Reading the Cut of a New Deck
A few women’s golfers are ready for leadership roles
Liv Sewell
A poker face is not only essential in a game of cards.
No one knows that better than the Colorado State women’s golf team. With half of the roster being new additions and only one home tournament, the mental game is vital to its training.
As physical activity impacts mental health, it goes the other way around. In a heavily cognitive sport such as golf, the coaching staff is focused on supporting both areas this upcoming season by enlisting a professional’s help.
“Obviously, as coaches, we work with them in those areas,” head coach Laura Cilek said. “But we get professionals involved. And it’s kind of nice to talk to someone about your mental game who isn’t your direct coach.”
That mental game is especially on the mind of sophomore Kara Kaneshiro, who won Mountain West's Women’s Golf Freshman of the Year award last year.
With a baseline set in her first year, Kaneshiro’s average round of 73.09 exceeds any other freshman season in program history. Scores in the 75-77 range are common among her prior CSU peers in their first season playing collegiate golf.
As those players are now shooting better, it shows a glimpse of the improvement in Kaneshiro’s game yet to come. However, she isn’t worried much about how she compares to other players.
“Laura has always told me to just be confident and play my game, not really worry about what other people are doing,” Kaneshiro said. “So, this summer, I was really working on my mental game, trying to sharpen that up a little bit.”
Part of moving forward is forgetting past misfortunes. In golf, each hole is a new chance to prove one’s prowess by living in that moment. However, to live in the moment during a tournament, lots of planning and practice is required first.
Cilek, for one, has a couple of things in mind for Kaneshiro’s sophomore season, including widening the scope of her competition. It’s all set to begin Sept. 9 when the team opens the season at the Fold of Honor tournament in Grand Haven, Mich.
“Last year was last year,” Cilek said. “It’s a new year, new you. What does your game look like right now? What are some areas where we can elevate it even more? (It’s) winning more tournaments, finishing top ten in big events. That’s the next step for her, being top 100 in the country. Extending that out of just the Mountain West and looking at her on a national scale.”
The Mountain West itself has longstanding teams like New Mexico which have been around the same 23 years CSU’s golf program has, winning the Mountain West championship ten times within those years. CSU is yet to have one win under their belt, but this year might be a chance.
Senior Pemika Arphamongkol, who goes by “Fancy,” has been on the roster all for four years she’s been at CSU and has her sights set on the Hawaii tournament and the conference championship.
“I’m looking to go back to Hawaii,” Arphamongkol said. “It was such a fun tournament, and it was also my first team win since I got into the program. Another one is conference. Of course, I want to win.”
However, breaking records and keeping up on their mental game isn’t the only thing the program has to write home about. The facilities CSU offers foster an environment containing one of the most important things about golf, variety.
Playing on the same course with the same holes can become monotonous quickly as diversity in practice helps golfers adapt to new courses they’ve never played before in tournaments.
I think pressure is a good thing. I’m just excited and trying to not have too many expectations for this year and just play and see how it goes.Kara Kaneshiro
Ebba Thalen, a first year from Sweden who competed in the junior circuit back home cites the academics and facilities as reasons she signed with CSU.
“First of all, I wanted a good school academically, but I really liked the idea of a smaller golf team,” Thalen said. “And then, the resources here are just incredible. We practice at four or five different courses, but the whole culture just felt really good.”
The culture, built over the 23 years CSU has had women’s golf, only compounded with the records, and wins last season. The team placed top three in four tournaments, placing first at three of them, one win at their home course.
And in the upcoming season three of the eight-person lineup are new to collegiate golf coming into their freshmen season at CSU.
“I think with freshmen it’s trying to figure out their role and how they can contribute to the team,” Cilek said. “I think they’ll all have unique things. Some of them are a little quieter. Some will be better on the course, and others will be better in the classroom. So, it’s just figuring out what their strengths are in some areas and other areas where we can help them develop too.”
There’s Thalen, from Sweden, Abagail Taylor, from England and Jacinda Lee from the United States. Joining the first years on the roster as well is transfer from Division ll Augusta, Chiara Sola from Switzerland.
However, stepping up to the plate is not only important for the additions, but also as well for the veterans and now leaders of the team.
“I’m excited for our seniors,” Cilek said. “Fancy, Katie (Stinchcomb) and Lacey (Uchida)— especially Fancy and Lacey who have been here for four years. They’ve been such a huge part of our program’s growth and success. I’m just excited to see where they take it this year and see them as seniors and good leaders.”
Being a leader for a team-oriented sport is one thing, but when it comes to golf, the individual nature of the game puts some hurdles in the way of those who wish to show the way.
They can look forward and backward on the course all they want, but winning all comes down to how they play on their own and deal with the pressure at hand.
“It’s a lot different than other sports,” Arphamongkol said. “You have to be on the field together but we’re on different holes doing our own thing and then the score comes together.”
Though teamwork is not an integral part of tournaments, it’s the moments after and in practice which build the bond between teammates. It could be spotting each other in practice, giving advice on and off the course which amalgamates to a team that knows one another better than just their strengths in golf.
The caveat, however, is balancing the drive to win, and the congratulative nature to keep supporting other teammates.
“When we go out and qualify you want to beat each other,” Cilek said. “But after that, you go to dinner, and you say good game to whoever won, and you go on from there. So just having them be competitive, but at the end of the day, you did all you could. It either worked that day or didn’t.”
Focusing on the now, rather than what could have been, all boils down to the mental fortitude needed to play on a team as an individual scorer.
“You control your own golf game, which I think is pretty cool,” Cilek said. “But you can see the group in front of you and the group in the back. You get a vibe for how their doing. One thing we make sure of is that your body language is good. If you’re having a bad day, no one behind you should know you’re having a bad day.”
Heads on a swivel and focused heavily on emanating confidence leads to better golfers in the long run it’s just getting there that’s the tricky part.
With the pressure of performing like last year, Kaneshiro looks to a more upbeat place when thinking about the upcoming tournaments.
“I think pressure is a good thing,” Kaneshiro said. “I’m just excited and trying to not have too many expectations for this year and just play and see how it goes.”
With the new golf season slowly approaching, practice and tenacity are how CSU women’s golf is preparing for the nine regular-season tournaments. The four additions to the team and new assistant coach Emily Lauterbach continue to grow the program and strengthen the mental game of all players on the team.
Because what’s also new is the season in front of the team.
“For us it’s coming up with game plans,” Cilek said. “We prepare well in practice so you’re confident and then going out there and having fun.”
And on the course, keep the cards close to the vest, the eyes vacant of tells.
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