STATESBORO – Georgia Southern women's golf coach Emily Kuhfeld announced today that she has named Kelly Welker an assistant coach.

Welker comes to Statesboro from Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota, where she served as the head coach from 2018-20. 

Welker played four years at Division II Central Missouri from 2013-17, earning all-conference honors twice. She made two appearances at the NCAA Central Regional Championships and finished her college career with two top-five finishes, four top-10s and 19 top-20s.

"I would like to thank Coach Kuhfeld and Georgia Southern University for giving me this opportunity," said Welker. "I am excited to get to know the players and to assist Coach Kuhfeld in building her vision for the Georgia Southern women's golf program."

Welker graduated from Central Missouri with her bachelor's degree in exercise science in 2016 and served as an intern in the UCM Athletic Department in 2018, working in compliance under the senior associate athletic director.

She interned at Elite Golf and Fitness and was the Assistant Golf Instructor at St. Andrews Golf Club in Overland Park, Kansas, for a year before a serving as the graduate assistant coach for the Central Missouri women's golf program from 2017-18. During that time, she was the golf shop assistant and managed operations at Mules National Golf Club, and she earned her master's degree in sport management from Central Missouri in 2019.

"I am so grateful to Jared Benko, Chris Davis and Larry Mays for helping guide me through the process of hiring an assistant coach," said Kuhfeld. "We are very excited to welcome Kelly to our program! I am impressed with her work ethic, positive yet calm demeanor and obvious care she has for her players. I am excited to work with someone who shares my coaching vision for this program, and we are looking forward to having her begin shortly and finish up the fall season with us!"

The Eagles have one more event scheduled for this fall. They will travel to the Mercer Invitational at Brickyard Golf Club in Macon Nov. 9-10.