Two-time USGA champion and LPGA veteran Tiffany Joh named newest U.S. national coach (2024)

Photo: Robert Walker/USGA

Beth Ann Nichols

April 3, 2024 8:41 am ET

Team USA just got a whole lot more fun. Tiffany Joh, a former LPGA player who lifted the spirits of countless players during her 11-year stint on tour, has accepted a new role with the U.S. National Development Programas a coach. She’ll work alongside head coach Chris Zambri on both the men’s and women’s side to help identify and support American golf talent.

Joh, who currently works as an associate head coach at USC, will move from her native California to Pinehurst, North Carolina, following the completion of the Trojans’ spring season. A two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links champion, Joh is the first USGA champion to be hired by the USGA in the organization’s 130-year history.

Known for her music-making videos, her many onesies and self-deprecating humor, Joh was the first four-time All-American at UCLA who joined the LPGA in 2011. The ultimate team player, Joh had a knack for bringing the tour together when it mattered most.

What made you want to join the U.S. National Development Program?

Tiffany Joh of the United States prepares to play at the 1st hole during the final day of the Aberdeen Ladies Scottish Open at Gullane Golf Course on July 29, 2018 in Gullane, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

A lot of it was just pure fascination and curiosity about it. Growing up, my parents didn’t really play golf, and the only reason we were able to navigate junior golf and getting recruited by colleges was just because we were able to make some really great relationships and got tons of advice along the way. I was really fortunate that way.

But then once I got to be a little bit better of a playerand competed in Curtis Cups and World Ams and Spirit Internationals and stuff, I got to make friends from a lot of countries and hearing about their development systems, I remember thinking wow, that would be awesome if the U.S. did that. I think it would bring U.S. golf to a whole other level.

Who were some of the folks early on you were referring to that helped you navigate?

Jennie Lee and tiffany Joh (USA) give Alison Walshe cheers as she plays the 17th during the Sunday singles round of match play of the 2008 Curtis Cup Match held at The Old Course at St. Andrews in St. Andrews, Scotland on Sunday, June 1, 2008. (USGA/Matthew Harris)

I started with the First Tee of San Diego. Some of the instructors and some of my junior golf friends and their parents. At a certain point in the First Tee, as I started to get better, some of the other parents were like, hey, have you ever heard of San Diego Junior Golf Association, and we were like no. So we went and signed up for those and made some more relationships, and then they were like have you heard of SCPGA and the Toyota Cup? Have you heard of Junior World? And we were like no! So we signed up for that. … That’s kind of the story of my junior golf career. We were like no, we haven’t heard of that, but we’ll sign up. I was lucky though that we were able to make all of these relationships with other kids and other parents that kind of steered us around. I know not everyone is that lucky.

How do you see this program filling in the gaps?

Tiffany Joh holds the championship trophy following her victory at the 2008 U.S. Women’s Public Links at the 35th hole at Erin Hills Golf Course in Erin, Wis. on Saturday, June 21, 2008. (Copyright USGA/Steven Gibbons)

First of all with the grant system, access is going to be huge. For me, when I was growing up, we pretty much went to any tournament that was drivable. So any AJGA event that was in southern California or all the way to Arizona, we were playing in. So I think access is going to be a huge thing But aside from that, I honestly don’t know.

I completely signed up to be on board just because I was excited about the idea and just because I love Chris Zambri so much, and I love Heather Daly Donofrio so much, that’s pretty much how I made most of my decision.

How much has college golf changed since you were at UCLA 15 years ago?

Tiffany Joh poses for a portrait ahead of the LPGA Founders Cup at Wildfire Golf Club on March 18, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Oh man, first of all, everyone is really good…. Before I came to USC I was at Cal State San Marcos, which is a really good Division II program. Even those kids that I coached, I was like any of these kids could turn pro in my eyes. Mostly the depth. Also the access to data.

Back when I was in college, you did some stat cards it was like how many fairways did you hit, how many greens, how many putts. We didn’t really have any access to data other than that. But now people are doing a lot of strokes gained. We do a strokes gained putting thing. We have a way of tracking how good your speed is. The information that you have access to is so much greater now.

The Augusta National Women’s Amateur is going on now. How do you see U.S. national program being involved on a week like this?

Gianna Clemente watches her tee shot on the fifth hole during the second round of the Dana Open presented by Marathon at Highland Meadows Golf Club on September 02, 2022 in Sylvania, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

From what I’m guessing based off my conversations with Zambri, we’re more on the development side. Maybe we’d be there kind of similar to college golf where you help the players figure out a good strategy for playing a course … with tee shot lines and stuff. I don’t think that we’re going to be in there in there.

I think most of it is running training camps and talent identification and a lot of it is support.

That’s another thing that’s different with elite amateurs now is they have their own teams. It’s not like you just have your swing coach and your parents. You might have your swing coach, your college coach, you mental coach, your parent, your guru. I think it’s being able to sift through all that so there’s just a little bit more continuity to what you’re getting.

While the top two players in the Rolex Rankings are American, there are only 19 players from the U.S. in the top 100. How long do you think it will take to see change here?

Amari Avery tees off on the 15th hole during the second round of the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

I honestly see this next crop of players coming out, I think Amari (Avery) is going to be such a worldbeater. I see her contending at majors.

But you’re right, especially on the women’s side, we’re not doing too hot in terms of the rankings. But, I think, it’s going to take little bit of time for sure. … I do think these kids that are coming out of college, men’s and women’s side, they’re so much more prepared than I think I was when I came out of college. I do think this next crop, even the ones that aren’t going through the development program, I think they’re still going to be pretty good and really be turning the tide in our favor.

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