Almost a dozen years ago, Boston University’s women’s golf program was going nowhere. Longtime area golfer Bruce Chalas, a Babson College Hall of Fame member who had played in 14 USGA Championships and qualified for the 1980 U.S. Open in a highly successful career, was approached to help.
“They asked me to come in and be the swing coach for two days a week for one month,” the 68-year-old Chalas said. “I did. But, I said, ‘Oh, God. This might take a little longer’. But I knew the passion the kids had for golf and I kind of felt obligated. Someone did that for me years ago.”
Chalas was referring to his Glen Ellen Country Club mentor Charlie Sheppard, who was a 1958 Masters Tournament invitee.
The fruits of Chalas’ labor and that of his players culminated in its recent Patriot League golf championship, only the second ever for BU, duplicating its 2015 feat. The 54-hole team score of 903 was 4 strokes ahead of runner-up Navy, and 12 shots in front of three-time defending champion Richmond on the difficult Independence Golf Club layout in Midlothian, Va. All six BU players in the tournament hold a season average below 80.
Freshman sensation Hanako Kawasaki took home medalist honors with a three-round total of 222 (73-76-73) while becoming the first golfer in Patriot League history to earn both Golfer of the Year and Rookie of the Year laurels in the same season. Kawasaki’s aggregate score was second-best in Patriot League history. Kawasaki won three tournaments this past season. Adding spice to the BU victory was a hole-in-one by senior Megan Carter of Blackshear, Ga. on the par-3, 162-yard ninth hole en route to a final round 76. It was the second ace for Carter this season.
What makes the BU success all the more intriguing is that the seven-player roster features golfers from six different countries, including the United States. In addition to Carter and Kawasaki, who is from Vietnam, the lineup has juniors Zhangcheng Guo (China), Saeros Oskarsdottir (Iceland), Annie Sritragul (Thailand), Abby Parsons (Hutchinson, Minn.), and sophomore Katerina Doleckova (Czech Republic).
“I find them and they find me. I think it just reflects BU a little bit. BU has a diverse international student population. It brings together different cultures, different food. Next year, we’re going to have eight players from eight different countries,” said Chalas, who was named Patriot League coach of the year. “It’s fun. Sometimes when we get in the van, I don’t have any idea what everyone is saying.”
Chalas is quick to point out the academic prowess of the group, which has a team grade-point-average of 3.48 in disciplines ranging from mechanical engineering, business, finance, and, somewhat appropriately, communication.
On the golf side, the team deserves high marks for overcoming New England’s interminable weather conditions that often place the team at a disadvantage going up against opponents from warmer and more temperate climes. BU participated in Wake Forest’s Bryan National Collegiate tournament this season and adds Michigan State to the schedule for next year.
“After October 10, we do not hit a single ball on grass in New England. A couple of years ago we raised some funds and built a swing room in the Case Athletic Center and that’s where we do most of our practicing,” said Chalas, who makes his home in Pinehurst, N.C. and commutes to work. “We’re kind of an indoor golf team.”
The BU win advanced the team to the NCAA Division 1 Regional, a 54-hole competition to be played at the University of Washington’s Tumble Creek Golf course in Cle Elum, Wash., on May 6-8. USC is the top seed in the Cle Elum Regional with five other teams in the 18-team field ranked in the top 25 in the nation. They include No. 8 Arkansas, No. 9 South Carolina, No. 16 Northwestern, No. 19 Washington, and No. 23 Miami. The 7,122-yard Tumble Creek layout is a par 71.
https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/04/28/boston-university-womens-golf-thriving-with-international-flavor/
2019-04-28 10:01:06Z
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