In March 2010, Linnens moved to Phoenix, Ariz., and began working as a product specialist, traveling the country to fit people for golf clubs. Next, she took a special project role as the coordinator of PING’s Junior Interclub golf program, which provides boys and girls ages 12-18 with team-based tournaments.

Currently, Linnens is the social community coordinator for PING. She is in charge of managing all of PING’s social media accounts: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. She also reviews new equipment on the company’s blog and comes up with content to help tell the brand’s story.

“I love working for PING and their marketing department,” said Linnens, who hopes to continue moving up within the PING organization. She attributes some of her success to the business classes she took at Missouri State, especially the sales tactics she learned as she pursued her master’s degree in business administration.

“Playing golf gave me a better sense of the industry and potential contacts for leverage to get my dream job.”

Linnens became a Bear in 2004 when she accepted a golf scholarship. She wanted to play Division I golf and attend college away from her home state of Kansas. She chose the Bears over becoming a Jayhawk after a visit to Springfield and the Missouri State campus.

She definitely found success here.

“Missy comes across as such a sweetheart, which she is, but on the golf course she’s tough as nails,” said Kevin Kane, head golf coach at Missouri State.

At MSU, Linnens was a two-time All-American scholar and a conference tri-medalist her sophomore year. She graduated with the third-best career-scoring average in school history.

Even though she loves Phoenix, Linnens misses Springfield and Missouri State. Each February, she gets to reconnect with her college coaches and the University’s current golfers when MSU comes to Phoenix for an annual tournament.

“I always knew when Missy left Springfield,” Kane said, “that she would be one of those people who was going to be successful at whatever she chose to do.”