Dei Lynam’s love for golf came out of fear. And it had almost nothing to do with golf either.
She was training for a marathon, something she had never done before, but something she aspired to do. And despite the aim she set for herself, Lynam found the task daunting.
“I set a goal to finish in four hours and 30 minutes. At the time I lived in Madison, Wisc., and four hours and 30 minutes was driving to Chicago and back,” Lynam told The IX Sports.
“And I was freaking out, and my husband told me, you need to do something that takes distance out of it.”
He suggested playing a round of golf. A golf course is somewhere you can take your mind off other things, mostly because you need to focus so much on the shot at hand. Seeing four hours and 30 minutes through the lens of 18 holes in a confined, mapped-out area changes something.
Thus, Lynam’s first round of golf was born, and later, a goal was achieved.
“I ran that marathon in four hours and 26 minutes.”
On May 7, 2026, La Salle University Athletics announced that Dei Lynam, long-time sports broadcaster and daughter of legendary basketball coach Jim Lynam, would take over as head coach of women’s golf. As someone who grew up around coaching, knowing what it means to be a leader for others, she was immediately interested. Not to be their swing coach, but to create a community.
“Most of them have had [swing coaches] in their lives for a long time. So I viewed it more like being a CEO of a team, right?” Lynam said.
“Let me keep you organized, let me develop a culture, and let’s try to become a winning program. And because I’ve covered sports all my life, I also believe I know what winning cultures look like.”
In small Division I sports, that’s key. When programs across the country are being cut by athletic departments, fostering a community that makes players want to return is vital. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how good you are. If you’re coachable, if you want to learn, if you have a people-oriented mindset, you can succeed. And Lynam, who certainly is people-oriented, knows this about golf.
“I mean, golf teaches you a whole lot about people. The way they play, their character. I think it’s individual, but it’s also camaraderie,” Lynam says.
And that focus on group character comes from her father. Lynam said her dad, Jim, has always been a humble coach with the right priorities for his team in mind. That’s something she hopes to lean into during her time with La Salle.
“He’s my go-to,” Lynam said. “He’s a great people-person. He’s excellent with communication. And I do believe communication is the heart and soul of everything in life. Being kind, being humble, and wanting people to not necessarily have to love each other, per se, but care about each other.”
This aspect of coaching was really what piqued Lynam’s interest in the position. She wanted to be this kind of leader for the women of La Salle golf, but there were some qualifiers before accepting the job. Lynam said that as long as she could still call basketball games, she’d do it. Because of Lynam’s love for golf and it being a snug fit for basketball’s offseason, it was a perfect fit. She played 169 rounds of golf from April to November 2025.
“And I do not go to Florida,” Lynam laughed.
The perfect system, it seems. For calling games for the G-League affiliates of the Philadelphia 76ers and Washington Wizards; Princeton and Monmouth women’s basketball; and pre and postgame radio for the 76ers, playing 169 rounds in the year’s high season isn’t too shabby.
Lynam and her husband are members at Rolling Green Golf Club, a William Flynn design just outside Philadelphia. They’re actually two-time husband-and-wife trophy winners there. Lynam, who refuses to play golf with a cart (respect), loves the 6.7-mile trek and its challenging greens.
Flynn has designed some of the most difficult courses you can think of. Shinnecock Hills, The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., and Lancaster Country Club are all Flynn’s doing. And in the greater Philadelphia area, his work spreads across the region. Merion’s East and West courses, Huntington Valley, Philadelphia Country Club, Bala Golf Club and Lehigh Country Club are all uniquely challenging Flynn tracks.
There’s just something about Rolling Green that Lynam is drawn to, and maybe it’s home-course advantage.
“I would say it’s the best in the Philly area. And it certainly makes me a better golfer when I travel,” Lynam said.
Listen now to The IX Sports Podcast and Women’s Sports Daily
We are excited to announce the launch of TWO new podcasts for all the women’s sports fans out there looking for a daily dose of women’s sports news and analysis. Stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to subscribe!
Whether that travel is to other Philly courses for Women’s Golf Association of Philadelphia (WGAP) team matches or overseas to Muirfield, St. Andrews, Royal County Downs or Portrush, Lynam feels that the Flynn track is a good prepper.
Lynam knows golf. She knows good golf. She knows quality golf courses. And she’s stoked to help bring the players she’ll coach to some of these premier courses in the Philly area.
“I’m not probably as good as the young people who I will coach, but I certainly can bring some of the ideas from the clinics that I go to on a regular basis if they’re interested,” Lynam said.
I don’t know, Dei; that two-time husband-and-wife trophy says different, and I think the third is waiting for you. And I think coaching these players will certainly make you a better player.
In a 2017 article with NBC Sports Philadelphia, Lynam ended with a thought that has stuck with her: “Don’t be afraid to try something new.” Nine years later, this thought certainly hasn’t gone away.
It’s U.S. Women’s Open week!
