Lee Today

After a highly successful 10-year tenure at Barry University, Shannon Sykora has been named head coach for the FGCU women's golf program as announced by Director of Athletics Ken Kavanagh. Sykora becomes the fifth head coach for the Eagles since the program began in 2001.

 

"We are excited to have Shannon, his bride Shay, and their daughter Peyton joining our Eagles Athletics Family," said Kavanagh. "He brings a background of significant overall success on and off the course, and we believe that these experiences are a great fit for FGCU women's golf at this juncture. We now look forward to Coach Sykora coming on board and working with our current ladies and future team members in building upon many positive program elements in our pursuit of the ASUN Championship and NCAA Tournament."

 

During his career with Barry, the Buccaneers won the 2017 NCAA Division II National Title, while finishing runner-up in 2014 and placing third in 2013 and 2022. Sykora led Barry to 28 tournament wins in his decade as head coach including four Division I tournament victories. He has produced five WGCA All-America First Team selections, nine WGCA Scholar All-Americans, one honorable mention All-American, the 2013 NCAA Division II Individual National Champion, and the only D-II player to compete in the inaugural Augusta Women's Amateur.

 

"I'd like to thank Ken Kavanagh for giving me this opportunity and everyone at Florida Gulf Coast University for being so welcoming," said Sykora. "My family and I are elated to join the Green and Blue! I'd also like to thank Barry University, the Miami community and all the young women who played for me. Also, a special thanks to Hall of Fame Coach Jimmy Stobs for being a mentor and friend."  

 

Sykora began his coaching career as an assistant coach for both the men's and women's programs at Barry in August 2010. The two teams produced nine tournament wins, had three NCAA National Championship appearances (2 men, 1 women), produced four All-America honorees, and had three GCAA Scholar All-Americans.

 

He was named the acting head coach for the women's program in June 2012, and took over as head coach in March 2013. Before joining the Buccaneers, Sykora had over 11 years of professional and instructional experience which included four years of private instruction.

 

This past spring, Barry won the Sunshine State Conference tournament championship for the second time in program history for an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. After winning the NCAA South Regional, Sykora and the Buccaneers advanced through stroke play at the NCAA Championships and picked up a win over Lynn in match play before falling to Findlay to tie for third overall.

 

Sykora led the Bucs to one of their best seasons ever in 2018-19. Barry, which held the top spot in both the GolfStat and WGCA national rankings for most of the year, set a school single season scoring record at 297.13 (8.74 vs. par). The Bucs won five of 11 tournaments, tying the mark from 2016-17, leading to a finish percentage of 91.6, also a school-best mark. Tilda Larsson was a First-Team WGCA All-American and Josefina Foa Torres earned honorable mention. Barry posted an outstanding 170-6 record, never finishing below third in any event.

 

Barry finished fifth in the nation in 2017-18. The Buccaneers captured their second straight NCAA South Region title, locking up a berth in their fourth NCAA Championship event under Sykora. Barry won four tournaments during the season. Larsson won a school season-record four tournaments, and shared the lead after regulation in another, on her way to earning WGCA Division II Player of the Year acclaim. She, Foa Torres and Noemie Paré each earned All-America honors.

 

In the 2016-17 national championship season, the Buccaneers won a school-record five tournaments, including the South Regional with Sykora being named the South Region and Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year. Charlotte Puts was named the WGCA's Freshman of the Year. Puts and Larsson were First-Team All-Americans, and Paré was an Honorable Mention All-American. Following the campaign, Sykora was named the Women's Golf Coaches Association National Coach of the Year.

 

Barry qualified for its fourth straight NCAA Tournament in 2014-15 under Sykora before finishing sixth at the NCAA South Regional. Barry also won the SSC Championship for the first time in school history that spring.

 

In 2013-14, Sykora guided Barry to an NCAA Championship runner-up. It was the third straight trip to the NCAA Championship under his leadership. Barry won four tournaments during the season. The Bucs set a school record for low round (289) in the second round of the NCAA Championships. Ferre was named a Second Team All-American. Sykora's team went 116-22-2.

 

In 2012-13, Sykora led the Buccaneers to a third-place finish at the National Championship in his first year as head coach. Sophomore Nancy Vergara won the individual national title, shooting a 3-over 291 in Daytona Beach. It marked the first time in school history the Bucs qualified for back-to-back national championship events. Vergara became Barry's first individual national champion in any sport.

 

In 2011-12, Sykora helped the women's team capture a fourth place finish at the NCAA Championship in Louisville. It marked only the second time in the women's golf program's history the Bucs qualified for the NCAA Championship. Barry also won three events during the season. He also served as the men's assistant coach in 2011-12, helping Barry finish tied for fifth at the NCAA Championship. The Bucs won three tournaments during the season, finished runner-up five times and held the No. 1 national ranking for most of the year.

 

Prior to joining the Barry coaching staff, Sykora served as the First Assistant Golf Professional at Teton Pines Country Club in Jackson, Wyo. At Teton Pines, he was the lead junior instructor. He also served as the head professional at Pine Island Ridge Country Club in Davie, Fla., in 2007. Sykora was responsible for overseeing all aspects of golf operations and the direction of an active teaching program at the club.

 

In addition to his professional experience, Sykora played professionally for 12 years including in two PGA Tour events. Beginning in 1995, his extended tour stops include the Web.com Tour, European Tour, Challenge Tour, New England Tour, North Atlantic Tour and the Tour De Las Americas. In 1998, Sykora made the cut at the B.C. Open in one of his two PGA Tour events. He also played in the tournament the previous year. Overall, he has 20 tour victories worldwide and has competed in hundreds of professional events.

 

Sykora won 11 events on the North Atlantic Tour, was the 1998 NAT Player of the Year, and was the leading money winner on the tour. During that season, he won eight tournaments including six on the North Atlantic Tour.

 

In 2000, he tied for 12th twice while on the Web.com Tour, doing so at the Steamtown Classic in Scranton, Pa., and at the Cleveland Open. That same year, Sykora was the runner-up at the Peruvian Open in Lima, Peru on the Tour de las Americas, which now operates as the Latin America PGA Tour. He picked up his second runner-up finish in 2000 at the Brazilian Open in Sao Paolo, Brazil. In 2001, he won the New Hampshire State Open Championship. That same year, he was the Massachusetts Open runner-up.

 

From 2004-07, he competed on the Challenge Tour and New England Tour. In 2004, Sykora finished fourth on the New England Tour money winner's list.

 

In 2008, while working at Teton Pines, Sykora won the PGA Rocky Mountain Section Championship in Cody, Wyo. His win qualified him for the PGA Assistants National Championships.

 

Sykora is a 1994 graduate of the University of Tulsa with a bachelor's degree in communications. He and his wife, Shannon, are the proud parents of daughter Peyton.

Original source can be found here.