LSU golfer Brooke Shelton wants only one thing for her birthday Saturday — a first-place finish by the Lady Tigers this weekend when LSU hosts its only home tournament of the spring.
Shelton said the team being so young, with only one senior and four freshmen, is in a learning mode this season. She said the team has had some good finishes this year but still lacks a first-place finish. LSU’s best finish of the spring came at the Lady Gamecock Classic three weeks ago when the team finished in 11th place.
“It seems like we haven’t all played well in the same day,” Shelton said. “This year has been a rebuilding year with a really young team, but we’re getting a lot better.”
Shelton is pleased with her individual play this season. The sophomore has averaged 82 strokes per 18 holes this season.
“It’s been good this year,” Shelton said. “I had one rough tournament, but everything else has been really consistent.”
The Plano, Texas, native said former LSU golfer and All-American Meredith Duncan helped her to become the player she is today.
“I think I learned a lot from her being a freshman on the team last year,” Shelton said. “She really helped me and tried to get me used to learning how to play in college tournaments and how to prepare for them and how to deal with the pressure.”
Shelton also attributes her play as a collegiate golfer to her family. She said her brother and father piqued her interest in the game when she was young.
“My dad and brother started playing when my brother was 10, and I was eight. I just wanted to do what he was doing so I went out there,” Shelton said. “Both of my parents and my brother have just been incredibly supportive throughout my whole life. I credit it to them.”
Shelton said while her family and Duncan have helped her with the mental side of the game, most of her success is based on the physical and technical aspects of the game.
“Most people have no idea about how much athletic ability this sport takes,” Shelton said. “It’s important to stretch because you use all the muscles in your body, so you need to be stretched out before you play.”
Shelton said the team has a three-day workout program that includes cardiovascular exercise and weight lifting. She said the trainers also work with golfers on exercises that help improve movement while on the golf course.
Shelton said another important aspect of being a golfer is having a good swinging technique.
“It’s important to have a good swing,” Shelton said. “You’ve got to have really good fundamentals to be at the top of the college level.”
Shelton said the Lady Tigers have worked on these fundamentals every day and are getting better. She hopes the Tigers will play well enough throughout the rest of the season to secure a spot in the NCAA women’s golf tournament.
“We really just have this tournament and the SEC Championships, and we’re not sure about the rest of the season yet,” Shelton said. “Our goal right now is to play well enough to get into the postseason.”