By Carolyn Linck, '11
Santa Clara University freshman golfer Taylor Camany (TC) hopes to build on the reputation she made for herself as one of the top golfers in Northern California while at prepping at nearby Salinas High School. She's certainly off to a good start, playing well at her first collegiate tournament, even carding a hole-in-one. Recently www.SantaClaraBroncos.com (SCB) caught up with Camany about her game, transition to college, and goals for her freshman year on and off the course.
SCB: You had a hole-in-one at the Circling Raven Collegiate Invitational earlier this month. How exciting was that for you? Have you ever had a hole-in-one before?
TC: That was my first hole-in-one so it was very exciting! It was my second hole on the last day of the tournament so it really made for such a fun final round. It will always be a great memory of my first collegiate tournament.
SCB: How old were you when you started playing golf? Who taught you the game?
TC: When I was younger I would just ride in the golf cart with my Dad when he was playing. I started playing competitive golf when I was 12. A family friend of mine, Lindsey, really taught me a lot. I grew up watching her play junior golf, collegiate golf at Boise State, and now she's playing professionally. She's been my role model since I started playing.
SCB: What are your expectations and goals for your freshman season? How is playing golf for Santa Clara different than playing in high school?
TC: My personal goal for my freshman year is to medal at an event. As a team I would love to see us win a tournament this year. We have been working really hard and I know we are capable of being a very competitive team. Playing golf at Santa Clara has been very different then high school golf. At Santa Clara we have more practices where we play an 18 hole round or we'll have a very structured practice at the driving range and do drills for our short game. Our coach also helps us keep specific stats of our rounds so we can base our practices on exactly what we need to improve.
SCB: What do you think is the strongest part of your game right now and what aspects are you working to improve?
TC: The strongest part of my golf game is my accuracy and course management. Throughout the years my mental game has also become one of my strengths. Over the summer I worked on increasing my distance. The courses are much longer at collegiate tournaments compared to junior tournaments, so that has become a key aspect of my game as well. Currently, I am working on strengthening my short game.
SCB: Are there any upperclassmen on the team you look up to or go to for guidance?
TC: We have four upperclassmen on the team and I truly look up to each of them. They are such great players and I am very excited to continue to learn from them. We have a small team this year so we have all become very close and are always there to support and encourage each other.
SCB: What are you looking forward to most in your freshman year? How do you think you will adjust to life at Santa Clara academically and socially?
TC: I am really looking forward to the whole Santa Clara experience and continuing to meet new people. The team moved here at the beginning of the month so having time to focus on golf and getting adjusted to living here before class has started has made the transition much easier. Once class does start I will focus on time management in order to keep a good balance of my school work, golf, and social life.
