Tulane University Women's Golf

Andrea Kaelin enters her second season with the Tulane after being named the Green Wave's head women's golf coach in July of 2023. Kaelin came to NOLA after ...

Don was tabbed as the fifth head golf coach in the program's history on July 12, 2013. In his first three seasons at the helm, Don has led the Green Wave to consecutive appearances in the NCAA Championships (2014 and 2015), three NCAA Regional appearances, one conference championship and three tournament titles. Individually, Tulane players have earned all-conference honors a total of eight times and the Wave has posted a combined 24 top-10 finishes and 13 top-five efforts. Under his direction, Tulane players have recorded the lowest round (271/-17), the lowest 36-hole total (560/-16) and the lowest 54-hole total (851/-13) in school history.   In 2015-16, Dons Green Wave squad posted three top-five finishes in the spring and missed out on the NCAA Championships by a single stroke after a seventh-place showing at the NCAA Bryan Regional. Senior Emily Penttila garnered first-team all-conference team recognition by the American Athletic Conference for the second year in a row after posting the Waves lowest stroke average in program history (72.97). She finished tied for second at the Hurricane Invitational with the lowest 54-hole score (204/-9) in program history. Classmate Madison Opfer also finished tied for second in a spring tournament doing so in the LSU Tiger Golf Classic.   Penttila closed out her illustrious career with the lowest four-year stroke average in program history at 73.53. In 2014-15, Don led the Green Wave to a fifth-place finish in NCAA Regional play and to a 16th-place effort in the NCAA Championships. Tulane posted five top five finishes, including a tie for first place at the prestigious Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational, and the Wave ranked as high as No. 23 by Golfstat.com. Penttila and senior Gemma Dryburgh each earned first-team all-conference honors by The American. During his first season in New Orleans, Don led a team featuring one junior, three sophomores and two freshmen to a 15th-place finish at the NCAA Championships and a seventh-place finish at the NCAA East Regional and became just the second coach in school history to lead the team to the national championship round during his rookie season. The 2013-14 Conference USA and Louisiana Coach of the Year, Don guided also guided the team to the 2014 C-USA title. TU's line-up boasted five All C-USA players, including Penttila, the 2014 C-USA and Louisiana Golfer of the Year and All-America Scholar, and all-conference first team members Penttila and Dryburgh. A pair of sophomores, Opfer and Silvia Garces, were named second team all-conference, while rookie Belen Goicoechea was tabbed to the All C-USA third team. Under Don's tutelage, Garces was also earned C-USA's Most Improved award, while Penttila, Dryburgh and Garces also earned All-Louisiana first team merits. Over his three seasons, Green Wave golfers have posted 15 top-10 finishes, including eight finishes among the top five and one tournament title. On the international scene, Don helped Dryburgh to elite status with her selection to the 2014 GB&I Curtis Team, becoming just the third Tulane player to participate in the prestigious Curtis Cup. Penttila played in Women's U.S. Open, while Opfer participated in U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links. Dryburgh (2014) Penttila (2014 and 2016) and Garces (2016) were each selected to represent their respective home countries in the World Amateur Team Championships. In the classroom, three Tulane players earned recognition on the 2014 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll. Don came to Tulane from Michigan State, where he spent 10 seasons as the assistant coach for the Spartans women's golf team. During his time in East Lansing, Don helped Michigan State to 19 tournament wins, six NCAA Championship appearances, 10 consecutive NCAA Regional berths and three Big Ten titles. Michigan State tied Tulane for ninth place at the 2013 NCAA Championships, which marked the Spartans highest finish at the national championships. Don helped guide the Spartans to a school-best third-place effort at the 2004 NCAA Regionals. Michigan State never finished outside the top three teams in the Big Ten during his tenure. Individually, he assisted in the recruitment and coaching of four golfers, who earned All-America honors a combined seven times, and 13 different golfers earned All-Big Ten Conference honors on 21 occasions. Two Spartan golfers achieved Big Ten Player of the Year honors and five golfers were tabbed the MSU Female Athlete of the Year. Off the course, Don helped 21 golfers achieve National Golf Coaches Association Scholar All-American status and five Michigan State golfers represented the school at the World University Games. Along with his coaching duties at Michigan State, Don also directed two nationally competitive Division I golf tournaments, including the Mary Fossom Invitational (East Lansing, Mich.) and the Central District Invitational (Parrish, Fla.). He also played a role in hosting the 2007 Big Ten Championship was the annual co-director of the Spartan Golf Classic and Spartan Golf Camps. Before he entered the coaching ranks, Don was a four-year member of the Spartan men's team from 1999-2003. He earned the school's Best First-Year Player award in 1999-2000 and received MSU's Leadership Award during his senior campaign in 2002-03. Prior to his arrival at Michigan State, Don was a four-year starter at Lawrence Park High School in Toronto, Ontario. Lawrence Park was undefeated all four years Don was a member, also winning the Toronto City Championship each year. Don won the individual city title in 1996 and 1997 and served as the team captain in 1997 and 1998. Don also played hockey in high school, serving as the team captain as a senior. In addition, he won the 1998 AGJA Canadian Junior title. He finished tied for eighth at the 1999 Western Junior Championship and placed third at the 1998 Ontario Golf Association Junior Tournament. A native of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Don received his bachelor's degree in general management from Michigan State in May 2004. Don and his wife, Erin, were married on July 5, 2008. The couple has twins, Carter and Rosalie, who were born on June 27, 2010. Birthdate: June 8, 1980 Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Wife: Erin Son: Carter Daughter: Rosalie Bachelor's degree in general management, Michigan State University, 2004 A member of the Michigan State University men's golf team from 1999-2003 THE LORNE DON FILE PERSONAL EDUCATION PLAYING EXPERIENCE Year School Conference Finish Postseason 2013-14 Tulane (1st) Conference USA (7th) NCAA Regional/(15th) NCAA Champs. 2014-15 Tulane (7th) The American (T5th) NCAA Regional/(T16th) NCAA Champs. 2015-16 Tulane (7th) The American (7th) NCAA Regional Total 3 seasons 1 Conference Title 3 NCAA Regional/2 NCAA Championship Appearances Year School Conference Finish Postseason 2004 Michigan State (3rd) Big Ten (3rd) NCAA Regional/(24th) NCAA Champs. 2005 Michigan State (3rd) Big Ten (7th) NCAA Regional/(17th) NCAA Champs. 2006 Michigan State (3rd) Big Ten (9th) NCAA Regional 2007 Michigan State (1st) Big Ten (8th) NCAA Regional/(16th) NCAA Champs. 2008 Michigan State (2nd) Big Ten (11th) NCAA Regional 2009 Michigan State (2nd) Big Ten (5th) NCAA Regional/(t-13th) NCAA Champs. 2010 Michigan State (2nd) Big Ten (10th) NCAA Regional 2011 Michigan State (1st) Big Ten (11th) NCAA Regional 2012 Michigan State (1st) Big Ten (t-6th) NCAA Regional/(20th) NCAA Champs. 2013 Michigan State (3rd) Big Ten (8th) NCAA Regional/(t-9th) NCAA Champs. Total 10 seasons 3 Big Ten Titles 10 NCAA Regionals/6 NCAA Champs. Appearances

Ornella Arrizon enters her first season as the assistant coach of the Tulane women's golf program after being hired in June of 2025. Arrizon joins the Green ...