W. golf: Coach returns to course as player

As UCLA women’s golf coach Carrie Forsyth walked toward
the driving range at Paradise Valley Country Club in Phoenix,
Ariz., a U.S. Women’s Open qualifying site, she was
approached by one of the players competing who recognized her.

“Hey, coach,” the player said. “Who are you
caddying for today?”

“Umm, myself,” Forsyth responded.

Despite not having played competitive golf for more than six
years, Forsyth was talked into attempting to qualify for the U.S.
Women’s Open by her players back in March.

And after Monday, the Bruin coach is only one step away from
entering her name in women’s golf’s most prestigious
tournament.

Forsyth posted a 2-over par 74 on the Paradise Valley course,
only two shots behind the leaders, to advance into sectionals,
where she will be vying for one of several spots to qualify for the
U.S. Women’s Open at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry
Hills Village, Colo., from June 23 to June 26.

But getting to this point has already been enough of a
nerve-racking experience for the Bruin coach.

“When you play a lot, and compete a lot, you get
comfortable,” Forsyth said. “But for me, I was pretty
nervous the whole entire round. I’m just not in my comfort
zone. But it’s OK to be nervous, your awareness is
heightened.”

Before this season began, Forsyth hardly found the time to even
play a casual round, let alone a competitive one. Since March,
however, the Bruin coach, who pioneered the 1991 UCLA women’s
golf team that won the NCAA Championships, has made a commitment to
put herself in position to test her game against the nation’s
best.

Making frequent trips at night to the driving range, along with
occasionally competing against her own players, Forsyth once again
found her competitive edge, drawing on many of the lessons she has
instilled within her team.

“I wanted to see if I learned anything as a coach that
made me a better player,” Forsyth said.

“I didn’t hit the ball well at all. But I was calm,
I didn’t panic. And I am proud of myself for that. I
wasn’t physically prepared as well as I could have been, but
mentally I was strong.”

Only three days removed from watching her team claim second
place at the NCAA Championships, which she described as a much more
nervous experience, Forsyth found herself paired with UCLA
sophomore Hannah Jun on the opening tee, but this time as a
competitor, and not as a coach.

Still, with Forsyth already having solidified a spot in
sectionals, and Jun needing to make a 15-footer on the 18th hole to
advance to sectional qualifying, the Bruin coach couldn’t
help but cheer when the sophomore’s putt found the bottom of
the cup.

“I wasn’t her coach and she wasn’t my player,
and I was really trying to not pay attention,” Forsyth said.
“But when she made that last putt, I was like,
“˜Yes!’ I was really happy for her.”

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