Piedmont College Women's Golf

Rowland who joined the Green and Gold after obtaining a wealth of athletic experience at a variety of levels.  Coach Rowland has spent time in the high school ranks, the world of collegiate golf in Georgia, and has professional playing experience having participated in events with the PGA Champions Tour, the Georgia PGA, and professional mini-tours around Atlanta.   In his debut season with the programs, Rowland helped the mens squad to the programs first-ever appearance in the USA South Championship Tournament sparked by the performance of newcomer Sam Hill, the leagues Rookie of the Year in 2014-15.    The Lions started out the year strong posting a runner-up finish in their own event at the Orchard, but the highlight perhaps came in the teams anticipated trip to play in the Bermuda Collegiate Invitational where PC finished 3rd as a team with one its own in veteran Joseph Morris moving up on the 3rd and final day to finish in a three-way tie for 1st at the event.   Despite the success on the mens side, Rowlands tutelage was perhaps most  evident with the womens program as he helped senior Cortney Boggs to perhaps one of the more memorable career finishes for any Lady Lion golfer as she posted a medalist showing in the final event of her career needing a sand save up-and-down shot on the third hole of a playoff to win a dual match with Oglethorpe at the Orchard.    With Rowland guiding the squad, Boggs posted three straight top ten finishes including a top-five showing at the Emmanuel Spring Invitational as the graduate capped her career with eight top ten showings and six top five finishes to her name. Rowland brings plenty of instructional knowledge with him to the Green and Gold as he has directed several Junior Golf Programs and Clinics including the Northeast Georgia Junior Golf Clinic that he founded seven years ago and for which is still the Head Instructor. For two years, Rowland assisted in the pre-planning and development of the inaugural men's and women's golf programs at then-North Georgia College and State University, now the University of North Georgia, a NCAA Division II member located in Dahlonega, Georgia.  Working with the college's athletic director at the time, Rowland used his network of connections throughout the Southeast to assist the program plans conferring with Tom Shaw, former Head Men's Golf Coach at Vanderbilt University, and also Mike Carlisle, Head Men's Golf Coach at USC-Aiken and winners of three straight national championships at the Division II level from 2004 to 2006.   In addition to his experience with the pre-planning and development of a NCAA Division II golf program, Rowland also spent time as an Assistant Professional with nearby Achasta Golf Club where he coordinated and instructed the Junior Golf Program.  Rowland was also responsible for course operations during his time at Achasta and received corporate training in customer service and client relations.    This opportunity also gave Rowland a chance to observe and study such legends of the game like 1973 Masters Champion Tommy Aaron, a Gainesville-based honorary member of the Saints' upstart programs at North Georgia.   While with Achasta, Rowland earned experience in tournament management as well helping to host various Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA) events like the Georgia State Junior Sectional Championship, the Georgia Junior Championship, and the Women's Top 60 State.  Rowland also was the Chairman of the Northeast Junior Sectional and a Rules Committee Official with the Georgia State Golf Association.   It was during his time at Achasta when Rowland became familiar with the potential that lie within the Piedmont golf programs as he observed the Piedmont College Fall and Spring Invitationals, two tournaments now approaching a decade of existence for PC.  The exposure of Piedmont golf through the events made its way into Rowland's scope of golf in the state of Georgia, a landscape that he has scouted for the better part of a decade.    In addition to his work on the game in a managerial role, Rowland's professional playing experience has included such events as the Regions Charity Classic in Birmingham, the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn in Conover, the Administaff Small Business Classic in Houston, and the Boeing Classic in Seattle.    To go with his success on the course, it was Rowland's prowess on the baseball diamond during his collegiate days that led to his 2001 induction into the University of West Georgia Hall of Fame.  According to the release on Rowland's entrance into the Hall:  "In an era when the West Georgia Braves baseball program produced many stars, few shown as brightly as Parker Rowland." (Courtesy of uwgsports.com)   Having spent his time in the outfield, Rowland was named a NCAA Division II All-American claiming back-to-back batting championships in his two-year stint with the West Georgia baseball program.  The first of those two crowns saw the power hitter stroke a .409 average while he followed that up with a triple-crown performance leading the 1981 Braves in batting average, home runs, and RBIs.    Twice named a South Atlantic All-Conference Team honoree, Rowland went on to sign with the MLB's own Detroit Tigers before hanging up his spikes.  Prior to his time at West Georgia, Rowland also played for South Georgia College in the Junior College ranks where he was an All-Southeastern District Team honoree in Region XVII.    Rowland is no stranger to the world of management in athletics as he spent time as the Athletic Director and Head Golf Coach at Westminster Christian School here in Georgia.  Rowland started both the golf program and the school's football program from the ground up organizing the complete funding of both programs while also working to establish new facilities for the small private Georgia high school.    Rowland earned his Associates degree in Physical Education before moving on to complete his Bachelor of Science in the same field from then-West Georgia College in 1982.  He also completed Officer Candidate School while serving in the U.S. Army with several additional military accomplishments to his name including Survival Training and the Officer Advanced Course. While working with the Lion and Lady Lions on the links, Rowland will assist Head Coach Michael McMunn with all facets of the Piedmont golf programs. 

