Joanna Coe, PGA Prepares for Fourth Start at KPMG Women's PGA Championship

Joanna Coe, PGA is a true triple threat. Beyond being a successful instructor, she is also a fierce competitor and an excellent representative of what it means to be a PGA Professional. She is now gearing up to put these talents on display for her fourth-straight start at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship where she will be one of 8 PGA/LPGA Professionals competing.

Fresh off her hosting gig for PGA Coaching Live presented by Cadillac at the PGA Championship, Joanna has wasted no time jumping straight back into her packed instruction schedule while balancing  preparations to compete at Atlanta Athletic Club.

“Golf is booming right now and the demand right now is out of control. To be honest, it’s been very difficult to find time to prepare for it this year,” Joanna shared about the balancing act. “At this point for me, it’s all about my timing, tempo and just getting my mind right, so I’m gonna rely a little more on that than actual physical reps.”

Not that she is a newbie by any stretch of the imagination. Joanna has picked up several achievements along the way as both competitor and coach. She claimed the NCAA Division II national title during her time playing for Rollins College. After that she went on to play on the Symetra Tour for several years. In 2019, Coe was named the PGA of America’s Women’s PGA Professional Player of the Year and has made 4 total LPGA major starts during her career.

Her KPMG Women’s PGA Championship debut came in 2018 and she hasn’t missed the one since. As she put it: “It’s amazing to play in four straight. To feel like I have a major on my calendar each year is really special.”

Beyond being an extremely talented player, Joanna is a well-respected instructor. She currently serves as Director of Instruction and Baltimore Country Club and is fiercely dedicated to her role. Beyond just looking to compete, she will also be searching for teaching lessons during her time at Atlanta Country Club.

“It’s just cool being out there with the best players in the world, watching their swings and learning from them what I can bring back to my students. Those are the things that I look forward to the most.”

Though she is a seasoned veteran when it comes to competing in majors (on top of her four Women’s PGA starts, she also claimed a spot in the 2011 US Women’s Open), Coe does not put too much pressure on herself to deliver any certain results.

“I really have no expectations going into this tournament. I want to play happy, I want to enjoy it, I don’t wanna get frustrated,” she said.  “I want to be able to handle the moment the more and more that I play in it. I’m gonna control what I can control.”

That being said, the tournament itself means a lot for not only Joanna personally, but as well as the other PGA Professionals set to compete, some for the first time.

“It’s our [PGA Professionals] major. It’s the Women’s PGA Championship. There’s only a few of us in the field that week, so it’s a special opportunity for everyone. I always love walking on site the first day, looking around and seeing the grandstands and all the fans there. It’s amazing how big it is and how important it is.”

Only time will tell if Joanna will make a fifth start after this year, but her resume would lead you to believe that is a safe bet. However, the importance of the opportunity to keep coming back is not lost on her. “I never know when it will be my last. So I want to soak it all in just a little bit more every time.”