I am so excited to be writing my first Chip Shots article and to share my experience thus far in being a part of Illinois Women's Golf. The first few months on campus have presented many opportunities academically, athletically, and socially which I am so thankful for. After a senior year in high school with online classes due to the pandemic, I have really enjoyed finally getting back into the classroom to learn and interact with other students as well as meeting so many new people. Some of those new people have included my five amazing teammates who I am so grateful for. Getting to practice, workout, find new restaurants, and just talk and laugh have been some of my favorite moments of my time here at Illinois so far. I did not have the chance to be a part of a team in high school, so this aspect has been new and exciting for me.  Â
A couple of weeks ago we hosted our tournament, the Illini Women's Invitational at Medinah Country Club in Chicago. We all got the opportunity to play at an amazing historic course with incredible support from parents, friends, and fans. At Medinah we faced some adverse weather conditions which led to the suspension of play on our first day, however, I think the team embraced the conditions and we kept our focus and a good attitude. This experience will help us throughout the rest of our season if we encounter rainy and wet conditions again. Â
I personally saw a lot of growth between my first event at Michigan and our event at Medinah. In the first round in Chicago, I had a career low round of 73 and followed it up with a 74. I have truly enjoyed getting to practice and work on my game at the Demirjian Indoor and Lauritsen/Wohlers Outdoor Golf Practice Facilities during my first few months on campus and I've seen improvement in my short game. The facilities are in pristine condition and give us a unique opportunity to create different shots with varying lies and even different grasses.Â
We are all excited for our next event at the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, North Carolina on October 29- 31 as we look to finish our fall season strong and build momentum for the spring!Â
