by MOSES LEOS III
For Hays High School senior Lindsey McCurdy, maintaining success on the golf course is as easy as driving the ball down the fairway.
Last season, McCurdy claimed the 2012 UIL State Golf Championship, shooting two under 142 for the tournament. On April 29 and 30, McCurdy will attempt to defend her title at the Onion Creek Golf Course in Austin.
The joy of reaching the tournament again was apparent. “I am so excited,” said McCurdy. “Because I won last year, it will be cool to see how I do this year. It’s exciting.”
McCurdy’s road to State this season was spearheaded by dominant play. On April 8-9 at the District tournament, she won the event by seven shots, shooting a 67 and 72, finishing five shots under par. During the Regional tournament on April 15-18, McCurdy continued her torrid pace, winning by seven shots once again, shooting a pair of even par 72 rounds. Yet, the dominance McCurdy has displayed this season took time to flourish.
“It is always hard,” said McCurdy of the road she has taken to the State level. “Because of basketball, I don’t get the opportunity to practice that much. I slowly have to get better and better. I started to play well and feel good about my level of play two weeks before district.”
Yet, her overall ability to progress and develop as a golfer has allowed McCurdy to rise above the ranks. Most impressed by her progression is Rebel Golf Coach Danny Preuss, who has kept an eye on her play since she was in sixth grade. “Even as a 6th grader, I knew that she was something special,” Preuss said. “It was just the way she hit balls off the driving range.”
Preuss noted that even when she was a freshman, McCurdy portrayed signs of an elite athlete. “As a freshman, she almost made it to state,” said Preuss, who was golf coach at Lehman during that season. “We were in one of the toughest regions that year. She shot a great couple of rounds.”
McCurdy’s ability to learn from that experience gave her the confidence to excel over the next three years. “In her sophomore year, finishing in the top 5 (at the State Tournament) was a big deal,” said Preuss. “When junior year rolled around, there was only one goal; win state.” Her demeanor on the course is what Preuss lauds the most. “Everything she does is workmanlike; her demeanor is the same—she has a job to do,” said Preuss. “Her improvement from year to year is great, which will take her into college. She’s a great kid. Hopefully, her goal is to repeat as state champion again. Not many people can say they have won back-to-back state titles.”
McCurdy continues to find ways to improve her game, despite reaching the state tournament for the past three years. Last weekend, she participated in a Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) qualifying event, with the top two out of 18 participants going to the North Texas Shootout in Irving.
While McCurdy did not make the final cut, she was proud of her ability to hang with the professionals. Her third place finish, missing the cut by only two shots, was a learning experience.
“I was really happy about that, even though I did not make it. I am happy with where I finished,” said McCurdy. “In bigger tournaments, I really play my best. I played with an LPGA player at that event; it was cool to see how she played, watching what she was doing. It helped me a lot, how I stand with everything.”
The ability to use the experience of contending with the pros gives her confidence to vie for back-to-back State Championships.
Additionally, McCurdy knows what she needs to do on the links to claim another title. “We’ve always noticed that the short game is the key to winning it. Everyone hits it about the same,” she said. “It comes down to who makes more putts, and who is more consistent around the greens. That’s what I’ve been working on the most.”
Should McCurdy succeed in winning State for a second year in a row, it would place her along side pole-vaulters Britni Lawerence (2002-2003) and Jessica Doyle (2007-2008) as the only athletes in school history to repeat as individual state champs.
While winning another title is something she eagerly desires, McCurdy understands that a well played round is paramount above all else.
“Winning state is great, but I want to do well in general,” said McCurdy. “Whenever I walk off the course, I want to make sure that I want to play as well as I can. That’s what matters most to me. Winning will be nice too, but as long as I can come off the course liking how I played, I will be okay with that.”
