The Desire to Be Great
Sep 29, 2023 | Women's Golf, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
A sensational second round in the Schooner Fall Classic showed the Kansas State women's golf team it's capable of big things under new head coach Stew Burke. Now the Wildcats return to compete on their home course believing anything is possible.
Last Sunday, K-State fired a second-round score of 278 in Norman, Oklahoma. It was the second lowest score in school history and one stroke shy of the school record 277 during the first round of the 2019 Bruzzy Challenge.
Young K-State fell off in the final round to finish 11th, but that did little to dampen spirits of a squad bent on achieving big things in 2023-24.
Burke believes that his players will remember the feeling of that second round.
"Honestly, we're going to break records," Burke said. "That's just what's going to happen with this group and with the talent we have. We were more disappointed that we had (played round two) six shots better with a few holes to go and kind of dropped some coming in. They're happy that it was a good round, but we know it could've been a great round.
"The desire to have a great round and to have many great rounds over the course of the season is cool to see. Any coach who has a team perform like that in that depth of field, to walk off the field knowing they can do much better, that's really rewarding."
Announced as K-State head women's golf coach on June 30, Burke arrived after enacting a turnaround in his four years at Tulane. A former K-State assistant coach between 2014 and 2016, Burke improved Tulane's Golfstat ranking by more than 50 spots, as he took over a program that ranked 113th the year prior to his arrival to a No. 62 ranking. Burke earned 2022 AAC Coach of the Year while taking Tulane to its first conference championship in eight years and a NCAA Regional.
What has Burke learned most about his first K-State team?
"That we're a lot further along than I thought we'd be," he said. "We worked them pretty hard since they got here. They're buying in well to our philosophy as coaches. They had that desire to compete. The third round (in Norman) wasn't what we were looking for, but it's cool when your players are ready to go to another tournament and want to finish strong."
Freshman Alenka Navarro finished the Schooner Fall Classic tied for 22nd at 1-over par 211, transfer Carla Bernat tied for 34th, seniors Haley Vargas and Gabriela McNelly tied for 58th and 61st, and freshman Julia Ballester Barrio tied for 71st.
Navarro, a freshman from Mexico City, Mexico, finished the 2021-22 amateur season ranked fifth in Mexico. She finished fourth at the 2022 PGA Optimist International and third in the National Olympics.
Ballester Barrio, a freshman from Castellon, Spain, has consistently ranked in the top 300 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
"Alenka has worked hard, and both of our freshmen played really well in the tournament," Burke said. "We work individually with them because they have class (in the afternoons). Alenka believes that she was there to shoot good scores.
"All these girls belong at this level. It's our job to make the little tweaks and steer them in the direction they want to go. They have the talent. We just need to make sure the work ethic marriages up with the talent that we have. If we do that, then we're going to shock a lot of people, even in year one."
It's been a gradual buildup for the Wildcats, who have adjusted their mindsets to believe they can compete, and have delved into the technical aspect of their games.
"They're pretty raw," Burke said. "They have golf IQ, but it can be vastly improved. That's something they're willing to learn. They're willing to try new things. With data and analytics, they can see why we're asking them to do what we're doing. They need information to fully grasp and understand why they're being asked to make a change in an area. That's something they're very good at is analyzing the data and understanding the changes to make."
Careful emphasis has been placed upon the mental side of golf as well.
"Our mental game is something we're working really hard on," Burke said. "We brought in a sports psychologist to work with the players, and he's done a phenomenal job in a short time since he's gotten to know them. Our girls understand they belong on this level. They understand they'll make mistakes. But they've really improved their self-belief, which breeds confidence."
K-State looks to bring that confidence back to Manhattan as it hosts the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational on Monday and Tuesday at Colbert Hills Golf Club.
"We're delighted to be competing back on our home course," Burke said. "It's the second tournament of the year. The first two rounds (in Norman) really whetted the appetite to get back and play in more familiar surroundings. It's a challenging course for everybody."
And another opportunity for growth for a young program out to make a mark on the women's golf scene in 2023-24.
