Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
The Velvet
Tee Time: Honoring A Legend – The Velvet Begins Monday
9/14/2023 7:39:00 PM | Women's Golf
The inaugural “The Velvet” tournament honors Coach Velvet Milkman – Founder of Racers’ women’s golf in 1993 and its coach for 29 years
The Murray State women's golf team is ready to host the first event of the 2023 fall season, The Velvet, at the Country Club of Paducah, Monday and Tuesday in Paducah, Kentucky.The inaugural The Velvet honors Murray State coaching great Velvet Milkman who retired in 2022 after coaching the program for 29th seasons after she launched the program in 1993.
The Racers have a pair of teams entered into the event with returning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, Payton Carter, back for her final season in 2023-24.
Murray State also welcomes fellow MVC competitors Belmont, Evansville, Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois to The Velvet as part of a field of 12 teams.
The 54-hole event calls for 36 holes of play Monday with the final 18 holes crowning a champion on Tuesday.
Event: The Velvet
Dates: Sept. 18-19, 2023
Location: Paducah, Ky.
Host: Murray State
Times: Shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. on Monday & Tuesday
Schedule of Play: 36 holes Monday, 18 Tuesday
Course: Country Club of Paducah
Par/Length: Par 71/6,076 yards
Live Scoring: TBA
Participating Teams (12): Bellarmine, Belmont, Evansville, Indiana Wesleyan, Murray State (2), Northern Iowa, Northern Kentucky, Southern Illinois (2), Southern Indiana, Tennessee State
Murray State Lineups: A-Team – (1) Payton Carter, (2) Emily Shimkus, (3) Eliza Mae Kho, (4) McKenna Stahl, (5) Patti Patterson
B-Team – (1) Kaitlyn Zieba, (2) Ella Scherer, (3) Katherine Weir, (4) Lauren Gilchrist, (5) Emma Payne
About Coach Velvet Milkman
From launching the Murray State women's golf program in 1993 to shaping the game at the NCAA level as committee leader, Milkman was a pioneer for women's athletics with the Murray State Racers. She was the only coach the Racers had for 29 seasons from the start in 1993, until her retirement in 2022. Every one of her four-year student-athletes graduated and won an Ohio Valley Conference championship. Historic in every way, her teams won 12 league championships and made seven NCAA Regional appearances. Her teams were led by eight players that won a combined 10 Player of the Year awards. Her teams had 35 academic medal of honor winners and won the team academic award four times. She was honored with the Gladys Palmer Service Award, presented by the Women's Golf Coaches Association's (WGCA) in 2021.
