Sue started playing golf at the age of four with her parents and her brother. When she was just 14 she won the Ionia Country Club Women’s Club Championship, and went on to repeat the next year when she was 15. A trailblazer, Sue competed one year on the Ionia High School Boys’ golf Team. At Ionia, she became a 4-sport letter winner, and was on the 1975 MSHAA State Champion Track team, competing in the mile relay. Sue graduated 4th in her class.
After high school Sue went to Michigan State University where she really excelled. During her freshman year, Sue competed on both the basketball and golf teams, however golf was her passion. She won the individual Big Ten Golf Championship in both her sophomore and junior years (1977 and 1978), and also helped her Spartan team win three Big Ten team titles. (GR golf Champion Joan Garety was also a member of those 3 Championship teams). She was named All-America in 1979 and in the same year was named MSU’s first-ever SportsWoman of the year. Sue won three straight Spring Lake (Mich.) Invitational Match play championships ’78-’80. Sue graduated with a degree in Accounting.
After graduation, Sue competed on the mini-tour in California before qualifying for the LPGA where she competed full-time for 11 years. During her time on the tour she had several fourth place finishes, fired scores of 66 six times, and in her best year finished 37th on the money list. She has since won the Florida, Ohio and Massachusetts State Opens, and had the opportunity to play golf with President Gerald R. Ford in the Betty Ford Pro-am in Palm Spring.
After retiring Sue was an assistant coach at MSU under Mary Fossum, two years as Head Women’s golf coach at the University of Arkansas, then moved on to teach at the Meadows at GVSU under Patti Butcher. Sue is the Head Teaching Professional at University Park CC in Sarasota, FL and has been there since 1997. Sue continues to compete with fellow LPGA pros on the Legends Tour.
Sue’s all-time low score is 64, and she has had 10 career Holes-in-one.
Hall of Fame Honors include:
- 1988 – Women’s Golf Coaches Assn Player HOF
- 2001 – MSU Athletic HOF
- 2010 – Michigan Golf HOF
- 2013 – Greater Lansing Area HOF
- 2015 – Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame
- 2015 – Ionia HS (first ever class) HOF