The University of Victoria Vikes might have qualified for the NAIA women鈥檚 national golf championship through the back door, but they enter the four-day competition 鈥� at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 鈥� through the front entrance, like all the other teams that begin competition today.
The Vikes qualified through the 12th and final at-large berth.
Laura Ferreira, Nicole Gargarella, Hannah Diamond, Rhiannon Jones and Melanie Murchison will represent UVic, with assistant coach Dave Rands at the helm.
鈥淥bviously, we are thrilled to have received an at-large berth. I think we need to focus on our mental and physical preparation for a four-day event,鈥� said Ferreira, who is in her senior year.
鈥淚鈥檓 the only one who has been to NAIA nationals before so I can help the girls grind out six days of golfing in the Florida heat. We also need to remember to have fun. When you鈥檙e at the course for more than six hours a day, it鈥檚 important to enjoy it.鈥�
Two practice rounds were held prior to the stroke-play competition. The top four of five scores per school will count towards team standings and the field will be cut after 54 holes to the top 17 teams and 40 individuals.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 played this course before but we know that this will be the strongest field in which the women will compete,鈥� said Vikes head coach Justin Clews.
鈥淭his will be a great opportunity for the women鈥檚 team and I鈥檓 sure, regardless how they finish, they will take something away from this event. They worked really hard this year and I know they have the ability to post some strong scores.鈥�
The Florida heat will obviously factor into play on the Jack Nicklaus-redesigned course that stages the PGA Tour鈥檚 Honda Classic every year.
鈥淲e have two practice rounds to prepare for the event,鈥� Ferreira said. 鈥淭he course looks great but Florida has different grass and the greens run differently so we will need to take our time and pay attention to things like the speed and where to hit.鈥�
It will be a tough challenge for the Vikes, who won as a team at the Corban鈥檚 Match Play event, which gave the group confidence, said Clews.
鈥淧robably the biggest challenge will be the unfamiliarity of competing in the NAIA Championship. It鈥檚 also a longer event and they need to make sure they stay in the present and not get too overwhelmed,鈥� said Clews.
CHIP SHOTS: UVic鈥檚 Lawren Rowe finished tied for 32nd at the men鈥檚 NAIA championship at TPC Deere Run in Illinois. Rowe, ranked No. 1 heading into the event, struggled through some brutal weather conditions with rounds of 73-81-74-79 to finish 20 shots back of eventual winner Rowan Lester of Texas Wesleyan.
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