, Mant led Georgia State to five conference runner-up finishes and six NCAA Regional appearances. She is a six-time conference coach of the year and helped guide Georgia State’s first individual ever to the NCAA Championship. Her teams have won 21 tournaments and she has guided 22 student-athletes to low medalist honors.
“I have been extremely blessed to work with so many great young ladies and members of the Georgia State staff over the last 19 years,” Mant said. “I have so many great memories that I will forever cherish. Georgia State has meant so much to my family and I and we will forever be grateful for all of the opportunities this great University has provided us over the years.”
Mant’s team made its best run toward the NCAA Championship in 2008-09 when it climbed as high as No. 27 in the national rankings, posting a school-record six wins. With a CAA Championship victory, the Panthers traveled to the NCAA East Regional where they finished ninth of 21, just one spot shy of qualifying for the school’s first trip to the NCAA Championship.
The game of golf has been a part of Mant’s life for nearly as long as she can remember. Her collegiate golfing career reached its pinnacle in 1970 when Mant won the individual title of what was then called the Division of Girls and Women’s Sports Championship, now known as the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship.
After her collegiate days came to an end, Mant played on the LPGA Tour from 1976 to 1986. Mant’s best finish on the Tour was third at the Rail Charity Championship in Springfield, Ill. She played in 10 U.S. Women’s Opens, as well as each major on the LPGA Tour. Mant was highly involved in the LPGA player government and served as a player representative to the LPGA Board of Directors as well as the President of the LPGA Tournament Division in 1985.
When she finished her LPGA career, Mant decided to devote her time and energy to a full-time teaching career. She developed a strong following of students, many of whom have gone on to play collegiate golf at such universities as Stanford, Southern California, Oregon, Arizona State, Tennessee, San Jose State, and Ohio State. Mant is a Class A member of both the LPGA Tour, the Teaching and CP Division, and has served on the United States Girls’ Junior Committee. Mant continues to teach at Eagle’s Landing Country Club, home of the John Kirk Panther Intercollegiate. In 2002, Mant was named one of Golf For Women’s “Top 50 Teachers.”
Mant is also a member of the Golf Coaches Hall of Fame, an induction that came in 1989. In 1999, Mant co-authored “Golf Coaches Guide to Success,” a manuscript designed to help high school golf coaches prepare members of their golf teams for the college golf experience.
Mant received another high honor in 2015 by being named the coach for the United States Girls in the Toyota World Junior Golf Championship in Japan, wearing the red, white and blue of the USA flag proudly.
She also received the Ike Grainger Award in 2014 from the USGA for her 25 years of service to junior women’s golf.
Georgia State’s season came to an end last week at the Sun Belt Conference Championship where sophomore Chloe Howard earned a top 25 finish.