Hall of Fame

Cookie Strong Krehling
McGill-Toolen Class of '92

Cookie Strong Krehling, along with Dina Hines Blankenship, McGill-Toolen '92, and Coach Tom Buhring established the girls' golf team at McGill-Toolen. Cookie was the number one golfer all four years of her high school career. In her freshman year, the new golf team took second place in the state and then proceeded to win the state championship the next three years. Cookie was the low score medalist in the state tournament in both her junior and senior years. As a result of her consistent low scores, she was named All-County and All-State all four years. She also belonged to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at McGill-Toolen. While in high school she regularly competed in the Women's Alabama Golf Association Junior Tournaments placing as finalist and medalist at Spring Hill College Golf Course in 1991 and finalist at Shoal Creek Country Club in 1992. Cookie's father, William Robert Strong, played varsity baseball and football at McGill Institute and graduated in the Class of '56.

At Spring Hill College, Cookie was the first female golfer to be signed to a scholarship. She was Spring Hill's number one golfer all four years and was named All-American in '94 and '95. She was the National collegiate putting champion in 1995. During her sophomore year, she was Badger, the Spring Hill College mascot. Cookie earned her bachelor of arts degree in 1996 and received her master's degree in education in 1998, maintaining a 3.91 grade point average. She was a summer volunteer for the Spring Hill College Junior Golf Clinic and was the assistant coach of the Spring Hill girls' golf team for one year.

While attending McGill-Toolen and Spring Hill College, Cookie worked nine years at Gulf Pines Golf Course, starting as a cart barn employee and ending as an Assistant Golf Professional. After graduate school at Spring Hill, she pursued qualification for the Futures Golf Tour. After many relocations as a Marine Corps spouse, she taught 5 th grade at Hunter's Creek Elementary School in Jacksonville, NC.

Cookie is married to Captain Daniel E. Krehling. He has served as a Marine Corps pilot in Iraq and will retire in March 2014 when they look forward to returning to Elberta, AL. They currently live in Monterey, CA, with their 2 children: Abby and Emmy. They are members of Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Chapel. Cookie currently enjoys playing doubles as a member of the Naval Postgraduate School tennis team. She is a member of the Marine Corps Officer's Spouse Club which participates in various volunteer opportunities in the community including the Walmart First Tee Junior Open at Pebble Beach Golf Course. She is also a trained Marine Corps Key Volunteer providing assistance to new Marine wives and serving as a liaison between Commanding Officers and spouses during war deployments.

Inducted 2008
Biography updated 10/3/08

Hall of Fame

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