Hey Illini Nation!
It has been some time since my last Chip Shots blog! Time seems to be flying by and before we know it, we'll all be back on campus to give the golf season another go-around. This summer has been full of new experiences in both life and golf and has been a true testament to the ability of us all to adapt to new circumstances.
Over the past month I have played a couple of local events near my home in Loveland, Ohio. In mid-June, I teed it up at the Cincinnati Metropolitan Women's Amateur at Wetherington Golf Club in West Chester, Ohio with my dad caddying for me. With a competitive field of college players, it felt great to get the competitive juices going again. I was especially thankful that the organizers of the event enacted new rules to make this event safe in the age of COVID-19, including no handshakes, hugs, paper scorecards, raking bunkers, or touching the pin, and all the players and tournament officials followed the guidelines regarding social distancing and wearing masks. It made us all feel safe and allowed us all to put 100% focus on our game. After two solid days of golf, but with more missed putts than I'd like, I finished tied for 5th with scores of 71-76. This event left me with plenty to work on before my next event in July!
On July 6th after a few weeks of practice, I teed it up for a one day 36 hole event at The Heritage Club in Liberty, Ohio. This event provided me with a great chance to play a prestigious course I haven't seen in many years despite only being 15 minutes from my house! A sunny, 90-degree day made for great course conditions, but tough playing conditions in the heat. I had a lot of fun playing and catching up with an old friend from junior golf who now plays for Yale University. About 8 hours later, I finished the tournament in 3rd place after rounds of 76-72. Plenty of positives on the day and plenty more left to work on before fall season!
It may seem like it has been forever since the last time we all teed it up for the Illini, but every time we practice, every time we play, we are representing the University of Illinois. And despite the distance between us all, we support each other as a team and as a program just the same as when we are all together.
Always grateful for the endless encouragement from Illini Nation!
Until next time,
Katie Hallinan
