Alison Walshe is, in a word, persistent. That is according to her longtime swing coach, Seth Dichard. Whether it was chasing her golf dreams all the way to the LPGA Tour or in her current position as associate vice president of the Marsh McLennan Agency, Walshe is always striving to reach the next level.
“She doesn’t quit,” Dichard said. “She is persistent. At 39 years old, she still works at it as if she might play again on the tour. She has a no-quit attitude, and that’s why she’s successful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone with persistence ever fail.”
Walshe, who was born in Galway, Ireland, moved to the U.S. at age 4 with her family after her father, John, had spent a significant amount of time traveling to the Boston area for work. The family settled in nearby Westford, Massachusetts.
Eventually, the Walshe family joined Vesper Country Club, a Donald Ross-designed course in Tyngsborough. That’s where Alison and her older brother Dave fell in love with the game. The siblings immersed themselves in the club’s junior opportunities, but it wasn’t until Alison, who also played basketball and soccer, turned 15 that her game began to take off.
A self-prescribed late bloomer, Walshe was shooting in the mid-90s. That all changed once she began working with Dichard, who at the time was an assistant professional at Vesper.
After her initial hesitation to alter her grip and swing, Walshe quickly improved. By the time she was a senior at Westford Academy, she had become one of the best players in the state and had committed to Boston College.
Success in college golf came quickly for Walshe. As a freshman, she won three individual titles, including the Big East Championship with a tournament-record score. In seeking the next challenge, Walshe transferred to Tulane in New Orleans and continued to thrive. In one season with the Green Wave, she won the Conference USA tournament and was named a second-team all-American.
“When I look back at my career on the LPGA Tour, what stands out the most is the community.” — Alison Walshe
Walshe seemingly had found a home. Everything changed on August 29, 2005, when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and wiped out Tulane’s season. Once again, Walshe would have to lean on her unrelenting persistence.
“I had a great season at Tulane,” she said. “I was one of the top 10 players in the country, and I knew at this point I wanted to play professionally, and with the unfortunate situation at Tulane, I had to move. So, I looked for the best college golf program that was going to provide a successful platform for me, and that’s how I ended up at Arizona, which was awesome.”
In Tucson at the University of Arizona, Walshe further solidified herself as one of the best players in the country, winning six times in two seasons and being named an all-American. She earned a spot on the victorious 2008 U.S. Curtis Cup team, competing alongside future major champion Stacy Lewis, with whom Walshe won three points in team matches and led the squad with a 4-0 record. Walshe earned an LPGA Tour card in her first attempt ahead of the 2010 season.
Walshe would make 149 tournament starts in 11 years on the LPGA Tour, recording five top-10 finishes among 19 top-25s.
“When I look back at my career on the LPGA Tour, what stands out the most is the community,” Walshe said. “I used to call it ‘the traveling circus,’ but it’s literally like a traveling family and circus. I’m still very engaged with my peers and friends that are still out there. A win would have been awesome, especially with all the hard work put into it, but I think it was still an amazing run for myself, and the network you develop is unbelievable.”
Thanks to that deep personal connection to the game, Walshe remains involved in the game on and off the course even after transitioning into a full-time career as an insurance broker.
“I’ve tried to stay involved with the golf community as a whole, not just the LPGA,” said Walshe, who lives in Westford with her husband, Chris Herrick. “I’ve gotten involved with various Mass Golf committees, the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund, the New England Section PGA, and I’m heavily involved in the USGA’s U.S. National Golf Development Program because I was fortunate enough to play on Team USA under the USGA.”
Walshe still enjoys competing in golf. In August, just two years removed from back surgery, Walshe got the chance to play in front of her family and friends for the first time in her home state as a professional when she received a sponsor exemption into the LPGA Tour’s inaugural FM Championship held at TPC Boston.
“I’m super thankful,” said Walshe, who enjoyed the “home crowd feel” in what she described as “an awesome week” despite having missed the cut.
The “awesome week” was merely the latest chapter in Walshe’s golf journey. It was born of a persistence that continues to produce new opportunities thanks to the same spirit Walshe showed when she grew from a teen shooting in the mid-90s to an LPGA Tour player.
Dostaler is the director of communications at the Connecticut State Golf Association.