In a sport that is almost entirely mental, a sport where the only finger pointing is at oneself, the last thing a golfer needs is a distraction.
For Erin Andrews, the distractions that came with leaving her hometown to attend a Division I school led to more disappointments than achievements in her 2002-03 campaign as a freshman at Oregon.
Andrews came to the University with an impressive golf résumé compiled from her time in high school. She was the two-time MVP for Durango High School in Las Vegas, leading the school to two state titles. She earned the American Junior Golf Association All-American honors in 2000. Andrews was the Arizona Silver Belle champion and the most impressive stat was her perfect record in tournaments entered as a senior, finishing with a third-place finish in the state championships as an individual.
She was heavily recruited by San Jose State and Tulsa. Perennial powers Florida, Arizona, and Arizona State sought the talented senior, but in the end, Oregon won out with an all-day, unofficial campus visit and an immediate bond that was formed between Andrews and the head coach, Shannon Rouillard.
“I felt that Oregon had more to offer,” Andrews said. “Especially coach (Rouillard), we seem to have a different bond. It was her that really sold it for me. She would come out and actually watch me play the whole round instead of just four or five holes like the other coaches, who would then go and watch somebody else. It just seemed that she wanted me, and that put her on the top of the list.”
Andrews, Rouillard said, is a sophomore that fits into the team’s overall character.
“I saw a girl that was very talented, that had the type of character that I look for in an individual,” Rouillard said. “She has a good attitude. She is a hard worker and is very much a team player. She fit well into what we were looking for.”
With the journey to Oregon came the hardships that most freshman have to endure. The cruel thing about golf is that personal struggle will end up finding a way to express itself on the course.
“I couldn’t get fully acclimated (to being at Oregon), because I was trying to be here and be at home, and it really affected me emotionally and my golf,” Andrews said. “I knew I was making mistakes, and I didn’t know how to fix it. It was very disappointing.”
The fun of golf for Andrews was disappearing. She lost the desire to practice, becoming overly critical of every shot, letting her emotions rule, and in turn, she felt like she was excluding herself from her teammates.
“Last year I really felt like I could not become attached to the team because the way I was playing and me emotionally,” Andrews said.
The relationship with her family suffered as well. Having always been a close-knit group, she found herself getting into fights with the biggest influence on her game — her father, Robert.
“It was hard because I wasn’t playing well, I didn’t want to practice and we seemed to be fighting a lot,” Andrews said. “It was hard because I knew (my family was) supporting me, but I always felt like I let them down when I went out and played. But they were always there for me, even though they were upset.”
As a result, Andrews struggled through her freshman season. She competed in eight tournaments with her highest finish, a tie for 29th, coming at last year’s Duck
Invitational.
“Last year, if she were to get upset about a shot, you could tell,” teammate Michelle Timpani said. “You could tell if Erin was playing bad by her posture, the look on her face and by her actions.”
“Every time I was on the course, I felt like it was life or death,” Andrews said.

A different perspective
Andrews came back for her sophomore season with an entirely different attitude and outlook on her game.
She enjoyed golfing during the summer, where she made it to the second stage of qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open, and she also played in the United States Amateur. Being able to patch things up at home, Andrews found the confident and talented game that she had been known for previous to her freshman year. She took home the individual title in the first tournament of the year, the Lady Vandal Invitational in Moscow, Idaho, which helped the Ducks to their first team title since 2000.
“I think it was really all mental,” Andrews said. “I seem to have a totally different attitude and approach to my game, and so my game fell into place.”
Rouillard agrees.
“Erin has really let the clubs do the talking for her,” Rouillard said. “She has dropped her scoring average almost five shots from her freshman to her sophomore year. And it’s not like she dropped it from a 90 to a 85. She has taken her 79 average and dropped it to a 74, which is tougher to do because as your scores get lower, it becomes difficult to shave shots off.”
Andrews’ clubs certainly have done the talking this year, and they are continuing to talk in a dominant way. She has finished in the top 21 in each of the four tournaments she has played this year, and with one more individual title, her ranking could possibly vault into the top 25, which would make her a strong All-American candidate.
“I think she has it together more,” teammate Therese Wenslow said. “It took her a while to figure the whole freshman thing out. She has learned to take care of herself as golfer.”
Andrews will look to capture that title today as the Ducks open their spring season on their home course at the Duck Invitational on the grounds of the Eugene Country Club.
“The game has become more fun, more enjoyable for me,” Andrews said.
As it should be.