Mind Your Manners: Lessons From a Georgia Golfer
By Katherine Beck

Pictured: Georgia golfer Whitney Wade (UGA Photo)

In the game of golf, learning proper etiquette on the course is just as important as perfecting your backswing.

Whitney Wade, a senior on the University of Georgia women's golf team, knows all about sticking to those rules, but isn't afraid to admit that she has slipped up once or twice.

"Of course I've messed up before and broken a rule," she said laughing, "but it definitely wasn't on purpose."

While Wade thinks some rules should be taken more lightly than others, she agrees with their overall intentions.

"Golf is considered to be a game of grace," she said. "The reason it is so respected is because it is a game of etiquette."

She also said the rules help prevent any injuries or mishaps, as golf can be a dangerous game, especially if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"It can be really dangerous if you come up behind someone's backswing," she said.

Since the rules and etiquette of golf can be quite confusing, Wade narrowed it down to the three most important things to remember when hitting the links:

1. Remain quiet on the course. While Wade admits that when she plays with friends they might be a lot louder, she said it is key to stay silent during serious matches and tournaments.
2. Keep up the pace of play. The key to this, according to Wade, is to plan your shot before it is your turn to play. "As much as people enjoy golf," she said, "they don't want their round to take all day."
3. Be aware and respectful of all surroundings to keep everyone on the course safe. "There should be no profanity on the course," Wade said, "and definitely no throwing of clubs."

The University of Georgia women's golf team currently holds the No.3 spot in the country.

This week the Lady Dawgs travel to West Point, Miss. to play in the SEC Championships, something Whitney is looking forward to.

"We have three big tournaments coming up in which we can prove we are the number one team in the country," she said. "We have prepared to our utmost capability and the only thing on our mind now is to win."

Winning while always keeping it classy, of course.

Gamecock Golfer Brings New Meaning to the Term Student-Athlete
By Nicholas Esares

Pictured: South Carolina golfer Whitney Simons (USC Photo)

Although balancing academics with a rigorous practice and game schedule may be challenging for most student athletes, University of South Carolina golfer Whitney Simons excels at it. The junior from Aiken, South Carolina was named the 2005-2006 SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year, an honor given annually to an outstanding student athlete in the SEC; she is an active member in the Columbia community; and she is a member of the two-time NGCA All-Scholar Team of the Year, which is awarded to the team with the highest overall G.P.A.

The accolades are rightly deserved for Simons, who has accumulated a 3.96 G.P.A through two and a half years. The statistics become even more astounding considering the fact that Simons is triple majoring in marketing, finance and international business, in addition to already holding a minor in Spanish.

"You have to be very disciplined. If you have a test coming up you have to do it," said Simons. "You can't get off course or goof off. There's a lot of discipline involved in my school work."

Much of the dedication that Simons exhibits in the classroom easily translates to the way she plays on the course, and Simons feels that the attitude she brings to the game of golf has influenced the way she performs academically.

"With practicing you see the rewards for your hard work at tournaments, and with studying you see the rewards with your grades," said Simons. "There's just a lot of determination. You have to say 'here are my goals and I'm going to fulfill them'."

Simons also attributes one characteristic of being a good student directly to golf.

"One thing that helps is patience," said Simons. "I've learned a lot of patience golf-wise and with schoolwork you have to have a lot of patience."

Although Simons seems to stand out on and off the course, she says it's actually very difficult to excel in both. In fact, she doesn't feel that anything comes easy.

"Balance is the hardest thing. To do really well in athletics you have to practice so much that it takes away from the time you have to study, so there has been a lot of compromise between the two," said Simons. "I've just been fortunate enough to do well with both. I've stuck with both areas enough that I have been successful in both academics and athletics."

In addition to academics, Simons is also an exemplary member of the community. She represents her faith as a member of the college ministry leadership committee, and helps out children as a big sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program of Columbia. She also serves as vice president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, which helps with community service projects in the area.

When asked about the work she does as a big sister, Simons immediately becomes excited.

"We've been to the State museum and I have taken her to the circus. I've also been to her school and have had lunch with her a couple of times," said Simons. "I'm taking her to the places she wouldn't normally get to go."

