At Murray State

The 2025-26 school year will be Nelson's fourth with the Racers.

2025-26

In the fall 2025 season, the Racers picked up three MVC golfer of the week honors (Patti Patterson, Elin Tynan, and Tina Von Arx)
All three golfers finished top three in the respective tournament the week they won the award
With a 3.71 team GPA, the women's golf program led all MSU teams for the 2025 fall semester
Recruited Kylah Lunsford as the first Miss Golf Kentucky in program history

2024-25

The Racers placed multiple All-American Scholars for a 14^th consecutive year as announced by the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA).
MSU's Eliza Mae Kho (Miri, Malaysia), Patti Patterson (Tallahassee, Fla.), Ella Scherer (Vine Grove, Ky.), Elin Tynan (Pontyclun, Wales), and Tina von Arx (Solothurn, Switzerland) were honored.
Ella Scherer was named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team.
Tina Von Arx, a freshman, led the Racers with a 17^th place finish at the MVC Championship on scores of 75-75-78=228.
Recruited Elin Tynan and Tina Von Arx, both of whom were members of their respective national teams

2023-24

Racers won the Jan Weaver Invitational on scores of 292-302-289=883 to win their home event at Miller Memorial GC.
The Racers placed multiple All-American Scholars for a 13^th consecutive year as announced by the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA).
MSU's Payton Carter (Henderson, Kentucky), Eliza Mae Kho (Miri, Malaysia), Patti Patterson (Tallahassee, Fla.), Ella Scherer (Vine Grove, Ky.), Emily Shimkus (Cave Creek, Arizona), and McKenna Stahl (Bowling Green, Ky.) were honored.
Carter was named to the MVC All-Scholar Team for a second time.
Freshman, Patti Patterson led the Racers at the MVC Championship with a 17th place finish on scores of 77-74-76=227 as she was awarded with the MVC pin flag as the top finisher on her team.

2022-23

Team broke the program record for team single round score at the Atlantic Invitational with a final round of 283 in Boynton Beach, Florida
Elisa Mae Kho broke the 54-hole program scoring record with a 206
Saw the squad post a fourth-place finish in their first try at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship at Annbriar GC in Waterloo, Ill.
MSU's Peyton Carter was named MVC Player of the Year after a stellar season in which she placed second at the Valley Championship.
His first MSU team produced five student-athletes on the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-American Scholars Team for the 2022-23 school year including: Payton Carter (Henderson, Ky.), Alma Garcia (Oaxaca, Mexico) and Eliza Mae Kho (Miri, Malaysia), McKenna Stahl (Bowling Green, Ky.) and Kaitlyn Zieba (Hanson, Ky.).
Joined the Racers in 2022 from Colorado Christian.
Became the second women's golf head coach in Murray State history following the retirement of Coach Velvet Milkman on July 22, 2022.
The team brought in the largest single operational gift in program history

Before Murray State

Five seasons as the women’s head coach at Colorado Christian University, where he also assisted the men’s golf program.
In 2022, named Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after his team won the conference championship, finished second at the NCAA D-II Regional after entering the event as the 11^th seed and then at the NCAA Finals, the Cougars posted a 12^th place finish.
At CCU, built a championship level program including four All-America selections, five NCAA All-Region picks, 18 All-Conference selections, two conference Player of the Year winners, and the #1 ranked women’s freshman class in the nation in 2019.
At CCU, his teams produced a national top-10 ranking in academic achievement in 2020 and 2021, and 11 WGCA Academic All Americans in the last 2 years.
Proven teacher of the game having developed the student-athletes in his care and serving as a certified instructor for Craig Koy Golf where he worked with some of the nation’s top amateurs and professionals.
As main fundraiser for CCU Athletics, Nelson led the way for the school to achieve its highest fundraising total in program history in 2021-2022 and he also led the way to save the women’s golf program from elimination. In the last two years, athletics fundraising tripled at CCU under Nelson’s guidance. He also raised the money for and opened The Harriet Women’s Golf Indoor Practice Facility in 2020.
As a player at Colorado Christian, Nelson was a multiple award winner while serving as team captain for three seasons and helping his team reach the NCAA Tournament in four consecutive seasons.

Personal

Founded Murray Golf Academy alongside men's golf coach Jacob Miller and former Racer golfer, Nick Newcomb to help further the junior golf development in Western Kentucky.
Helped lead Athletes in Action with golf development across Kenya and Zimbabwe
One of the key developers of a near $800,000 renovation project at Miller Memorial Golf Course including new bunkers and updated team lounge and locker rooms
Started the annual Racer Golf benefit scramble in collaboration with the men's program

Murray State University Athletics

2025-26 Women's Golf Staff

Coaching Staff

Support Staff