Committed to the Journey
After finishing as runners-up in the 2011 Southeastern Conference Championship by just one stroke, the Arkansas Women’s golf team is committed to the upcoming season.
Head coach Shauna Estes-Taylor leads a veteran team, returning every member from last season’s team, as well as four newcomers.
The team has set very high goals for this season.
“We have a group of young ladies that are very talented and we’re really deep this year and I’m excited to get started and get going,” Estes-Taylor said.
With every member from last year returning, junior Emma Levy feels that the team is very close as a group.
“We are all really close and you can see that on the golf course,” Levy said. “We play for each other, for our team and for our school.”
Both Estes-Taylor and Levy feel that this year’s team is very talented and has a lot of depth.
“We have a really solid team this year, it’s going to be super competitive and I have to try my best everyday,” Levy said.
The Hogs will be led by Levy and junior two-time All-American Emily Tubert as well as two seniors, Meagan Roberts and Victoria Vela.
The season for the Razorbacks begins on Sept. 10 with the Old Waverly Bulldog Invitational hosted by conference foe Mississippi State in West Point, Miss.
This is the first year the Razorbacks have played in this event.
The team has a variety of different events this season in many different places from the Puerto Rico Golf classic in February to the Westbrook Invitational in Arizona later that month.
Playing in a wide variety of places was very important for Estes-Taylor.
“My duty as a coach is to prepare them for anything and everything they could possibly see,” Estes-Taylor said.
The postseason begins with the SEC Championships in April, which will be held at a neutral site in Birmingham, Ala. for the first time in SEC history.
The NCAA National Championships in Athens, Ga. are the goal for the team this season where coach Estes-Taylor has some extra motivation.
Estes-Taylor played her collegiate career at the University of Georgia, so winning a championship in Georgia would be even sweeter for her.
“It’s a daily motivator,” Estes-Taylor said. “Having that event where I played golf is super special for me. There would be nothing greater than to go to Georgia and win a National Championship.”
