June 14, 2006
ORLANDO - When Emilee Klein took over as UCF's women's golf coach Nov. 1, there were many who believed she would be able to elevate the fortunes of the program, but most agreed it would take time - even years. After all, golf was her life and she was successful at every aspect of the game, but she had never coached before.
Klein inherited a team with two seniors and virtually no confidence. The Golden Knights were ranked 114th in the nation according to Golfweek Magazine, and had finished the season south of the 100 mark in the rankings three years running.
"I wasn't sure what to expect when I first got into coaching," said Klein, who ended an 11-year LPGA Tour career six weeks prior to accepting the UCF coaching job. "It's a different kind of competition, but I really enjoy seeing the girls improve and experience success."
In reality, it didn't take long for Klein's impact on the program to be seen - a week to be exact. Just six days after taking over the job, Klein's team began playing in the Stetson Invitational, its last tournament of the fall semester. A day later, the Golden Knights were celebrating a runner-up showing, their highest team finish in any tournament in more than three years.
"The girls were so excited after the Stetson Invitational," Klein said. "Some of them had never been in contention to win a college tournament and individually or as a team and I think they surprised themselves a little. I was so proud of the way they played."
Although the results of one tournament don't qualify as a complete turnaround, it did signal the program was heading in a different direction. From the time she arrived, Klein poured herself into the team she inherited and her passion for excellence ignited the flames of confidence in the squad. By the end of the year they had moved all the way to 83rd in the country.
Klein relied on her years of experience to help each golfer break personal scoring barriers in the spring, and as a result the team steadily climbed in the rankings. "The only instruction I gave them was on course management and the mental aspects of the game and it really made a difference," Klein said "We're all stubborn in our own mind and we think we know what's going on, but when it came down to it, I think they realized what I was telling them was working.
"Their mental game changed and they were thinking about making birdies and chipping in instead of just getting up and down for par," Klein added. "It was exciting watch and see how much they progressed throughout the year, especially down the stretch. In the last couple tournaments we played some good competition and were right up there with them."
All seven players on the roster finished with scoring averages below 80 and two of the most dramatic improvements came from Holly Boot and Annabel Silk, who lowered their stroke average from the previous year by more than three full shots.
Boot was UCF's team leader in stroke average during the 2005-06 season at 78.07 after posting an average of 81.36 a year prior. She also lowered her best 54-hole total in relation to par by nine shots. She credits Klein for the improvement in her game.
"She's such a positive coach," Boot said of Klein. "The biggest thing she helped me with my confidence. She helped me believe in myself and I was able to break through some scoring barriers and feel comfortable when I experienced success."
During the spring, UCF picked up another second-place showing at the Waterlefe Invitational and registered a pair of third-place finishes by season's end. The Golden Knights finished third at the Conference USA Championship and were in contention on the final day for an automatic NCAA Regional berth.
"I think we made incredible progress during the year," Klein said. "I'll never forget my first qualifying round as coach. The best score we posted was an 82 and the worst was a 97. Near the end of the year we had a qualifying round where the lowest score was a 69 and the highest score was a 78."
Klein's presence has brought a renewed sense of excitement surrounding the women's golf program from recruiting to support. The former NCAA champion and Golfweek College Player of the Year at Arizona State has been capitalizing on that excitement to build for the future.
"I've got three or four girls coming in who are strong, solid players," Klein said. "I was very fortunate that they were not being recruited very heavily when I found them and when some other schools came calling they stayed true to their commitment so I'm excited."
In addition to recruiting, Klein plans elevate her program through competition. She is planning to host an elite-level tournament next spring similar to the Isleworth-UCF Collegiate Invitational, an event every fall hosted by UCF's men's team that had nine of the nation's top 10 teams in last year's field.
"We have a really strong schedule for next year," Klein said. "At least seven of our 10 events will have several top-20 teams in the field. That will be an eye-opener for us, but that's the only way we are going to learn to elevate our game."