A sensational second round in the Schooner Fall Classic showed the Kansas State women's golf team it's capable of big things under new head coach Stew Burke. Now the Wildcats return to compete on their home course believing anything is possible.
Last Sunday, K-State fired a second-round score of 278 in Norman, Oklahoma. It was the second lowest score in school history and one stroke shy of the school record 277 during the first round of the 2019 Bruzzy Challenge.
Young K-State fell off in the final round to finish 11th, but that did little to dampen spirits of a squad bent on achieving big things in 2023-24.
Burke believes that his players will remember the feeling of that second round.
"Honestly, we're going to break records," Burke said. "That's just what's going to happen with this group and with the talent we have. We were more disappointed that we had (played round two) six shots better with a few holes to go and kind of dropped some coming in. They're happy that it was a good round, but we know it could've been a great round.
"The desire to have a great round and to have many great rounds over the course of the season is cool to see. Any coach who has a team perform like that in that depth of field, to walk off the field knowing they can do much better, that's really rewarding."
Announced as K-State head women's golf coach on June 30, Burke arrived after enacting a turnaround in his four years at Tulane. A former K-State assistant coach between 2014 and 2016, Burke improved Tulane's Golfstat ranking by more than 50 spots, as he took over a program that ranked 113th the year prior to his arrival to a No. 62 ranking. Burke earned 2022 AAC Coach of the Year while taking Tulane to its first conference championship in eight years and a NCAA Regional.
What has Burke learned most about his first K-State team?
"That we're a lot further along than I thought we'd be," he said. "We worked them pretty hard since they got here. They're buying in well to our philosophy as coaches. They had that desire to compete. The third round (in Norman) wasn't what we were looking for, but it's cool when your players are ready to go to another tournament and want to finish strong."
Freshman Alenka Navarro finished the Schooner Fall Classic tied for 22nd at 1-over par 211, transfer Carla Bernat tied for 34th, seniors Haley Vargas and Gabriela McNelly tied for 58th and 61st, and freshman Julia Ballester Barrio tied for 71st.
Navarro, a freshman from Mexico City, Mexico, finished the 2021-22 amateur season ranked fifth in Mexico. She finished fourth at the 2022 PGA Optimist International and third in the National Olympics.
Ballester Barrio, a freshman from Castellon, Spain, has consistently ranked in the top 300 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
"Alenka has worked hard, and both of our freshmen played really well in the tournament," Burke said. "We work individually with them because they have class (in the afternoons). Alenka believes that she was there to shoot good scores.
"All these girls belong at this level. It's our job to make the little tweaks and steer them in the direction they want to go. They have the talent. We just need to make sure the work ethic marriages up with the talent that we have. If we do that, then we're going to shock a lot of people, even in year one."
It's been a gradual buildup for the Wildcats, who have adjusted their mindsets to believe they can compete, and have delved into the technical aspect of their games.
"They're pretty raw," Burke said. "They have golf IQ, but it can be vastly improved. That's something they're willing to learn. They're willing to try new things. With data and analytics, they can see why we're asking them to do what we're doing. They need information to fully grasp and understand why they're being asked to make a change in an area. That's something they're very good at is analyzing the data and understanding the changes to make."
Careful emphasis has been placed upon the mental side of golf as well.
"Our mental game is something we're working really hard on," Burke said. "We brought in a sports psychologist to work with the players, and he's done a phenomenal job in a short time since he's gotten to know them. Our girls understand they belong on this level. They understand they'll make mistakes. But they've really improved their self-belief, which breeds confidence."
K-State looks to bring that confidence back to Manhattan as it hosts the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational on Monday and Tuesday at Colbert Hills Golf Club.
"We're delighted to be competing back on our home course," Burke said. "It's the second tournament of the year. The first two rounds (in Norman) really whetted the appetite to get back and play in more familiar surroundings. It's a challenging course for everybody."
And another opportunity for growth for a young program out to make a mark on the women's golf scene in 2023-24.
Players Mentioned
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