Hoosier Women's Golf Camps

Coaching Staff

Clint Wallman
Women's Head Coach
PGA Professional

The Hoosier women's golf team continues to make strides under the direction of fifth-year head coach Clint Wallman as it works its way back among the nation's elite.

Since taking over prior to the 2004-05 season, Wallman has seen marked improvement in the program each season, going from a 10th-place finish at the Big Ten Championships in 2004, to a fourth-place showing this past year.

The Hoosiers also made their second-straight NCAA postseason appearance in 2008 with a trip to the NCAA East Regional. Anita Gahir became the second player under Wallman's tutelage to earn All-Big Ten honors, and Lauren Harling was the individual medalist at the Mountain View Invitational, giving IU the individual winner at the event for the second-straight season. Harling's triumph, along with a third-round 68 from Gahir, allowed Indiana to pick up its second team victory in as many seasons. The team's two-round score of 586 at Mountain View ranks fourth on the all-time list, and the three-round score of 880 is second.

In 2008 the team lowered its stroke average yet again, dropping to 305.00, more than 19 strokes lower than Wallman's first season at the helm. Gahir's season average of 76.16 resides just outside the team's all-time top 10, and no fewer than five golfers finished with a scoring average of 77.61 or below this past year.

The first major break though for Wallman and his staff came in 2007 as Indiana made its first NCAA?Championships appearance since the 1997-98 season.

In fact, the 06-07 season was one for the record books. Elaine Harris had a breakout season for IU, recording three top-10 finishes, including her first career victory. After opening the season with a third-place finish at the Badger Invitational, Harris tallied a school-record three-round score of 209 to take medalist honors at the Mountain View Collegiate. Included in that score was a career-best round of 69, a mark she hit three times on the season. It was her seventh-place finish at the NCAA?Central Regional that helped lead the Hoosiers to their 10th NCAA?Championships appearance.

Wallman's freshman trio of Kellye Belcher, Laura Nochta and Gahir wrapped up their first year of competition as the No. 1-ranked freshman class in the country, according to GolfStat's Freshman Class Impact Rating. The three competed in all 12 tournaments, and Belcher finished the year leading the team in scoring average (76.51). All three topped the previous school record for freshman stroke average, and Gahir was the top Indiana finisher at both the Big Ten Championships (15th) and the NCAA?Championships (81st).

The team's first-place finish at the Badger Invitational marked the program's first title under Wallman and its first victory since 2004.

At the UNLV?Spring Invitational, Indiana's first-round 3-under par 285 was just one shot off the program low. IU also matched that score in the second round. Its final score of 864 (285-285-294) shattered the previous program low for a three-round tournament (885), which had been set in 2003.

Over the course of the year the team recorded two of the top three single-round scores in school history, three of the top five two-round scores (including a school-record 570 at UNLV), and three of the top five three-round scores.

Competing at the NCAA?Central Regional for the first time in his tenure, Wallman's crew blew through the University of Michigan Golf Course to finish fourth. It was the program's best finish at a regional since a tie for third in 1997-98.

During the 2005-06 season, numerous players on the squad made great strides under Wallman's tutelage. The Hoosiers turned in a sixth-place performance at the Big Ten Championship. Their four-round total of 1,214 was the then-fifth-best 72-hole mark in program history, and the Hoosiers also turned in the then-eighth-best 18-hole total on the second day, 292, as well as the then-10th-best 36-hole total, 592, and the then-eighth-best 54-hole mark, 893.

Basically, the numbers speak for themselves. Since taking over the program, Wallman's teams have posted 29 top-10 finishes, including 10 in 2007-08. The Hoosiers have leapt from a No. 149 ranking his first season, to 43rd nationally in 2006-07, and 46th in 2007-08.

Wallman came to IU after the 2004 campaign when he helped the University of New Mexico to back-to-back NCAA Women's Golf Tournament appearances. While at UNM, he helped the Lobos to new heights. In 2003-04, the Lobos won four regular season tournaments and were nationally ranked among the top 10 for 33 consecutive weeks, including a lofty No. 3 ranking in March 2004.

Prior to his tenure at New Mexico, Wallman served as the teaching professional at Indian Canyon Golf Club in Spokane, Wash., and operated his own golf school. While the owner-operator of the Clint Wallman Golf School from 1996 to 2002, Wallman developed and conducted all instructional programs. During this time of his career, Wallman also volunteered his time to the Spokane Youth Sports Association and various elementary and high school teams in the area.

Wallman has also been lauded as one of the premier golf instructors in the Pacific Northwest. He is a four-time Inland Empire PGA Teacher of the Year (1996-98 and 2000), two-time Pacific Northwest PGA Teacher of the Year (1998-99) and the 1999 Pacific Northwest PING Clubfitter of the Year. Golf Digest and Golf Magazine have twice ranked Wallman among the Top 10 Teachers in Washington state, and in 2003, Golf Digest named Wallman among the top 10 teachers in the region and top 50 in America.

Wallman is also a frequent lecturer for PGA of America on teaching and the development of video in teaching golf. His main focus in most of his lectures is the potential that computer-aided video has in developing the innate talent of any golfer. Just as he has been recognized for his teaching skills, Wallman has received just as many laurels as a player.

The 1990 Chrysler National Putting Champion and Pacific Northwest Regional Putting Champion, Wallman also placed 30th at the 1997 Dave Pelz World Putting Championship.

Wallman twice qualified for the U.S. Open Sectional, in 1998 and 2001, and he also won the 1994 Spalding Shootout, the 1999 Inland Empire PGA Championship and the 2002 Rossland Trail Open Championship.

A 1985 graduate of Washington State University with a bachelor's degree in physical education, Wallman was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. The two-time captain won the 1984 Washington State Invitational title and still ranks among the Cougars' all-time leaders in top-10 finishes. He served as an assistant coach for the Cougars in 1984-85.

Wallman and his wife, Julie, have two daughters, Katie (24) and Chris (22), who are both IU?graduates. During their free time, the family enjoys skiing and kayaking.