ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico – Alexandra Phelps watched a little TV at her
parents’ house Monday afternoon and then lounged by the pool. “I can’t
believe I’m at nationals now,” Phelps thought to herself. She’s playing
her last college event, the NCAA Championship, in her hometown. With no
teammates.
And here’s the kicker: She posted the lowest round of her career to get things started.
“I felt very calm and relaxed today, which I wasn’t exactly expecting with all the pressure,” said Phelps, who shot 3-under 69 and is tied for second a shot behind Wake Forest’s Nannette Hill.
Did we mention she’s ranked 130th by
Golfweek and is the Lobos’ No. 3 player?
This isn’t the way any of the Lobos imagined the week would unfold.
They
were supposed to be playing on the University of New Mexico’s
Championship Golf Course as a team – as in five players. Team dinners,
team meetings, team standings.
At the NCAA East Regional two
weeks ago, Phelps drained an 8-foot birdie putt on the last hole to
reportedly send her team to the Big Dance. Her teammates rushed to the
green and showered Phelps with hugs. They cried tears of joy.
Several
minutes later, they were victims of bad math. The Lobos missed out on
an NCAA berth by one shot. Phelps advanced as individual.
More tears.
“We were very heartbroken,” said Phelps, who birdied three of her last six holes that final round.
Most
of the Lobos flew home for the summer after regionals. Only two players
were in the gallery Tuesday to watch Phelps break 70 for the first time
in competition.
And it could’ve been even lower. Phelps had it
to 5 under through 14 holes before things started getting shaky. After
bogeying the seventh hole (her 16th), Phelps four-putted the eighth to
drop to 2 under. She rebounded nicely with a birdie on the last and
walked away all smiles.
“I made so many good putts today,” said Phelps, who needed 29 total. “And I always feel like golf evens out.”
This
is a new and improved Phelps, thanks to prayer and meditation. Lately
she’s been working on relaxation techniques to keep her calm in
pressure situations. So far so good.
Since Phelps is playing as
an individual this week, she gets her coach’s undivided attention on
every shot. Coach Jill Trujillo advised her to club down most of the
day since adrenaline kicked in early.
Trujillo has waited four
years for Phelps to make a break through. The last semester of college
seems like an ideal time. The communications major finished T-4 twice
in her last four college events. Prior to this spring, she’d never
cracked the top 8.
Phelps credits her late-year surge to solid
putting. Aside from the four-putt, where Phelps heard cameras clicking
around the green and temporarily lost focus, she’s remained steady with
the flat stick.
After this week, Phelps will bow out of
competitive golf for the foreseeable future. With no desire to turn
pro, she will begin working on an MBA at New Mexico and hopes to land a
“real job.” This is it.
Phelps’ main objective at the NCAA Championship was to have fun. That’s easy to do when you make seven birdies.
The
wind is projected to blow 30 mph during the second round and Phelps is
more than ready to meet the challenge. In terms of experience, no one
in this field knows how to battle Albuquerque winds better than Phelps.
“It’s not like our weather is horrible,” said Trujillo. “But
there are certain times of year – like California and the Santa Ana
winds – that we get that wind.”
Phelps knows the wind is at its
worst in the spring. Blow wind, blow, she must be thinking. As the
course dries out over the next several days and the greens get faster,
Phelps enjoys a distinct advantage.
“This is like a walk around her block,” Trujillo said. “She knows all the houses and her neighbors.”
There’s no place like home. Even if you’re home alone.
Posted: 5/20/2008
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