McMunn who comes to Demorest from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, an area familiar with championship collegiate golf.  McMunn brings varied experience to his first head coaching stint at the collegiate level having served as a club pro and assistant director while also having completed an internship with the University of Alabama mens golf team, a program which took home back-to-back National Championships in 2013 & 2014.   In his third season directing Piedmonts golf programs, McMunn guided his mens squad to the programs first-ever appearance in the USA South Championship Tournament sparked by the performance of newcomer Sam Hill, the leagues Rookie of the Year in 2014-15.    The Lions started out the year strong posting a runner-up finish in their own event at  the Orchard, but the highlight perhaps came in the teams anticipated trip to play in the Bermuda Collegiate Invitational where PC finished 3rd as a team with one its own in veteran Joseph Morris moving up on the 3rd and final day to finish in a three-way tie for 1st at the event.   On the womens side, it was the season of Cortney Boggs as the graduating senior put together perhaps one of the more memorable career finishes for any Lady Lion golfer posting a medalist showing in the final event of her career needing a sand save up-and-down shot on the third hole of a playoff to win a dual match with Oglethorpe at the Orchard.    With McMunn as her mentor, Boggs posted three straight top ten finishes including a top-five showing at the Emmanuel Spring Invitational as the graduate capped her career with eight top ten showings and six top five finishes to her name.   McMunns second season at the helm was highlighted by a season-opening tourney win by his Lady Lions at the Montgomery Country Club Invitational hosted by fellow USA South member Huntingdon College.  The team saw program star Katarina Hodge lay claim to the individual title with an event-best 159, 13-over par in the two-round affair, while three Lady Lions finished in the top ten to help give Piedmont the team championship as well. Hodge went on to later post a performance to remember playing well again at the Golfweek NCAA Fall Preview tying for 15th with her 3-round total of 233 including a final round 74, 2-over par. On the mens side, McMunn again saw his team start out fast as the team placed 3rd at their own event hosted by the Orchard Golf & Country Club in Clarkesville, the 8th Annual Piedmont College Fall Invitational.  It was at that season-opening event when youngster Jake Forbes made his presence known to the collegiate golf world earning medalist honors for his top-five finish, a performance he followed up just four days later by shooting a 1-over opening round 73 at the Tom Kinder Memorial helping PC to an 8th place finish of 18 teams at the prestigious event.   Taking over a program fresh off back-to-back conference championships, McMunn hit the ground running in his first season at the helm in Demorest leading his teams to a pair of tournament titles to go with eight top-5 finishes.  His golfers also saw individual success on the links in 2012-13 with womens golfer Katarina Hodge earning a trio of individual medalist honors to go with a strong showing at the Golfweek NCAA Fall Preview, an event featuring 15 of the top-ranked Division III teams in the nation and held at the site of the 2013 National Championships.   McMunns last post was at Ol Colony Golf Complex, the home of the Crimson Tide golf programs in Tuscaloosa.  Spending the last four years as the Assistant Director of the First Tee of Tuscaloosa at Ol Colony, McMunn also spent time as an assistant pro with the club under John Gray Jr., a PGA Apprentice.   In 2010, McMunn served an internship learning from some of the nations best collegiate golf coaches in Alabama Head Coach Jay Seawell and then-Crimson Tide Assistant Coach Scott Limbaugh.  Formerly the Head Golf Coach at conference member Huntingdon College and now at Vanderbilt as the Head Golf Coach, Limbaugh mentored McMunn along with Coach Seawell in some of the games most effective work out drills and practice set-ups the same techniques that helped Seawell lead his Crimson Tide to a national titles just three years later.    In addition to his internship with the national powerhouse out of the Southeastern Conference, McMunn has also spent the last six summers as a coach and instructor at summer camps and clinics at the University of Alabama with Head Coach Jay Seawell.  While on the course, McMunn has mentored some of the nations most elite talent developing a keen eye for the key ingredients of successful golfers at the collegiate level.   While in Alabama at Ol Colony, McMunn was also vital to the creation of the West Alabama Junior Tour starting the program in 2011 serving as the organizations director in its foundational days.  Having spent his own junior playing days in Alabama, McMunn was a 2005 graduate of Ardmore High School playing throughout the state known for its scenic courses and nationally recognized programs.   With professional playing experience to his name, McMunn spent his playing days on the Dixie Section PGA from 2009-2010 posting his best finish in the 2009 E-Z-GO Pro-Pro held at the Capitol Hill Senator Course at Ol Colony.  McMunn finished tied for 15th at three under for the tournament, besting more than 20 competitors at the professional event. McMunn carries certification as a Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) Certified Level I Golf Fitness Instructor and is Level 2 Golf Mechanics certified as well.   The Athens, AL native graduated from the University of Alabama in 2010 with a degree in Human Performance Exercise Science. McMunn also owns professional memberships in both the Golf Coaches Association of America and the Women's Golf Coaches Association.