In the 39 seasons that have come and gone for golf coach and math teacher Mrs. Vicky Kowalski, September 26, 2017 will be a day she will never forget.

Accompanied by Mercy President Dr. Cheryl Kreger, Mrs. Kowalski traveled to New York City to honor a former student and golfer as she was inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place at the Cipriani Wall Street event hall on Wall Street and honored 1981 Mercy graduate Ms. Meg Mallon.

During her time at Mercy, Ms. Mallon and a few other girls began a golf club, which later evolved into the golf program we have today at Mercy.After winning 18 Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tournaments, Ms. Mallon invited Mrs. Kowalski to join her at her induction ceremony as she looked back to her Mercy roots.

“As a coach, it was a proud moment to see what she’s accomplished since she was in high school and from when she was in college, and eventually joining both the minor and major leagues,” said Mrs. Kowalski.

After graduating from Mercy, Ms. Mallon went on to study and play at Ohio State University. From there, she was picked up to play in a minors league and eventually, the LPGA.

The effects Ms. Mallon had on Mercy can still be seen today. Not only did she co-create the golf team, but also the annual Mercy golf outing was known as the Meg Mallon Mercy Golf Outing for 20 years. In recent years, Ms. Mallon has also come to the Traverse City tournament the girls compete in to watch and support the school.

“We’ll be driving around the golf course to the different rounds and if Meg sees someone who needs help with an aspect [of the game], she always gets out and helps them,” said Mrs. Kowalski. “She’s just always been so kind and so gracious, and I’m just so proud of her.”