May 14, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. - Senior Stephanie Connelly (Pasadena, Md.) placed second overall at the NCAA East Regional, May 7-9, and earned an individual invitation to the NCAA Women's Golf Championships to be held May 19-22 at the Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md.
Connelly's even-par 210 (73-69-68) at the regional was the lowest score of her Knight career and made her one of the six individual qualifiers (along with 24 teams) that earned a trip to the Caves Valley course in suburban Baltimore, about a half an hour from Connelly's home.
UCFAthletics.com has a two-part Q&A with Connelly yesterday and today. Today's installment looks ahead to the NCAA Championships while yesterday's installment looked back at her performance in Gainesville, Fla. at the NCAA East Regional.
Has it sunk in yet?
"I think it's starting to. I'm on my drive back home to Maryland right now, I'm in South Carolina, and I'm thinking that I'm going to nationals next week. I'm not just driving home. It's very cool. I don't think I have stopped smiling since Saturday. It's definitely sunk in."
Will you be able to have family there?
"My parents were at regionals and I'll have a bunch of people come out to watch next week as well. I'm very excited."
How nice is it to be playing half an hour from home?
"That just makes it so much better. (Caves Valley) is such a great place. It's going to be a treat for all of those that have never been there and for me to get to go back is great as well. It's an exclusive club. I'm very excited. It's such a good golf course. It's tough."
Have you played there before?
"I played in the Canon Cup which is an AJGA team event and I also played in the Maryland Open there before. It's a great course. I was on the east team for the Canon Cup and we won. It was very exciting."
How are you feeling heading into nationals?
"Of course I feel great having a second place finish this past week at regionals. It's my best placing in college. I want to keep doing what I'm doing. I want to get pars or better and have fun. It's a great golf course. It will be nice. I'll have my family and friends out there watching me. I want to just soak it in. I've never been to nationals. There isn't any extra pressure on me because the focus is more on the teams there. I'm going to have a good time and hopefully play well."
Has the experience of playing a consistently tough schedule at UCF helped you?
"The fact that I've been through four years of college helps me. I've been playing for longer than that against some of these girls from juniors and high school and things like that. It helps to have played against the competition. Especially in college golf because sometimes even if you are at the top of the field personally it's up to how your team is playing as to whether you're playing with who you're fighting head-to-head with for first. But, really, it's just going out and playing my own game. I'll know how the field is doing. Even if I'm not exactly playing with them, it definitely helps to know. I'm going to have to play really well to win but I think that I can do it."
What will it be like competing as an individual and not with the rest of the team?
"It's going to be a lot different. I was just thinking about that. I was talking to coach about our schedule for each day and the team's not there. For example, usually we get to the golf course earlier than I need to because I warm up more quickly than some of the other girls. It will definitely be different. It will be like a summer event for me. I've (played in events as an individual) a million times before but not for UCF."