Despite being inducted into Western Michigan University’s Hall of Fame in five sports—golf, tennis, basketball, volleyball and field hockey—and in Arizona, former LPGA player and premier instructor Sharon Miller achieved much of her success while living in the Denver area.
After tying for 15th as an amateur in the 1965 U.S. Women’s Open, she traded her home state for the opportunity to carve an impressive 15-year career traveling with the LPGA Tour, which made it a breeze for her to transcend into an outstanding run as a premier teaching professional.
Miller had three victories and four seconds during her LPGA career; made the cut in 10 of her 11 appearances in the U.S. Women’s Open, placing fifth twice. As an LPGA teaching member she won the Central Section Championship twice, the National Teaching & Club Professional Championship in 1985 and the Women’s Colorado Open in 1986. She’s been a regular winner in the senior divisions of the LPGA Teaching and Club Pro Team Championship.
Actually, Miller got the itch to teach after graduating from Western Michigan and spent nearly three years coaching the boys golf team and teaching physical education in high school before joining the LPGA.
She became an LPGA Master Teaching Professional when she left the Tour in 1981 and taught for two years at Lake Valley Golf Course in Niwot, 14 years at Englewood Golf Course, two years at Denver’s Overland Park Golf Course and four years at Valley Country Club in Centennial.
Her resume is unstoppable—four years vice president of LPGA Central Section, National and Central Section Teacher of the Year 1989, Golf Digest Teacher of the Year Colorado 2000, co-owner with Pat Lange of Golf Centre, helped start Golf for Women magazine and continually participates in LPGA National and Sectional seminars and workshops.
