There are many sides to Beth Bader.

There’s Beth Bader the ISU alumna. There’s Beth Bader the professional golfer. And then there is the Beth Bader who, in her free time, is actively involved in raising money and awareness for pancreatic cancer patients.

Bader graduated from Iowa State in 1997 and is now in her sixth year on the LPGA tour. Looking back on her life, Bader said she never really knew she could be a professional golfer until it actually happened.

“I had a decent college career and I wanted to continue playing,” Bader said. “My game just kept improving from my freshman year until today. I never grew up saying I wanted to be a professional golfer – I just kept falling in love with it.”

Bader was discovered by former ISU women’s golf coach Julie Manning.

Manning, who was the head coach at Iowa State for 18 years, said she liked what she saw in Bader right away.

“She’s real big and strong, and she could really hit the long ball,” Manning said.

“She could also putt so well, and she could read greens better than anyone I had. That’s what separated her from a lot of other players.”

Bader agreed that her putting might have been her ticket to the LPGA.

“I believe I’m one of the best putters on the tour. I’m good at reading greens and making putts,” she said.

Bader’s highest finish on the tour so far was in 2002, when she finished fifth at the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic.

She said she doesn’t set goals because she feels they can “limit you a little bit.”

Bader acknowledged that there is one main element, however, that separates her game from the top of the heap: her lack of mental toughness.

“Annika Sorenstam is so strong mentally. That’s what makes her so good,” Bader said. “I honestly believe I have a better swing than Annika Sorenstam, but she is so mentally strong, and that’s what separates her from the rest of the LPGA.”

Jim Hasley, Bader’s former coach and lifelong friend, agreed that golf is a mentally demanding sport.

“It’s a mental thing as much as physical. That’s what separates the winners,” he said.

Bader received golf lessons from Hasley in Eldridge, her hometown, when she was a child.

Hasley said he was quite surprised to see how Bader has developed.

“I couldn’t believe how she had transformed herself with the help of a physical trainer. That’s just dedication to training,” he said.

But Hasley acknowledges there’s always room for improvement.

“She’s going to have to raise her level a notch. There’s so much competition at that level, you have to go up a notch also,” he said.

That’s something Bader has been doing. Her 2005 tour earnings were $147,720, more than double what she earned in 2004. She finished 2005 at No. 64 on the LPGA money list, by far the highest rank of her career.

But Bader’s story only starts there. Possibly the most intriguing part of her story takes place off the golf course.

In 2004, Bader and her family were dealt a devastating blow when Bader’s mother, Sue, succumbed to pancreatic cancer.

Sue was in her early fifties and had always been healthy and outgoing.

While Sue was still fighting the cancer, Beth helped start the Susan L. Bader Foundation of Hope, along with her father and her sister, Amy.

The foundation’s goal is to raise funding and awareness to find a cure for pancreatic cancer.

Through fund raising events and donations, they’ve raised nearly $75,000 since the foundation’s inception.

“There’s been a huge outpouring of support from our hometown. We have a golf tournament, a dog walk and it’s amazing how many people have helped us and continue to help us,” Bader said.

She also spoke of long-term aspirations for the foundation.

“We want to eventually get a corporate sponsor. Our goal is to keep growing,” she said.

“I always try to get the word out whenever I can. I carry purple head covers [when I’m golfing] because purple is the color for pancreatic cancer.”

The foundation also sells bracelets on its Web site to raise awareness, and 100 percent of the profit goes to research.

For more information or to find out how to help, go to www.slbfoundationofhope.org.