FARMINGTON, Utah (April 30, 2025) – For the third-consecutive season, Sacramento State’s David Sutherland has been named Big Sky Conference Jeff Smith Women’s Golf Coach of the Year, the league office announced today.
The award is named in honor of former Weber State head coach Jeff Smith.
For Sutherland, this marks his seventh overall Coach of the Year title in the Big Sky. He’s claimed seven of the previous eight available from the league.
Sacramento State featured both the Big Sky Conference Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, and the whole lineup was named to the All-Conference Team. Sneha Sharan claimed her second-straight Player of the Year title under Sutherland’s leadership.
The Hornets claimed their third straight Big Sky title at The Wigwam a few weeks back, shooting an 853 as a team, and are headed to the Gold Canyon Regional in Arizona next week to play for a spot in the National Championship. Competition will run from May 5-7.
Following the Big Sky Women’s Golf Championship, the Hornets hold the No. 53 spot in all of NCAA Division I women’s golf, putting them ahead of the likes of Miami (Fla.), BYU and Georgia. Individually, Sharan is currently ranked as the No. 143 ranked golfer in all of Division I women’s golf.
A veteran PGA Tour player, Sutherland competed in 215 PGA events and 83 Nationwide Tour tournaments during his 17 years on the circuit. A native of Carmichael, Calif., Sutherland recorded eight top 10 and 32 top 25 finishes on the PGA Tour. His best PGA finish came at the 1997 Greater Milwaukee Open where he tied for second. He also recorded a pair of third-place ties, including the 1999 Bell Canadian Open. In addition, Sutherland competed in the British Open and the PGA Tour Championship.
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