Grimstad Garners 2020 Dinah Shore Trophy Award
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Administered Thursday by the LPGA Foundation, University of Miami senior Renate Grimstad was honored as the recipient of the 2020 Dinah Shore Trophy, cementing her status as one of the top collegiate female players who has made an impact on the golf course through her leadership and also on society through charitable endeavor.
“It means to much to me to cap off my senior year this way, even though it didn’t go exactly as planned with this pandemic going on,” Grimstad said. “I want to say thank you to everybody who does what they can every day so that myself and other collegiate players can keep chasing our dreams and do what we love the most. This wouldn’t have been possible without all of you. It’s a true testament to me that hard work and dedication over time truly pays off. I’m super humbled and I’m very excited for what’s to come.”
Over the course of her illustrious career, the Bergen, Norway, native has been named to the All-ACC Academic Team every year and earned WGCA All-Academic honors in 2018 and 2019. Grimstad is a three-year Student-Athlete Advisory Committee member and was a senior captain. Set to earn a bachelor degree in sport administration and a minor in sports medicine, she boasts a 3.853 GPA.
“We are very happy and proud,” Grimstad’s parents Rolv and Anita said. “It’s very nice that Renate is recognized for all her hard work on the golf course, as well as in school. The fact that she is the first Norwegian to be given the Dinah Shore Trophy Award, on top of everything else she has achieved, makes us even more proud.”
During a historic fourth season, Grimstad shattered the Miami program record with a 71.00 scoring average and led the Atlantic Coast Conference with a -0.85 relative-to-par average. In February, she earned her first collegiate victory with a dominating seven-stroke victory at the UCF Challenge, before capping off the month securing ACC Golfer of the Month honors.
Playing all 20 rounds in a shortened season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, she led Miami to a quartet of top-five finishes and capped the season No. 29 in the golfstat.com individual rankings.
“Unfortunately, this past season was cut short but I believe I learned a lot from her as a teammate and she was someone I looked up to. I watched how she practiced every day and there was never a day where she didn’t work out or practice with 100 percent effort,” freshman Morgan Pankow said. “Watching and learning from her only set the bar higher for me, as well as the team. I can’t wait to play another season with her and learn from her mental game as well as her physical game.”
In April, Grimstad was selected as a Second-Team All-American by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA), becoming the 22nd player in program history to earn WGCA All-American honors, while also collecting All-American Honorable Mention team status through Golfweek.
“Having someone from Norway on the team was very helpful for getting accustomed to college in the states. Moving far away from home for college isn’t easy. It was a relief to know another Norwegian had done it and to have another Norwegian with me felt like a piece of home,” freshman Franziska Sliper said. “Miami is very different from Norway and she understood that it would be a culture shock at first since she’s been through it. We spent some time together before I came to Miami and her tips helped me prepare for college. It inspired me to see how well she has adjusted to life in the US. It would not have been the same without her. She has been like an older sister to me this year and I am so grateful.”
Away from the course and classroom, Grimstad organized practices and play for children ages 7-12 as a golf instructor at Stavanger Golf Club in her native Norway. In addition, she volunteered with Amnesty International by supervising a group of fellow students in walking door-to-door to collect contributions. At Miami, she volunteered at the Special Olympics, teaching children with various abilities the basic skill requirements for golf.
“Renate has had a fantastic development. From her first trip to the golf course as a seven-year-old girl, she has worked very purposefully. At the age of 12, she had a clear goal of being among the best female golfers in the world. She has proved that hard work produces good results, both athletically and academically,” Grimstad’s parents said. “At the same time she has shown strong leadership skills, and she has evolved to become a person with confidence both on and off the golf course. Her four years at the University of Miami have made Renate even more determined and aware of what she wants to achieve in the future.”
Administered by the LPGA Foundation, the Dinah Shore Trophy Award recognizes female collegiate golfers who excel in both academics (3.2 on a 4.0 scale) and athletics – playing in at least 50% of the team’s scheduled events – while maintaining a 78.00 or less scoring average. In addition, nominees must demonstrate outstanding leadership skills and community service.
The Dinah Shore Trophy Award is a joint effort between The LPGA Foundation, Friends of Golf (FOG) organization and the ANA Inspiration, one of the LPGA’s five major championships and the largest contributor to the Dinah Shore Scholarship Fund. As part of the Dinah Shore Trophy Award, a $10,000 grant will be awarded to the UM golf program.
“This award means a lot to the team and Renni,” Miami head coach Patti Rizzo said. “For Renni, she is more than deserving with her almost perfect grade point average and her amazing scoring average. Also, she has helped with many school activities and is always supportive of her community. She is very deserving.
“As for the team, it is definitely extra money we can use for our program,” Rizzo continued. “With COVID-19 cut backs expected for next season, the timing couldn’t be better. We are very fortunate because it will enable us to be able to add another tournament or two to our schedule next season.”
Former winners of this prestigious award include current LPGA Tour players Stacy Lewis (University of Arkansas, 2007) and Amy Olson (North Dakota State University, 2012), current Symetra Tour players Alice Chen (Furman University, 2018) and Casey Danielson (Stanford University, 2017), and Golf Channel personality and former LPGA Tour player Amanda Blumenherst (Duke University, 2008, 2009).
The LPGA Foundation announced the Dinah Shore Scholarship Fund in March 1994 in honor of the late Dinah Shore, a Vanderbilt University graduate and an honorary member of the LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame. The Dinah Shore Trophy Award has contributed more than $194,000 to women’s collegiate golf programs, including this year.
About the contributing organizations:
Friends of Golf (FOG) is a fundraising organization founded and administered by Eddie Merrins, golf professional emeritus at Bel-Air Country Club in Beverly Hills, Calif. FOG contributes annually to collegiate, high school and junior golf programs throughout the country, and Dinah Shore was considered the “First Lady” of FOG.
A part of the LPGA Tour since 1972 when it was founded by entertainer Dinah Shore, the ANA Inspiration (initially the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner’s Circle and more recently the Kraft Nabisco Championship) was designated as a major in 1983. Three-time champion Amy Alcott began a winner’s tradition of jumping into the lake at the 18th hole after her victory in 1991. The event was called the Colgate Dinah Shore from 1972-81 and the Nabisco Dinah Shore from 1982-99. Dinah Shore’s legacy and heritage is preserved with the “Dinah Shore Walk of Champions” at the 18th hole at Mission Hills Country Club. In addition, a statue of Dinah Shore, serving as the walk’s focal point, was created by noted sculptor George Montgomery, who was Shore’s former husband.
The LPGA is the world’s leading professional golf organization for women. Founded in 1950 and headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla., the association celebrates a diverse and storied membership with more than 2,300 members representing more than 30 countries. With a vision to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the very best of women’s golf, LPGA Tour Professionals compete across the globe, while the Symetra Tour, the official development and qualifying tour of the LPGA, consistently produces a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. Additionally, LPGA Professionals directly impact the game through teaching, coaching and management.
The LPGA demonstrates its dedication to the development of the game through The LPGA Foundation. Since 1991, this charitable organization has been committed to empowering and supporting girls and women through developmental, humanitarian and golf community initiatives, including LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, the LPGA Women’s Network and the LPGA Amateur Golf Association.
Follow the LPGA on its television home, Golf Channel, and on the web via www.LPGA.com. Join the social conversation at www.facebook.com/lpga, www.twitter.com/lpga and www.youtube.com/lpgavideo, and on Instagram at @lpga_tour.
