Emlyn Aubrey
Emlyn Aubrey
Title: Head Coach
Phone: 318.869.5098
Email: eaubrey@centenary.edu

It is unusual to have a coach with experience playing in multiple PGA majors, but that is exactly what Centenary College can claim in head golf coach Emlyn Aubrey, who enters his 16th season with the Ladies and Gents in 2023-24.

Aubrey’s 15th season was highlighted by the steady and impressive play of junior Andrew Bennett (Bossier City, La.). Bennett earned Second-Team All-SCAC honors after finishing in a tie for sixth place at the conference championships. The Gents finished seventh at the SCAC Championships in Kerrville, Texas.

Freshman Kaylee Roberts (Watonga, Okla.) and junior Madison Wing (Bossier City, La.) were the only two golfers on the Ladies' roster this past season. Roberts competed in all five tournaments and Wing played in the first two – the Tempest Intercollegiate and the Crusader Invitational, both in the fall. Roberts played as an individual at the SCAC Championships in April and shot a 73-over par 217 to finish 34th. The rookie Roberts was named to the 2023 SCAC All-Sportsmanship Team.

The 2021-22 season was another successful campaign for the Maroon and White under Aubrey's guidance as the Gents finished seventh at the SCAC Championships in Blanco, Texas highlighted by a third-place individual finish from junior Richard Polan (Brno, Czech Republic) as he shot a 1-under par 215. The Ladies finished sixth as freshman Kiley Smith (Fort Worth, Texas) was the Ladies' top finisher as she tied for 24th while senior Abigail Hayes (Plano, Texas) finished 27th as she concluded her impressive career with 12 top-25 individual finishes, doing so in nine of her final 11 tournaments.

Polan was one of just four golfers to finish at or under par for the event and earned First-Team All-SCAC honors with his top-three finish. He recorded his first-career victory this past season at the 2022 Rhodes Spring Classic and now owns six-career top-five finishes and nine top-10 finishes. Polan, named SCAC Men's Golfer-of-the-Week, after his win, was named to the CoSIDA Academic All‐District At‐Large Team which recognizes the nation's top student‐athletes for their combined performances in athletic competition and in the classroom.

Bennett recorded four top-20 finishes this season. While fellow sophomore Ricky Blair (Bossier City, La.) recorded five top-30 finishes. Polan earned Honorable-Mention honors on the 2022 Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) All-Louisiana Men's and Women's College Golf teams, and is the first Centenary men's golfer to make the team since his former teammate Reed Balcerowicz in 2020. Smith finished in the top 20 in three of the final four tournaments this past season. Senior Lindsay Strohm (McKinney, Texas) and Wing joined Smith and Hayes as the Ladies produced the same lineup all season.

The 2020-21 season was highlighted by sophomore Richard Polan (Brno, Czech Republic) being honored as the 2021 SCAC Men's Golf Elite 19 award winner at the conclusion of the SCAC championships in April. Polan and senior Brodey Warner (Brookeland, Texas) garnered All-SCAC honors as each finished in the top 10 at the 2021 SCAC Championships. The Gents recorded a runner-up finish in their home tournament, the Hal Sutton Invitational, in March at The Golf Club at Stonebridge in Bossier City. 

The Ladies participated in five tournaments during the season and had their best finish (4th) at the Linda Lowery Invitational in March. Junior Abigail Hayes (Plano, Texas) and senior Shannon Orlopp (Rogers, Ark.) tied for 10th place. The Ladies placed fifth at the 2021 SCAC Championships and Hayes was the top finisher for the Ladies as she finished 19th

Aubrey took over the Ladies and Gents golf program in January 2009. Under his watch for the past 12 seasons, Centenary has amassed 15 all-conference selections, 22 Conference Golfers of the Week nods, three Louisiana Sports Writers Association honorees, and 78 Academic All-Conference honorees. In addition, Jamie Wright was named an All-American Scholar by the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) for both the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.

The 2019-20 season, cut short due to COVID-19 circumstances, was another success for the Maroon and White as nine total Ladies and Gents were named to the 2020 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll, and the men's team claimed the team title at the Louisiana College Fall Invitational in September, 2019.

Balcerowicz was named to the 2020 All-Louisiana College Men's Golf Team by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA), and fellow senior Erin Rostro was named a WGCA All-American Scholar, by the Women's Golf Coaches Association for the second time in her career.

Gents senior Taylor Wells was named a finalist for the 2020 SCAC Man of the Year award, which recognizes the conference's senior male student-athlete who has best distinguished himself throughout his collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence and service and leadership.

Following the 2017-18 season, Courtney Kale was honored with the WGCA Kim Moore Spirit Award for NCAA Division III and Rostro was named to the WGCA All-American Scholar List for the first time. The award recognizes and honors a student-athlete or coach who exemplifies a great spirit toward the game of golf, a positive attitude on and off the golf course, and a role model for her team and mental toughness in facing challenges.

Aubrey also mentored the most successful Ladies golfer in school history, Jessica Varner, from 2015-2018. In just three seasons, Varner twice grabbed Southern Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Golfer of the Year (2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons) and won the 2017 SCAC Individual Championship - becoming the first conference medalist since Hal Sutton in 1979 and 1980. Varner finished First Team All-Conference all three seasons and was named SCAC Women's Golfer of the Week eight times. Varner and Jamie Wright were named to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference's 30th Anniversary women's golf team in July, 2021. 

Professionally, Aubrey has experience on both the PGA and Nationwide (now the Korn-Ferry) tours. Between the two associations, he has participated in nearly 400 tournaments and has claimed Nationwide wins in both the 1993 NIKE Miami Valley Open and the 1998 NIKE Wichita Open. Aubrey golfed in seven PGA Tour majors, including the 1996 PGA Championship. He completed the tournament with his best major finish, tying for 24th.

Other tournament wins for Aubrey include the 1989 Philippine Open and the 1994 Indian Open. His best finish on the PGA Tour came at the 1995 Vancouver Open, finishing as runner-up by one stroke.

Having recently decided to reinstate his PGA of America status, Aubrey finished fourth at the 2015 Gulf States Professional Championships. The tournament was held at the Contraband Bayou in Lake Charles, Louisiana, on August 17-18. With the fourth-place finish, Aubrey qualified for the 49th PGA Professional National Championship in June 2016 at Turning Stone Golf Club in Pennsylvania. 

Aubrey has coached three Hal Sutton Intercollegiate individual champions Zander Winston (2013), Gregory Berthelot (2011) and Nick Faitz (2010). Hank Strickler finished second at the Hal Sutton in 2014.

Prior to his professional experience, Aubrey was an SEC individual champion in 1984 and was also a part of the team championship in 1986 for LSU. He was also a two-time All-American and finished third at NCAA National Championships in 1986.