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Greetings Illini Fans!
What an exciting first tournament trip as an Illini and a great way to kick off the spring season! The Fighting Illini divided and conquered; ISU only earned half a point in the Illinois Challenge. Even though it was my first time at this event, there were many familiar faces amongst ISU; it made me reminisce about junior golf days.
The most difficult part of this tournament were the flights; we managed to clock 7.5 hours of delays. Despite arriving in Venice at a late hour, our host families were very accommodating and we still made the most of the Friday practice round. The course (Venice Golf and Country Club) was newly renovated and in absolutely fantastic shape! The greens were rolling well, and the team was able to capitalize on this Saturday.
Our host families came out to watch part of the practice rounds and competition which was awesome! Being able to stay with a host family is such a treat for tournaments; they are so generous and supportive and it really enriches the experience.
The tournament format was four-ball matches in the morning and singles in the afternoon. The team fared well in the first round. It wasn't perfect, but everyone pulled through for a victory. The afternoon had much of the same theme with everyone drawing from off-season preparations to finish strong. Personally, I was able to use the first round as practice and play an unofficial match with Leia, my ISU playing partner, in the second. The match ended well in my favor, and I am proud of my mental and physical performance. My ball striking improved quite a bit from the first to the second round, and I made plenty of good up-and-downs throughout the day.
After the rounds, we grabbed a quick shower and traveled to the Gattone's place at Tiburon Golf Club. Sunday was a full day of playing and practicing; we played the gold course until lunch time, and practiced after lunch before leaving later in the afternoon. Everyone made good use of this time, focusing on long game, chipping and putting as needed. Tiburon was very nice, the holes were beautiful and the members very welcoming. Mr. and Mrs. Gattone were the picture of hospitality! We had awesome food and hung out by the pool during lunch (a.k.a. I basked).
After a few days in beautiful Florida weather and a successful Illinois Challenge, the team is feeling confident for the Westbrook Spring Invitational. It's a quick turnaround, so sleep and academic preparation will be crucial over the next couple of days.
Bye for now!
Go Illini,
Katherine Hepler
