Women's Golf Alumni Spotlight: Evelyn Orley

DURHAM, N.C.— Over the summer, the Blue Devils will be catching up with Duke women's golf alumnae to see what they have been up to since leaving Durham. Our first alumna for the summer is 1998 graduate Evelyn Orley.

Orley saw action in over 30 career tournaments with the Blue Devils from the 1984-85 season through the 1987-88 season. The 1985 ACC Champion, Orley earned All-American accolades in 1986 and 1988, while concluding her career with seven top five and nine top 10 finishes as a senior in 1987-88.

GoDuke.com: Since graduating from Duke, what have you been up to?

Evelyn Orley: Hard to believe but it has been 32 years since I graduated from Duke. It seems like several lifetimes ago. As most people's path, mine was not a straight line to where I am today. I am really glad it was not as I experienced a lot along the way. I was accepted to law school but deferred in order to try my luck at professional golf. I then found my way into the corporate world and I ended up living in beautiful Southern California for the past 22 years

Evelyn Orley

GD: Were you able to play professionally after college? If so, how was that experience?

EO: Yes, I played professionally for about six years. I mostly played on the European Tour and also competed on the Asian Tour during the winter months. I ended up trying to get my LPGA card several times and succeeded in the fall of 1992, but played only one season on the tour here in the U.S. I have some incredible memories and loved seeing the world in my 20s doing something I loved. I was able to win twice, once on the Asian Tour and once on the European Tour.

GD: Have you been able to keep in touch with many former teammates/coaches since you left Duke?

EO: I stayed in touch with a couple of my teammates after leaving school, but since we did not have social media in the 90s/early 2000s it was hard to keep up with everyone. I recall attending a reunion in 2003, which was fun, but after that everyone went back to their life and things fizzled a bit. But then that changed again when many of us got on Facebook/Instagram and we were able to reconnect. I even teamed up with Anna Morales last year in the USGA Fourball Championship and we made it to the tournament in Jacksonville, Fla. It was especially memorable because Megan Furtney and Erica Shepherd, the incoming Duke freshmen, ended up winning that event.

GD: Have you been able to continue to follow the Duke women's golf team since you graduated?

EO: Yes, and I am so proud of all the teams and how well Dan Brooks has done as a coach over the past 37 years! Sarah LeBrun, Dan and I started out as rookies together and we were trying to figure it all out back then. Clearly Dan figured it out having become one of the winningest coaches of all time! The team looks so polished today compared to us back then--but honestly, I loved being part of that era and would not trade it.

GD: Have you been able to make it back to Durham since graduation?

EO: Yes, but only a handful of times. I have lived on the West Coast since 1998 and unfortunately work did not take me to North Carolina very often.

GD: You have had a chance to play some amateur golf recently and even team up with former Blue Devils? How was that experience?

EO: I got my amateur status back over a decade ago but did not really have the time to compete much at the time. But when I turned 50, I thought it would be fun to play in some senior events to test the old nerves again. Since then I played in two USGA Senior Amateur events and in the Inaugural Senior Women's Open. Last year, as mentioned earlier, I teamed up with Anna Morales (Class of 91) for the USGA Fourball. All those events were super fun and I crossed paths with players I had not seen in decades. I loved that aspect of it and having my sister Jackie, who also went to Duke, caddie for me at the Senior Women's Open.

GD: How was it having a sister on the Duke team?

EO: Having my sister on the team was great in so many ways. Jackie paved the way for me at Duke being a year older. It was comforting to have her living close by and seeing her regularly, whether at the golf course or on campus. Back then we used to get letters from our parents in Switzerland that would take a week to get to us and international phone calls were expensive. Also, we were rarely in our rooms, so it was hard to reach us at any time of the day--or night! :) We always were very close and sharing the Duke experience brought us together even closer. So, to this day, having the opportunity to reminisce about our days at Duke, our friends and teammates is really a wonderful thing we share.

GD: When looking back on your days at Duke, what are some of your favorite memories?

EO: Definitely being part of the team! We were a small, but tight-knit group and everyone was very different, but we liked and respected each other. I do not recall any fighting or arguing. I remember the road trips, the broken-down van, playing with the men's team and just feeling like the golf course was our refuge. During my years, the basketball team also came of age and we went to the Final Four several times. It brought the entire school together in a way that I had never expected. I also remember the absolute freedom we had on a daily basis. After going to class in the morning and golf practice the options were endless...would we go study in the library, take a nap, attend an off campus gathering or play tennis at 10 pm at night!

GD: Have you developed any new hobbies, etc., that you are involved with these days?

EO: I do not have any exciting hobbies, unfortunately. I travel quite a bit for work, so when I have the chance, I try to exercise and enjoy the outdoors. My two dogs keep me active and the past five years I started doing quite a bit of yoga as well. I still really enjoy playing golf and, in the winter,, I enjoy cross-country skiing. One of these days, when I have more free time, I would love to play an instrument again.

GD: How has a Duke degree helped you?

EO: Duke has a great reputation and it has definitely helped me in my career path. However, I believe that a degree is only a first step towards opening our minds and being curious about the world we live in.

GD: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to our current student-athletes?

EO: Make sure you enjoy the school and surround yourself with friends that have different interests and goals in life than you do. This is such a great time to being open and idealistic about the world--take advantage of it!

GD: Do you remember a specific class and/or professor at Duke that you really enjoyed while in school?

EO: I remember Wallace Fowlie, our English Professor that taught French Literature. Professor Fowlie was one of the first writers that translated the French poet Arthur Rimbaud's work into English. I took his class on Marcel Proust and he could not have been more passionate about teaching and sharing his knowledge. He once told us that one of his most poignant personal experiences was meeting a character from Proust's novel "Remembrance of Things Past" in a seedy bar in Paris in the 1950s.

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