Golf has always been part of Caroline Inglis’ life.@@http://www.uoregon.edu/findpeople/person/caroline*inglis@@
Starting at age 13, Inglis began playing recreationally and what started as a simple interest in a sport turned into a potential career. As she grew, so did her game, and once she hit high school, it was simply ‘game over’ for other female competitors in the state of Oregon. Winning three straight 5A state titles for the local Churchill Lancers — it would’ve been four if it were not for a disqualification — Inglis proved to be one of the most dominant golfers in the northwest and eventually landed a spot on the University of Oregon women’s golf team. Now, as she begins to adjust to college life, Inglis finds herself back at square one as she tries to climb back to the top of collegiate play as an unproven freshman.
“The transition from high school to college has been tough because in high school, both the golf and school weren’t as hard as in college,” Inglis says. “I have learned very quickly that time management is everything.”
College has been a roller coaster ride for the freshman. Inglis says high school golf was taken “very lightly” by most girls, and now that she is in college, Inglis feels as though the attitudes have completely changed. “The biggest difference is the time commitment and how serious we take it in college. College athletics is like having a full-time job on top of being a student, from 6 a.m. workouts to practice to everything we do to get better at golf.”
For the first time in her life, Inglis is surrounded by the same level of talent and commitment, and though she has the tools to thrive in this next level of play, it is up to her to find her place among not only her fellow teammates, but among other golfers across the country.
“I am now a part of a very good team and my teammates are just as good as me,” Inglis says. “I think that it pushes me to work harder and strive to be the best I can be.”
“Living in the dorm is a huge adjustment from living at home, but I think it has made me more independent,” Inglis says. “Access to the Jaqua Center and tutors is extremely helpful, and we are very lucky as student-athletes to have such great resources.”
But even with the new experiences and learning curves of college play, Inglis still prefers playing in college.
“The only part of high school competition that I miss is getting to play with my friends and joke around with them at practice,” Inglis says.
Playing for Oregon has brought both pressure and motivation for Inglis, but at the end of the day she is still playing the game she enjoyed five years ago.
“I feel pressure from myself to play well and I want to help out the team, but at the same time I am just out there playing the game I love, and that takes the pressure away,” Inglis said. “Oregon is a nationwide known brand, and being a part of that is an awesome feeling.”
In the span of two tournaments, where the University of Oregon women’s golf team finished third in the Topy Cup and 12th in the Mason Rudolph Championship, Inglis has learned a lot in little time. She even shot under par one round of the MRC.
“I have learned that confidence in yourself is key,” Inglis said. “There will always be someone who hits it farther than you or someone who has a prettier swing than you, but if you just stay true to yourself and play your own game, you can’t go wrong. I have learned that having confidence in myself and my team helps us all play better and be more successful.”
Continuing to improve and learn will be Inglis’ biggest challenge moving forward, and Inglis leans on her family.
“My dad got diagnosed with leukemia in July of 2011,” Inglis said. “It affected my golf a lot at first because my dad was the one who taught me to play golf, and being on the golf course without him was yet anther reminder of how sick he was.
“My dad taught me the game, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without him, especially regarding golf,”Inglis says. “He encouraged me, took me to all of my tournaments and truly cared about my golf game. My dad has absolutely helped take my game to the next level, and today he is still the first person I want to talk to after a round of golf.”
Through this time of struggle, Inglis and her family have found themselves in a better and stronger place, especially now that he has pushed the leukemia into remission.
“When he first got diagnosed, I was a wreck and going through daily life was very hard to cope with,” Inglis says. “As he got better and I saw his health improve, my attitude became more positive, and looking back now, it has made my family a lot stronger.
“We can get through anything. I am just lucky that my dad is still around today to watch me play golf. It is a blessing.”
Inglis also leans on her swing coach Justin St. Clair@@checked@@ who helps her focus on her goals and has been another mentor of hers to look up to when she needs help with her golf swing, or just someone to talk to.
“Becoming an academic All-American would be awesome and is a goal of mine,” Inglis says. “Winning a college golf tournament is another goal, and I want to win a national championship with my team. Ideally, in five years I see myself graduated and going through the LPGA qualifying for school and hopefully getting my tour card for the LPGA.
“I am going to major in business and minor in Spanish and I would like to one day be a college golf coach or something related to golf or sports business.”
From winning state championships and dominating the high school to shooting her first under-par round of golf as a Duck, Inglis has come a long way, and there is still much to come. Look for Inglis’ name as the University of Oregon women’s golf team heads to Sammamish, Wash., on Oct. 8-10 for the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational as she tries to help the Ducks be successful, not only this season, but in future seasons to come.
Who said change wasn’t good?