Mallory Kane

Mallory Kane completed her seventh season as the head coach of the Monarchs in 2022-23. During her time in Norfolk, Kane has guided ODU women's golf into the national spotlight. ODU's only Conference USA Championship title occurred under Kane in 2017.
 
The 2022-23 season saw the Monarchs post six Top-10 finishes and three Top-5 finishes, to include tying for second at the Badger Invitational as well as a second-place finish at the Lady Paladin Invitational. Leah Onosato became the first Monarch women's golfer to win a conference tournament, placing first at the Sun Belt Championship with a two-under par 214 after leading the field from start to finish. Onosato went on to compete in the Palm Beach Gardens Regional and was joined on the All-Sun Belt First Team by teammate Lucia Gonzalez.

ODU had seven Top-10 finishes and four Top-5 finishes during the 2021-22 season. Federica Torre and Leah Onosato finished first and second to propel the Monarchs to a third-place finish at the Badger Invitational. Jana Melichova then tied for second at the Bryan National Collegiate as ODU tied for third. The Pikovice, Czech Republic native was tabbed C-USA Co-Golfer of the Week on Oct. 6 as she broke her own program record for 18-hole gross scoring with a final round of 65 at the Evie Odom Invitational, tying for third at four-under 206. Melichova earned the distinction again on Feb. 9 after posting her sixth-straight Top-10 finish, tying for ninth at the UCF Challenge. After Melichova claimed a runner-up finish at the Indiana Invitational, she collected All-Tournament Team honors and tied for third at the C-USA Championship. Torre was a few strokes behind her and tied for eighth as the Monarchs tied for third with a combined score of 327. Melichova and Torre garnered All-Conference honors and Melichova became the first golfer in program history to advance to the NCAA Championships, capping off her career by tying for 13th. She was named a WGCA All-American and the VaSID Co-Player of the Year.

The Monarchs were represented in the NCAA postseason for a third-consecutive time in 2020-21, Kane's fifth as head coach. Junior Leah Onosato received an at-large bid to the NCAA Columbus Regional, where she finished tied for 55th. Onosato (153rd) was one of two Monarchs to finish the year ranked inside the top-240 in Golfstat alongside Jana Melichova (240th). That duo also garnered Conference USA All-Tournament Team honors with Melichova finishing as runner-up and Onosato ending in a tie for fourth. Additionally, Onosato was tabbed a second team all-conference performer, and Melichova was selected to the third team. The pair were also represented on the VaSID All-State team with Onosato making the first team and Melichova the third team. The Monarchs were competitive throughout their spring season and finished second in a pair of events and fifth twice. ODU placed second in a field of 15 teams at the Reynold Lake Oconee Invitational, its first event as a team since the end of the 2020 season. The Monarchs also placed second at the Match at Spring Creek, a tri-meet against Commonwealth rivals Virginia and Richmond. The team reached as high as 44th on the Golfstat rankings and finished the season 66th in the nation.

In 2019-20, despite a shortened season, the Old Dominion women’s golf team once again had a successful year. In the final Golfstat rankings of 2020, ODU finished ranked 75^th in the country and was the highest-ranked team in Conference USA. Individually, Jana Melichova and Leah Onosato both finished the season in the top-200 according to Golfstat. As a team, ODU recorded four top-five finishes in their six events. The Monarchs season was also highlighted by hosting the second Princess Anne Invitational. The event was held at Princess Anne Country Club and included four top-50 ranked opponents in the 15-team field. Individually, Melichova won the Maryb S. Kauth Invitational, earning ODU’s first individual win since Sana Tufail won the UNF Collegiate in 2017. Melichova earned C-USA Player of the Week accolades twice (10/2, 2/5), while Onosato earned the honor once on Feb. 19. Overall, Melichova compiled three top-5 finishes, and Onosato recorded two top-10 finishes. Four of ODU’s six players in Jana Melichova, Leah Onosato, Anika Bolcikova and Pilar Muguruza broke 70 at least one time this season.

Also in 2020, Kane helped lead Melichova to VaSID Player of the Year honors as well as garnering first team All-State and first team All-Conference honors. Onosato also picked up first team All-State and second team All-Conference accolades. 

