The UNM women’s golf team opens its fall season at the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational Sep. 25 and 26 at UNM Championship Golf Course.
For a majority of the players, this is the tournament that they are looking forward to the most.
Last year the Lobos finished 10th in the tournament and the year before they finished second. Needless to say, this year they are looking for a win, to senior Rebecca Hellbom said.
“All of us are ready to win that tournament and place really well, and just go for the win,” Hellbom said.
Hellbom said it would mean a lot to her to win her last home tournament.
This year, the Lobo golf team is composed of just six golfers, and Hellbom and senior Sarah Salvo lead the team. The Lobos were a young team last year, so players said they have high hopes that they are going to do better this season.
“We had sort of a practice year last year,” Hellbom said. “Now I think we’ve grown together. We’re a lot stronger and our motivation is up one step.”
Last season was the first for Belgium-native Manon De Roey. She said she is over her first-year jitters and that she is ready to perform at a high level this year.
“My first year was really difficult,” De Roey said. “I was just stressing for every tournament. I’m more relaxed right now and ready to play the game and enjoy it.”
The Lobos play in four tournaments this fall. Following their home tournament, they travel to Glenview, Ill., for the Windy City Collegiate; to Norman, Okla., for the Suzie Maxwell Berning Classic and finally to Austin, Texas for the Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational.
De Roey said the Lobos aren’t taking any of the opposing teams lightly this year.
“All the teams are good,” De Roey said. “We just want to beat them all.”
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Even though the fall season hasn’t started yet, Hellbom said she has set her sights on next’s April’s Mountain West Championship, where the Lobos finished sixth last spring.
“I really want to win the conference,” Hellbom said.
Last year Texas Christian University won the conference, and Hellbom said it is important to beat TCU before the conference championship.
“It’s always fun to beat them before we come to conference to have that confidence in us,” she said.
The Lobos finished fourth place at last spring’s conference tournament, the closest they came all season to a win. Hellbom said she wants to change that this year by setting an example for her younger teammates.
“I really want to be a good leader for my team,” she said.
