Lucy fundraising for her next golf scholarship year
After suffering injuries as well as the death of her beloved grandfather Monty in her second year at the University of Arkansas Little Rock, CHB golfer Lucy Owen is pleased the third year of her golfing scholarship in the US went “a lot better”.
The 22 year old returned home last Wednesday for a two-month break at the end of her academic year, during which she will host the fourth annual Lucy Owen Fundraising Golf Tournament at her home course at Waipawa Golf Club on Monday, June 4.
Despite the jet lag, she was still buoyant after ticking off a major milestone in any golfer’s life — scoring that elusive hole-in-one.
“I had a lot better results on course this year. I had two top-20 finishes the semester just been, I made a hole-in-one, my first ever, and I had my best tournament round, a 1-under in Tampa — the same tournament I hit my holein-one,” said Owen, who scored six birdies in her round, but admitted she scored her ace in the practice round.
“So it didn’t really count for anything. But it was still pretty cool.”
While her individual results were pleasing, Lucy said collectively, she and her university teammates struggled in their National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Level 1 Sun Belt conference.
“We didn’t do very well overall as a team this year. I think we came second last but we had a girl quit in the fall so we got pushed back to only five players, and you can’t travel to tournaments with fewer than five players. So there was a lot of pressure on us.”
Off the course, Owen had successful year, selected as president of her university’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee, as well as being selected as a Sun Belt Ambassador, all while maintaining her grades.
“My cumulative grade point average for the whole three years I’ve been at Little Rock is 3.57, which is still above average.”
She has just one more year remaining of her studies and is set to graduate next May with a major in psychology and a minor in health and exercise science.
“I hope to go and do my masters in sports psychology afterwards. But where, I have no idea.”
Which means that her US$23,000 ($32,448) scholarship, which covers her tuition cost, has only one year left to run. That makes her fundraising tournament next week on the Monday of Queen’s Birthday weekend that much more important.
Due to visa restrictions, she cannot work in the US and she has to raise $12,000 for her travel, accommodation and living expenses for the year ahead before she returns in August.
■ Entry to the tournament, which tees off at 9am, is $30 and includes dinner. There are spot prizes and raffles, with two rounds of golf at Cape Kidnappers to be won. To sponsor a hole or play phone 027 360 4406 or (06) 858 8248.