Kane's team broke multiple school records in the 2018-19 season. She also sent ODU to the NCAA Regionals for the third straight season via an at-large bid. The Monarchs ended the season ranked 49th according to Golfstat. At the Golfweek Program Challenge, ODU broke the school record for the lowest 18-hole and 54-hole and finished second. Throughout the year, the Monarchs notched seven top-five finishes. Individually, senior Charlotte De Corte was named to the All-Conference USA First Team, Jana Melichova and Leah Onosato to the all-conference second team and Sana Tufail to the third team. In addition, Melichova was named C-USA Freshman of the Year after posting a 72.9 stroke average, which ended up being the best on the team along with De Corte.
 
2017-18 marked yet another successful season for Kane and the Monarchs, as the team earned the program's first-ever at-large bid to an NCAA Regional. ODU ended the season ranked 60th in the Golfstat Team Rankings. During the regular season, the squad notched six top-five finishes and won the UNF Collegiate. At the Pinehurst Challenge, where ODU placed third, the Monarchs set a new school record for a 54-hole team score with an 859. Individually, seniors Maggie Simmermacher and Katerina Vlasinova capped off their illustrious careers with a bevy of accolades. Simmermacher was named the 2017-18 C-USA Player of the Year, while both Simmermacher and Vlasinova earned First Team All-C-USA honors.
 
In her inaugural season at ODU in 2016-17, Kane guided the Monarchs to a record-setting season. The squad captured the 2017 Conference USA Championship, marking the program's first-ever conference title. The team also qualified for an NCAA Regional, also a first in program history. For the team's efforts, Kane was named the Conference USA Coach of the Year and the VaSID State Coach of the Year. Aside from the championship and coach of the year honors, there were many more accolades for Kane and the Monarchs in 2016-17. Maggie Simmermacher and Katerina Vlasinova both garnered all-conference accolades, and Sana Tufail was named to the C-USA All-Academic Team. As a team, the Monarchs recorded three top-10 finishes, including a fourth-place finish at the Golfweek Challenge in the fall and a third-place finish at the UNF Collegiate during the spring. Tufail was also the individual medalist at the UNF Collegiate.
 
Prior to ODU, Kane was the head women’s coach at Western Carolina for six seasons. Under her tutelage, WCU had four golfers earn All-Southern Conference accolades and two more earn All-Freshman team honors. At WCU, she coached 18 WGCA All-Academic honorees and 19 Southern Conference All-Academic selections.
 
During her collegiate playing career at the University of Georgia, Kane, formerly Mallory Hetzel, amassed eight top-10 individual finishes for the Bulldog women's golf program including, a career-best individual medalist honor at the 2009 UNLV Invitational and a third-place finish at the 2009 SEC Championship. She twice garnered All-SEC and All-America honors by the NGCA and Golfweek following both her freshman and senior seasons. Kane was also a part of Georgia's 2006-07 SEC Championship squad.
 
Additionally, Kane competed in NCAA regional and national championship tournaments all four years, finishing tied for sixth as a team her freshman year, eighth as a sophomore with 10th and 15th-place national finishes her final two seasons.
 
Also while in Athens, Kane served as a camp counselor at the Chris Haack Golf Camp - directed by Georgia's men's head coach - and the Kelley Hester Golf Academy for Girls - organized by UGA's women's coach - during the summer of both 2007 and 2008, where she worked directly with teaching campers fundamental elements of golf.
 
Kane has continued her playing career while coaching and won back-to-back Carolinas Golf Association (CGA) Carolinas Women's Match Play Championship titles in 2014 and 2015. She has seven career CGA tournament titles all-time. She recently finished second in the Carolinas Golf Association Women’s Four-Ball Championship.
 
As an amateur, she was a four-time American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Rolex Junior All-American, earning the honor in 2001, '02, '04 and again in 2005. During that same time frame, she managed to advance to match play in three U.S. Girls' Junior Championships and was named to the East Canon Cup Team twice. She was also twice dubbed the Beth Daniel Player of the Year (2003, '04) by the South Carolina Golf Association.
Upon her arrival in Athens, Ga., in 2005, Kane was ranked No. 7 in the Golfweek / Titleist Junior Girls' rankings.
 
Following her graduation, during a brief stint on the Duramed Futures Tour - a developmental tour for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) - Kane posted a 74.20 stroke average on the highly competitive circuit, making the cut in five of her 10 career events during 2009. Her career-best professional finish came at the Alliance Bank Golf Classic in Syracuse, N.Y., in late July, 2009 where she finished tied for 45th.