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Women's Golf
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2019-20 Duke Women's Golf
Photo by: Duke Athletics
Reigning Champs Open 2019-20 with Experienced Roster
9/16/2019 6:10:00 AM | Women's Golf
By Lily Hiser, Duke Sports Information
DURHAM, N.C.-- A trip to Lake Elmo, Minnesota opens the 2019-20 Duke women's golf season as the Blue Devils play in the Annika Intercollegiate. Coming off winning the school's seventh NCAA Championship last season, this veteran squad is looking to continue their success through consistency and focus.
For some teams, a national championship could lead to complacency, but for Duke women's golf head coach Dan Brooks, the championship win does not change his approach to preparing for this season.
"The championship hangover is really something that doesn't exist, not if you have the mindset that is always progressive and always process-oriented," explained Brooks. "You don't get an A in a class and then get a B next time. You keep getting A's because that's your process."
The squad has been hitting the greens since the start of the school year to prepare for the season with the progress-oriented mindset. With one senior and three juniors making up the seven-woman team, along with one sophomore and two freshmen, there is no shortage of collegiate golf experience and maturity amongst the roster. The team's wealth of experience, especially with the success of last year, has served to increase the confidence of the players going into preparation for this year.
"I think [winning the National Championship] definitely gave us a lot more confidence and it just made a statement to us, knowing that we're the team that's able to win it all," commented sophomore Gina Kim. "To be able to have that much success, it's obviously not possible without the support of Duke athletics and everyone who is involved with it."
Despite this increased confidence, it is important for the members of the squad to approach this season as separate from their past successes. Doing this allows the team to decrease initial pressure and expectations from exterior sources and allows it to focus solely on preparation for the new year.
"I think we're just trying to turn a new page. Thinking too much about what happened last year would be putting a lot of pressure on ourselves and on our freshmen especially coming in," explained senior Ana Belac. "So, we are just trying to again build good habits and set ourselves up for a good season."
The freshmen, Megan Furtney and Erica Shepherd, will be exciting new additions to the squad. The duo has already become familiar with playing with each other, as they teamed together to win the 2019 U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball Championship, but they will need to become acclimated to the demanding schedule that a collegiate athlete faces.
The pair will be looking to the veterans on the team, such as Belac, for help in beginning their Duke careers. Belac, a native of Portoroz, Slovenia, has stepped into this role as a leader on the team in a quiet but effective way. After managing the ups and downs that come with being a collegiate athlete at Duke for three years, she is always present as a teammate to confide in.
"I think I am a very hands-off person. I like to be there whenever they need me and they know they can always come to me for help or advice," remarked Belac. "But as I said, I like to lead by example and just try to show them the best person I can be."
Other letterwinners returning include two-time All-America Jaravee Boonchant, junior Miranda Wang and junior Hannah O'Sullivan.
One of the aspects of the game that all the members of the team continuously work on is preparing for the mental aspect of golf. Because golf requires extreme mental strength, staying positive and focused are critical aspects to the squad's success.
"I think golf isn't a game of perfect," commented Kim. "We're all human, so we make a lot of mistakes, but I think understanding that and accepting the bad shots when they come, being able to bounce back, and keeping a positive attitude really helps."
Minimizing expectations and combining positive mentalities with consistent practice habits are the keys to success for the Duke women's golf team.
"The expectation is that we are going to daily get a little better than we were before and that if we don't get a little better, that it doesn't change our process," explained Brooks.
The 2019-20 season starts on Monday, Sept. 16, at the Annika Intercollegiate. The Blue Devils will tee off beginning at 9:35 a.m. (ET) off hole No. 10. The pre-season preparation and mindset of the Duke women's golf squad will pave the way for their performance in this tournament and the ones to follow.
#GoDuke
DURHAM, N.C.-- A trip to Lake Elmo, Minnesota opens the 2019-20 Duke women's golf season as the Blue Devils play in the Annika Intercollegiate. Coming off winning the school's seventh NCAA Championship last season, this veteran squad is looking to continue their success through consistency and focus.
For some teams, a national championship could lead to complacency, but for Duke women's golf head coach Dan Brooks, the championship win does not change his approach to preparing for this season.
"The championship hangover is really something that doesn't exist, not if you have the mindset that is always progressive and always process-oriented," explained Brooks. "You don't get an A in a class and then get a B next time. You keep getting A's because that's your process."
The squad has been hitting the greens since the start of the school year to prepare for the season with the progress-oriented mindset. With one senior and three juniors making up the seven-woman team, along with one sophomore and two freshmen, there is no shortage of collegiate golf experience and maturity amongst the roster. The team's wealth of experience, especially with the success of last year, has served to increase the confidence of the players going into preparation for this year.
"I think [winning the National Championship] definitely gave us a lot more confidence and it just made a statement to us, knowing that we're the team that's able to win it all," commented sophomore Gina Kim. "To be able to have that much success, it's obviously not possible without the support of Duke athletics and everyone who is involved with it."
Despite this increased confidence, it is important for the members of the squad to approach this season as separate from their past successes. Doing this allows the team to decrease initial pressure and expectations from exterior sources and allows it to focus solely on preparation for the new year.
"I think we're just trying to turn a new page. Thinking too much about what happened last year would be putting a lot of pressure on ourselves and on our freshmen especially coming in," explained senior Ana Belac. "So, we are just trying to again build good habits and set ourselves up for a good season."
The freshmen, Megan Furtney and Erica Shepherd, will be exciting new additions to the squad. The duo has already become familiar with playing with each other, as they teamed together to win the 2019 U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball Championship, but they will need to become acclimated to the demanding schedule that a collegiate athlete faces.
The pair will be looking to the veterans on the team, such as Belac, for help in beginning their Duke careers. Belac, a native of Portoroz, Slovenia, has stepped into this role as a leader on the team in a quiet but effective way. After managing the ups and downs that come with being a collegiate athlete at Duke for three years, she is always present as a teammate to confide in.
"I think I am a very hands-off person. I like to be there whenever they need me and they know they can always come to me for help or advice," remarked Belac. "But as I said, I like to lead by example and just try to show them the best person I can be."
Other letterwinners returning include two-time All-America Jaravee Boonchant, junior Miranda Wang and junior Hannah O'Sullivan.
One of the aspects of the game that all the members of the team continuously work on is preparing for the mental aspect of golf. Because golf requires extreme mental strength, staying positive and focused are critical aspects to the squad's success.
"I think golf isn't a game of perfect," commented Kim. "We're all human, so we make a lot of mistakes, but I think understanding that and accepting the bad shots when they come, being able to bounce back, and keeping a positive attitude really helps."
Minimizing expectations and combining positive mentalities with consistent practice habits are the keys to success for the Duke women's golf team.
"The expectation is that we are going to daily get a little better than we were before and that if we don't get a little better, that it doesn't change our process," explained Brooks.
The 2019-20 season starts on Monday, Sept. 16, at the Annika Intercollegiate. The Blue Devils will tee off beginning at 9:35 a.m. (ET) off hole No. 10. The pre-season preparation and mindset of the Duke women's golf squad will pave the way for their performance in this tournament and the ones to follow.
#GoDuke
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