How to watch the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally
Field breakdown: 2026 U.S. Women’s Open
Nelly Korda “hungry for more” success in U.S. Women’s Open after close call in 2025
Riviera ready to test the field for U.S. Women’s Open
These ten players have our attention at Riviera
Here’s why Michelle Wie West would only play emotional USWO at Riviera
Stanford’s Megha Ganne one of four players turning pro at U.S. Open
LET stars head to famed Riviera for U.S. Women’s Open
History maker Huang excited for U.S. Women’s Open test
The 28 amateurs playing in the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open
Other LPGA news
2026 Solheim Cup U.S. team and European team standings through May 18, 2026
Nelly Korda clinches spot on 2026 U.S. Solheim Cup team
Celine Boutier rallies from four down to win ShopRite LPGA
LET news
May 2026 LET Player of the Month nominees announced
Solheim Cup marks 100 day countdown
Watch: LET Unfiltered with Esme Hamilton
Briem storms to second LET title with victory at 2026 Jabra Ladies Open de France
Hall happy to start comeback on the LET in Evian
‘Rare Gems’ is out now!
Howard Megdal, founder and editor of The IX Basketball and The IX Sports, wrote this deeply reported book. “Rare Gems” follows four connected generations of women’s basketball pioneers, from Elvera “Peps” Neuman to Cheryl Reeve and from Lindsay Whalen to Sylvia Fowles and Paige Bueckers.
If you enjoy Megdal’s coverage of women’s basketball every Wednesday at The IX Sports, you will love “Rare Gems: How Four Generations of Women Paved the Way for the WNBA.”
Five at The IX: Celine Boutier claims ShopRite LPGA title for seventh career LPGA Tour victory and first in nearly three years
On Sunday, May 31, Celine Boutier fired a final-round 66 (-5) to win her seventh career LPGA Tour title at the ShopRite LPGA. She came from four back of the 54-hole-leader Soo Bin Joo to climb to 9-under-par for the tournament, and her clubhouse lead was safe. It was her first win in nearly three years; her last was the 2023 Maybank Championship. Here are some snippets from Boutier’s post-win press conference at Seaview Golf Club.
THE MODERATOR: Joining us after the final round of the ShopRite LPGA powered by Wakefern is our champion, Celine Boutier. Celine, it had been nearly a thousand days since your last win. How does it feel to finally get the job done?
CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, feels amazing. I definitely feel like I didn’t expect it to come this week, but I feel like my game has been coming around the last few weeks, so very happy that it came today.
I feel like I played very steady and solid all week, and especially today, so super happy with the way my game is. And then very happy to finally get another win.
Q. Yeah, no, you’re now a two-time winner at this event. What does this event mean for you, and how does it feel to win here again?
CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, it’s very special. It was my first win on the LPGA in the U.S., so it was already a special tournament for me, but to be able to come back this year and win it again is definitely making it even more special.
I think I have such great memories on this course and I’ve met such cool people during the pro-ams and stuff like that. Yeah, I feel like this week is definitely a lot of really good memories and very excited to also come back next year and defend.
Q. Yeah, and then obviously U.S. Women’s Open is next week. How is your confidence going to be coming straight off a win?
CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, I mean, I think it’s definitely always good to come back after a win. I think it’s going to be a very different challenge for sure with different course conditions, but I’m excited to see what the course is going to be like.
Very, again, happy where my game is at, so let’s see what I can do there.
Q. In 2021 you were down five shots going into the final round; today I believe you were down four. What is it about this course or this tournament that enables people to come from behind on that final day and win? And because you did it in 2021, did you have extra confidence going into today’s final round?
CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, I mean, I definitely knew that it was going to be more scorable today. The wind conditions were a lot more calm, so I feel like there were going to be some low scores. I knew a lot of players had a chance to go for a win today.
I just trying to shoot the lower score, but I just didn’t really pay too much attention to the leaderboard throughout my round. I was just focused on what I was doing.
But, yeah, I think it’s one of those courses where if you hit the ball well you can shoot really low, but can be also very tricky, especially when the win starts to pick up.
So it’s a little bit of both. Sometimes you can score low, but you can also shoot a few over if you’re not being careful at times. So I think it’s one of the tricks of this course.
Q. Congratulations. By the way, I kind of wanted to expand on the idea of being chased or the chaser. What do you prefer, being the person chasing the winner or being the leader?
CELINE BOUTIER: I think I do like being a couple shots back and kind of having a little bit of a chasing situation. I think leading is nice, too, obviously.
But if I happen to be in this situation, I’m very grateful for it. Also, it’s a different mindset, I think, and sometimes you can play a little bit more conservative just trying to keep your lead or whatever.
I feel like when you’re chasing you maybe are a little bit more aggressive and you play a little bit more like, yeah, just aggressive, I think.
So I think that’s something that I enjoy. But, yeah, I don’t mind either. (Smiling.)
Rep The IX Sports at your next game!
Shop the logo collection or special “Women’s Sports are Front Page News” collection now on Shopify.
Soccer: Annie Peterson, @AnnieMPeterson, AP Women’s Soccer
Tennis: Joey Dillon, @JoeyDillon, Freelance Tennis Writer
Basketball: Howard Megdal, @HowardMegdal, The IX Sports
Softball: Maren Angus-Coombs, @Maren-Angus, The IX Sports
Golf: Marin Dremock, @MDremock, The IX Sports
Hockey: @TheIceGarden, The Ice Garden
Gymnastics: Jessica Taylor Price, @jesstaylorprice, Freelance Writer
