University of Miami’s Renate Grimstad Awarded 2020 Dinah Shore Trophy
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 7, 2020) – Renate Grimstad of the University of Miami has been selected 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.
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.
“It means to much so me to cap off my senior year this way, even though it didn’t go exactly as planned with this pandemic going on,” said Grimstad in a video acceptance speech. “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.”
Grimstad, of Bergen, Norway, is a leader both in the classroom and on the golf course. She was named to the All-ACC Academic team in her first three seasons and earned WGCA All-Academic honors in 2018 and 2019. Grimstad is a three-year Student-Athlete Advisory Committee member and was the senior captain. She boasts a 3.853 GPA while majoring in sport administration and minoring in sport medicine.
Inside the ropes, Grimstad shattered the Miami program record with a 71.00 scoring average in 2019-20, nearly one full stroke better than the previous mark, and led the ACC 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. She finished the season No. 29 in the golfstat.com individual rankings and was named February’s ACC Golfer of the Month. In April, she 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 All-American honors.
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.
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 women’s golf program at the University of Miami.
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.