Raastad Wins Norwegian Ladies Amateur Championship
8/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Aug. 21, 2009
FORT WORTH, Texas -- Rachel Raastad capped a strong summer for TCU women's golfers by winning the Norwegian Ladies Amateur Championship.
A native of Asker, Norway, Raastad carded an 8-over-par 227 to post a 2-stroke victory in the rain-soaked event.
"I have worked a lot with length control this summer," Raastad said. "That was probably the best part of my game during the tournament."
One hole in particular stood out for the rising sophomore who was an All-Mountain West Conference selection this past season.
"I had an incredible wedge shot from around 20 yards on a par-5 hole," Raastad said. "I had completely messed up that hole from the start and wasn't even on the green after the fourth shot. I then took my sand wedge and holed the shot for par from 20 yards. That was cool!"
As she prepared for her freshman year at TCU, Raastad was unable to play in last year's Norwegian Championship. Winning in her native country had special meaning.
"It meant a lot because I have worked so hard back home this year and also because I won the Junior Norwegian Championship two years ago," Raastad said. "It fulfilled my wins on the national basis in Norway."
Raastad gained confidence with her title and will look to continue that momentum into TCU's fall season. She will work hard in attacking the golf courses and practice from a different angle. She believes aggressiveness and being able to attack almost every pin position is best for her game.
As a freshman, Raastad was second on TCU and sixth in the Mountain West Conference with a 75.0 stroke average. She also had a pair of top-10 finishes. Raastad is simply looking to continually improve.
"The work I put in my freshman year at TCU really helped me in my summer tournaments," Raastad said. "We worked a lot with my wedges and to get the confidence I needed to know that my shots have top quality.
"Putting was also an element which created a steady path towards low scores. I wouldn't have putted as well as I've done without (TCU team psychologist) Debbie Rhea, Coach (Angie) Larkin, Coach (Lori) Tate and my coaches back home."
Players Mentioned