Superstitions Play Big Part in LSU Golfer's Game
By Tabby Soignier

Junior golfer Alexis Rather seems normal to onlookers on any given day of a golf tournament.

She begins her day with breakfast and then heads to the course an hour before tee time.

Before teeing off, she hits her sand wedge, seven iron, five iron, a five wood and then a driver to warm up before practicing her putting on the green.

It seems like a normal ritual but Rather has a few quirks that reflect her superstitious ways.

"I carry two long tees in my pocket and I will not pick up a used tee unless it is mine," Rather said. "I also mark my golf ball with a green clover so I can identify it."

Some may see it as crazy, but for Rather it works.

As a part of the LSU women's golf team, Rather has helped her team rank in the Top 15 of every tournament this season.

She marked her best competition score of 70 earlier this year in a tournament hosted by the College of Charleston.

Rather has not limited herself to competition just in the United States. She also recently traveled to Fiji to represent her country in the Aaron Baddeley World Junior Golf championship.

And if her superstitions are not enough, she can always fall back on the natural talent that she has been honing since she was 10 years old. In fact, although she started competing at the age of 10 she was introduced to the sport much younger.

"My dad is a community college golf coach," Rather said. "So I have been around it all my life."

In all her years in the sport, Rather has only had to withdraw from one golf tournament because of a stomach virus that went around the team.

"That was the NCAA tournament last year," Rather said. "I had to withdraw in the third round, but had an IV put in me the next morning so I could play. I wanted to be out there with my team and do all that I could for them…and it was the national championship!"

Rather does not know if she wants to make golf her profession so she is trying to make the best out of her career in college, which comes to an end after next season.

"I would love to leave LSU as an All-American," Rather said. "But more importantly I would like to leave an impression on the program through other ways - as someone who never gives up and would do anything for the team and as a competitor. I want to be someone who helped to leave the program better than it was when I came in."

Although her eligibility is up after next season, Rather said she can still see herself staying involved in the collegiate level.

"Maybe as a coach, administrator or in sports information or something," Rather said. "I think that there is something incredibly special and real about athletics at the collegiate level."

One Ole Miss Golfer Came, Saw and Conquered
By Robert Casner

Pictured: Ole Miss golfer Callum Macaulay (UM Photo)

For collegiate coaches, nothing is more impressive than an athlete improving year in and year out. In the case of Ole Miss Rebel senior golfer Callum Macaulay, his improvement has been drastic and brought smiles to the faces of many.

Macaulay, a native of Kincardine, Scotland, has been through much in his collegiate golf career. From being redshirted his freshman year (2002-2003) to recently being named the SEC Golfer of the Week, Macaulay has seen it all. He dreams of one day competing at the professional level and playing at Augusta National. With his successes this year, that goal is definitely within reach.

Following his redshirt season Macaulay performed right away. He shot an opening round of 69 at the Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate delivering the best individual score of the season by an Ole Miss Rebel. The following year in 2004-2005, Macaulay saw his season stroke average hover at 75.88. Adding to his achievements, Macaulay shot a then career-best 68 at the Mason Rudolph Championships and had one Top 5 tournament finish.

Fast forward to last season and Macaulay's average dropped over a stroke to 74.75. But right now, in the spring of his final semester, Macaulay has saved his best for last. He represented Ole Miss and his country of Scotland in the Jones Cup, which brings together the top amateur golfers across the world. He finished tied for 18th in the 98-man tourney with three steady rounds of 72.

At the Rio Pinar Tournament Macaulay shot a career-best 66, even briefly leading the field after round one. He finished fourth overall, adding another top-5 finish for the year. However, his best result came at the Palisades Collegiate where he finished second, two strokes behind Brad Benjamin of the University of Memphis. His sixth top-5 finish led him to be named the SEC Golfer of the Week.

Over the course of Callum Macaulay's collegiate golf career, he has lead the Rebels to many achievements with his flair for clutch performances and remarkable endurance. With the SEC Championships on the horizon, the Rebel golf team will count on Macaulay to deliver once more and, as he has shown, we should expect it.