Matthew Wilson, Vanessa Zhang Register Top-10s In Collegiate Debuts
By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf
Both are seasoned competitors who enjoyed considerable success in their junior golf careers, but Matthew Wilson and Vanessa Zhang will tell you that teeing it up in their first collegiate event felt a little different.
For starters, they are no longer just playing for themselves. They are now part of a team. And then there are those long 36-hole days to start tournaments.
So it felt different, but that certainly did not prevent Nanaimo’s Wilson and Vancouver’s Zhang from making impressive collegiate debuts.
Wilson tied for sixth in his first tournament for Weber State University, a NCAA Division I school in Ogden, Utah. Zhang tied for ninth in her debut for Harvard University.
“Definitely before the tournament there was a little bit of an out of body experience and it felt a little awkward,” Wilson said of his nerves before teeing it up at the Dolenc Invitational in Madison, Ill. “But just getting out there and having the first one go really well gives me lots of confidence for the next one.”
Zhang said she wasn’t bothered much by any nerves, but felt exhausted after playing the first two rounds of the Nittany Lion Invitational in Pennsylvania on the same day. “Honestly, I think I had less nerves just knowing I had a team supporting me,” Zhang said. “It’s definitely a different feeling having a team behind you and supporting you and being able to celebrate birdies together, as opposed to junior golf where you are always playing as an individual.
“I think the other big difference is that it is 36 holes the first day. I have played a couple of 36-hole tournaments before, but we have always had at least a 30-minute break between rounds. But in college golf you just keep going, so that is definitely a change. It’s very tiring. But it made the second day, the 18-hole day, feel like a breeze.”
Wilson also found his first 36-hole day something of a physical and mental challenge. “I play a lot of golf, so it wasn’t too bad playing 36, but the rounds were six hours each and it definitely got a little tiring because I was out there carrying my bag for that long,” he said.
Wilson finished the tournament, which was hosted by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, at five-under par. He shot rounds of 72, 66 and 72. “I was really happy with my putting,” Wilson said. “Usually, I am a good ball-striker and it’s just hard to make putts. But my putting was really good and I felt super confident. It was nice to see some putts go in because now I know when I hit it good I can contend a lot more in college.”
The only disappointment for Wilson was the fact that his team finished in ninth place.
Zhang was delighted with the fact her Harvard squad finished second at the Nittany Lion event hosted by Penn State University. Zhang shot rounds of 74, 75 and 72 to finish at five-over par. “I think it was a solid result to start,” she said. “There are definitely a couple parts of my game that could use some work, but overall I think it was a good way to start my college career. I know that I can definitely improve from here.”
Click HERE for final results from Weber State Men's Golf at the Dolenc Invitational.
Click HERE for final results and story from Harvard Women's Golf website.