TCU Women's Golf Has Impressive Summer
8/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Aug. 13, 2009
by Will Morris
FORT WORTH, Texas -- After placing 18th at this year's NCAA Women's Golf National Championship for its third straight top-20 finish, the TCU women's golf team continued its impressive play into the summer.Allyson Ferguson and Brooke Beeler both competed in the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, while Valentine Derrey overcame a four-stroke deficit to win the Grand Prix of Palmola in the south of France.
The momentum is strong for TCU, one of only 12 schools to place in the top 20 three consecutive years. At the 2009 NCAA National Championship, the Horned Frogs had the best finish by a Mountain West Conference team and by a program in the state of Texas.
As much of an accomplishment as this is, TCU head coach Angie Ravaioli-Larkin and the rest of the team want more.
"It is a great honor, but we are reaching for the top ranking in the country," Ravaioli-Larkin says. "It really all stems from the tradition and legacy the girls want to leave.
"It's a quality they live by, whether it be academics, athletics, or even a board game. They are winners and they want to win."
In her 15th year at TCU, Ravaioli-Larkin has transformed the team into annually one of the top programs in the country. Her keys to success are simple.
"Recruiting, recruiting, recruiting," Ravaioli-Larkin said. "We also really focus on player development."
TCU's player development involves anything from short game instruction to sports psychologists.
"We help them learn to believe in themselves and that they can achieve anything they want to," said Ravaioli-Larkin. "They learn there are no limits. We only place limits upon ourselves."
When asked what it must be like to have such a determined team, Ravaioli-Larkin was full of praise.
"I'm really proud of them, for playing so much and the success they have had, it says a lot about what the game and this University means to them," she said. "We are really proud and they need to know that."
Southpaw senior Megan O'Donnell attested to the stellar job Ravaioli-Larkin has done developing the team.
"Coach Larkin has such a motivating drive that inspires us as a team to push beyond our own expectations and become better players," O'Donnell said.
TCU's exceptional summer speaks volumes about the work ethic of its players, as most are paying their own way to play in as many tournaments as possible. The team's hard work during the summer should lead to another very promising year.
"I have played in a lot of tournaments with some of my teammates this summer and I have never seen such enthusiasm on the golf course," O'Donnell said. "I think we not only posted some really remarkable rounds, but we have displayed a little preview of what this season is going to be like."
The upcoming 2009-10 Horned Frogs are full of many talented players. Derrey, a senior, certainly accumulated some impressive stats last season. She became just the fifth player in TCU history to be a three-time all-conference selection in leading the Horned Frogs with a 74.8 stroke average.
When asked what it took to come from behind and win like that, Derrey explained, "Coach always tells me to be in the present and stay patient. I just stayed calm, played one shot at a time, and I ended up winning."
Derrey has many accomplishments in her career but she has a humble attitude.
"Those things are great and an honor, but they aren't my ultimate goals," she said. "I want to help my team by being a leader. I want to become a better player so that one day I can compete in the LPGA."
Another Horned Frog having a great summer is Ferguson, who is proving she can compete with the elite players in the world. At the top of her accomplishments was playing in the U.S. Amateur Championship with teammate Beeler.
"It was a great experience because I was able to play with the top players in the country," Ferguson said. "It was a great tournament to end on, because it felt more like a school tournament. I learned that I can never give up if I'm not playing well. You never know what your fellow competitors could do."
This wasn't her first time playing in the U.S. Amateur Championship. She qualified in 2007 as well.
With an outstanding coach and a team full of promising athletes, the Horned Frogs look poised to have another exciting year in 2009-10.
Players Mentioned
