For Freshmen Conquering a New World, a Golf Tournament is Welcomed
Rams' freshmen duo has led while adjusting
Most years, maybe Laura Cilek would wonder how her freshmen were going to handle the big stage.
It would be natural, even with a talented pair such as Panchalika Arphamongkol and Sofia Torres, who lead her Colorado State women’s golf roster in stroke average on the season.
As the world knows, this isn’t most years. Not even close. As the Rams head to the Mountain West Championships for a three-round extravaganza over two days April 20-21 at Mission Hills Country Club in California, Cilek has a bigger picture for which to concern herself.
Obviously, true freshmen have never played at conference championship. Neither has any other Ram she will be taking to the tournament. You know, pandemic. There was no conference championship at all in 2020, so for the three CSU sophomores in the field, it will be their debut performance, too.
“All five players who will be there, that’s their first conference tournament. That’s certainly never happened to me,” Cilek said. “I’ve never had five people showing up in their first conference tournament. Basically, they’re all freshmen.”
Yet the two who truly are have impressed her this season, all things considered. And all things have to be considered.
Neither Arphamongkol – known as Friendly to the team (it’s her informal name back home) nor Torres arrived on campus until January. And it wasn’t a full, bustling campus like they had hoped to see. They ventured her from far away – Arphamongkol from Thailand, Torres from Colombia. Back home, they had to deal with COVID issues to varying degrees, too.
Then a month later, they were on the course competing. College golf came at them at a furious pace, and they’ve essentially taken it all on together.
“It’s been crazy. It’s been everything,” Torres said. “It’s a different language, it’s a different country, a different culture, but it’s been nice. Coach has been very helpful, the team is awesome and I’m close with Friendly. We are very close friends because we’re roommates and we spend 24/7 together. It’s been challenging to adapt to, it’s been a lot of traveling, and a lot going on, class and practices.”
The original plan didn’t have them as roommates, but normal was tossed out the window long ago. As it turns out, Cilek and the new besties have found the situation to be a blessing, as they’ve helped navigate the same path together.
Not just in Fort Collins, but on the road. They room there, too, as it helps combat possible issues with spreading the virus. The Rams have tried to keep their bubble as tight as they can.
So when Torres says “24/7”, she really means it, and Arphamongkol is glad it happened, and they’ve built a bridge to cross their cultural gaps in an altogether different land for them both.
“We’ve been trying to teach each other our language,” Arphamongkol said. “She taught me some Spanish, and I pretty much understand her when she talks to her family. I think I’m better at Spanish, because Thai is so different. It’s not like English, so it’s not easy.”
What has been a constant for the two of them is the game of golf. It is their safe place. Their happy place. While they were both learning time management and the expectation of taking classes in a language which is not primary to either, they both are more comfortable on the greens than in a Zoom setting.
It’s the thing that’s most normal for me right now. I can do the same things, so that’s where I take myself. I look forward to golf. It’s what’s normal.Panchalika Arphamongkol
Arphamongkol leads the team with a stroke average of 76.72, while Torres is just a tick behind at 76.89. The Bruin Wave was not friendly to Arphamongkol, but it was most definitely an outlier, as all three of her rounds there were in the 80s, the only rounds she’s had outside the 70s this season and she owns three top-20 finishes on the year.
Torres has had just two rounds in the 80s, and she’s the Ram who has been closest to breaking into the 60s with her 71 at the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invite the last time out, with one top-20 finish this season.
Of course, both of them are not happy with how the season has gone this year.
“I expect more. I expected better results than this season,” Arphamongkol said. “It’s not that bad so far, but I expected more. I think I’ve improved a lot since I came here. I think my strength is I’m pretty accurate with my shots, and I’m not getting into really big problems, just small mistakes. There’s been a little bit of improvement from those drills they give to me.”
Torres feels very similar about her game, but she is encouraged. The work she’s done with the coaching staff, particularly in how they’ve changed the way she putts, has improved that part of her short game, which is a step forward.
She taken those off the course, too, which has been exciting. Most notably, becoming more independent and making decisions for herself. Scary, at times, but fun.
There was so much she expected about going to college she hasn’t experienced yet, but the most pleasant development is the feeling she is not alone on the course any more, not with a team surrounding her.
“The first two tournaments were tough. I didn’t play as I wanted to, but the last three tournaments went very well,” Torres said. “I’m playing well, and Coach has helped me with that. I mean, the first tournaments were different to me, because in Colombia, we’re not used to playing as a team. Golf is very individual, so coming here and playing with a team is different for me. I think the season is going well. I hope conference goes well.”
So does Cilek. Again, it will be very new to all of them, not just the true freshmen. And the course is a LPGA Championship course, and the weather is supposed to be in the high 80s, even the 90s.
So, just another couple of challenges for a pair of newcomers who have had nothing but new and different. And during the season, Cilek has tried to keep the waters as calm as possible for the duo.
“I think we’ve tried to slow things down with them. There are a lot of things we want to work on with them, but we’ve tried to pick our opportunities to present those things to them to not overwhelm them,” she said. “It’s starting with basic things like being on time, getting to practice, getting to workouts. Once they get a hang of that, it’s then, at practice, we need you to do this. Once we were playing, it was, OK, let’s pick a couple of things from playing to work on. You do have to step back as a coach and just go with it.”
Pandemic or not, golf courses haven’t changed. The team hasn’t eaten food outside of a hotel room to any tournament they’ve traveled, but Cilek said once they get to the course, golf becomes golf.
That’s been nice. That’s been the usual for all of them.
“It’s the thing that’s most normal for me right now,” Arphamongkol said. “I can do the same things, so that’s where I take myself. I look forward to golf. It’s what’s normal.”
One they appreciate. Because in a new world with much different rules, having a little stability is welcomed.