Miller is LPGA Professionals HOFer

And the latest — announced Wednesday — may be the biggest of all.

The LPGA professional and former LPGA Tour player from Silver Creek joins Marvol Barnard, LPGA professionals national president from Green Valley, Arizona, as 2024 inductees to the LPGA Professionals Hall of Fame. The honor, according to a press release on the LPGA website, is in recognition of their “extraordinary dedication, outstanding achievement, and steadfast commitment to encouraging golf enthusiasts worldwide. These two women are considered among the greatest professionals in the game of golf.”

Miller, also a 2014 graduate of the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame, has been called a Master of Mulligans; an underdog and leading expert at taking another shot. For most of her life, she was used to people telling her she wasn’t good enough. Those words would generally inhibit some, but for Miller, it motivated her to achieve more.

Miller has had a distinguished career as an accomplished player. She started as a walk-on at the University of Miami and graduated as an All-American, captaining her team during two NCAA Championships. She played on the LPGA Tour for three years, competing in five U.S. Women’s Opens, before losing her card. Twenty-five years later, she hoped to compete on The Legends Tour of the LPGA Tour, but again, was told she was not good enough. She later qualified, and in 2005, finished second on their money list. Her motto — it’s never too late to take another shot.

Cindy Miller, seen teeing off at Moon Brook Country Club in Jamestown in 2021, says she holds her induction into LPGA Professionals Hall of Fame as “one of the highest of my lifetime.”
OBSERVER File Photo by Scott Kindberg

In 1983, she became an LPGA Professionals member and for more than 40 years has taught thousands of golfers from beginners to the PGA TOUR Comeback Players of the Year. As a Top 50 Master U.S. Kids Instructor certified in TPI and Golf Psych, she also runs the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf Program of Buffalo and is League Director of the Under Armour Junior Tour of Buffalo.

Miller is now a Top 50 Elite LPGA Teacher in the World and has made it her lifelong mission to help those who want to get better and become better. She and her husband, Allen Miller, a PGA TOUR past champion & life member, teach golf in Buffalo. They also administer golf Bootcamps in Florida in the off-season months.

Miller is not only a respected instructor but a skilled communicator. She is an author, radio co-host, and a highly sought-after speaker and corporate trainer. She is a regular contributor to instructional programs on Golf Channel and can be seen on NBCUniversal’s GolfPass. Miller also appeared on Golf Channel’s hit series Big Break III, Ladies Only for several seasons and returned for the Big Break 7 Reunion, reaching a new generation of golfers.

Her commitment to service is another reason Miller is an influential leader. She has served her section and given back greatly to the LPGA, holding many leadership positions. She was elected president for six years and vice president for two separate terms in the Northeast Section. She was chairman of the Professional Development Committee and the Education Committee.

Her list of accolades is impressive. She was the recipient of the Nancy Lopez Golf Achievement Award in 2021. She was named the LPGA National Teacher of the Year in 2010, as well as the LPGA Northeast Section Teacher of the Year on four separate occasions (2001, 2005, 2007, 2010). She won the LPGA National Professional Championship in 2004 and the LPGA Northeast Section Player of the Year in 2005 and 2007. She was named a Women of Influence by Business First in Buffalo and an Ignite Award recipient by the Women’s Business Center in 2023. She was also inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame and Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame.

But even more impressive is her ability to transform lives through the game. A lifelong learner, Miller is a certified behavior, motivation and emotional intelligence professional and an entrepreneur who has dedicated her career to helping people unlock their game and reach their true potential. Knowing how to motivate, communicate, and empower her students is paramount to helping them find their true purpose. She believes that if you have a big dream, it is worth all the effort to go after it. Miller realizes that her impact goes way beyond the LPGA and the golf industry, it has grown beyond the game.

Her non-profit, The Pursue Your It Foundation is a 501c3 organization aligned with the New York State School’s social and emotional learning benchmarks. The program teaches social awareness, interpersonal skills, establishing and maintaining positive relationships, decision-making skills, and responsible behaviors. It provides you with the opportunity to succeed by finding your purpose.

“I am humbled and thrilled to be inducted into the LPGA Professionals Hall of Fame,” Miller said. “I remember when I first started learning to teach after playing on the LPGA Tour and was in awe of the knowledge of Ellen Griffin, Kathy Murphy, Debbie Crews, Jane Frost, and so many others who helped me in my journey. Thank you so much for giving me the knowledge and love for what I do. I hold this honor as one of the highest of my lifetime.”