On the 16th tee at Grayhawk Golf Club in the Arizona Desert last month, Lauren Walsh held a pitching wedge in her hand. Going through her usual routine, she knew a tie at the Par 3 would clinch the national championship for Wake Forest.
She landed her tee shot on the green as her team-mates looked on, hoping she could secure the school's first NCAA Women's Golf Championship.
Sure enough, Walsh tied the hole with matchplay opponent Brianna Navarrosa to close out the tournament with a 3-1 win over USC.
As a fruitful college career comes to a close, Walsh will now turn her attention to the ultimate goal as she turns professional this summer.
"As a result of the win last week, I've got an exemption into the LPGA event, The Dana (Open) in Ohio in July," Walsh said.
"I’ll be excited to turn pro for that and to start the next chapter of my golfing career. It’s been a lot of years building up to this but I’m excited for that next chapter."
The win marks the end of her collegiate career and the beginning of a new one, albeit it wasn’t easily earned.
Walsh found the championship run exhausting. The week in the desert heat included eight rounds of golf and extra measures were taken by coaching staff to ensure the Demon Deacons were ready for their final on Wednesday.
The setting for this victory was a far cry from Walsh’s home track of Castlewarden Golf Club in Kildare.
"Obviously after playing 36 holes for the quarters and semi-finals, that's a lot on your body in 38 degree heat all day. Our team put together some ice baths for us behind the pool in the hotel so we could get prepared and get ready for the final."
The team flew to Arizona a day earlier this year, giving them some extra time to acclimatise. They played a nearby course to gauge how far their clubs would travel with the heat and elevation changes.
Matched against Navarrosa for the final, by the time the match reached the 16th hole, Walsh was leading by three with three holes to play. Her experience kicked in and she stuck to her routine.
Bringing it home, DEACTOWN 🎩#GoDeacs pic.twitter.com/TSmd6qBk5P
— Wake Women's Golf (@WakeWGolf) May 25, 2023
Assistant head coach Ryan Potter was there to guide the seasoned college golfer through the biggest moment of her career so far.
"Sixteen worked out really nice for me. I had 132 (yards). It was a perfect wedge in those conditions for me. I knew I had been hitting the ball so straight and with where the flag was, I knew I could just take it straight at it. It was the perfect number."
When Walsh stepped on campus in 2019, the Deacs had narrowly missed out on a national title after losing at the final stage to Duke University. Wake Forest has struggled in Grayhawk in recent years, finishing 12th place in 2021 and 16th place in 2022.
"I'll be excited to turn pro for that and to start the next chapter of my golfing career."
Grayhawk, it’s not like anything we play throughout the year. Desert golf is different. Even though we are in the desert, it still is very green, the rough is, like, incredibly thick. The fairways are probably a little narrower than what we’re used to seeing throughout the year." Walsh said.
"A lot of our prep throughout the year was making sure we’re doing driving tests on similar size fairways. Doing a lot of practice from rough, making sure we can hit wedges and control our trajectories out of the rough."
The senior also finished the NCAA individual competition tied for seventh and led the Deacs to a record five tournament wins this season. Walsh was also one of four Wake golfers to be selected as an WGCA All-American for her final season at the North Carolina college.
In her final round wearing the black and gold of Wake Forest, she was surprisingly relaxed.
"I don’t know if it was because I knew it was going to be my last ever college round, it was going to be my last time representing Wake Forest, that I told myself to just go out and enjoy it.
"I was surprisingly more relaxed than I expected, knowing that this is something we’ve worked towards for the last four years."
Wake Forest has been home to many sporting icons, such as Arnold Palmer and NBA All-Stars Tim Duncan and Chris Paul.
The mathematical business major has savoured the college experience and time spent with team-mates.
"We are such a close-knit team which makes the win even more special. My coaches and my team push me every single day to be a better player and person. So then for us to be able to do this as a team is even more special. For me, four years at Wake Forest have been incredible."
The National Championship trophy travelled home in style as Walsh, her team-mates and coaches boarded a jet back to North Carolina.
"The celebrations were great while they lasted. I don’t think it sunk in for any of us but I think in a couple of months when we look back on it and when we come back to collect our rings for the win, that it’ll really kick in that we won the National Championship. For now, it hasn’t set in. Still crazy to think about it."
