The Texas women’s team is poised to make another NCAA Championship run in the spring with a mix of young and experienced players.
Ryan Murphy, the head coach, wants to finish the fall semester with a bang at the Stanford Invitational this weekend in California. The Cardinal, the number one-ranked team, will host several other ranked teams, including the Number 5 Longhorns. 5 Longhorns.
Murphy, the head coach of Stanford’s women’s team since 2014, said, “I am happy with our performance so far in this semester and I hope we can continue to have good ones at Stanford.” We have a lot of depth in our team and we’ve put on some great performances.
Farah O’Keefe, a Westlake graduate and senior Bentley Cotton are among the freshmen who have anchored a strong roster. O’Keefe, Kim and Bentley Cotton (a Westlake graduate and senior) have all played in the three fall tournaments. Selina Liao and Cindy Hsu have also filled spots in the lineup for this fall.
Local golf fans won’t be surprised by O’Keefe’s rapid rise. She has not slowed down at all since joining the Longhorns.
O’Keefe began her college career with two top-five finishes. She was named Big 12 Women’s Golfer of the Month in January. She displayed her poise when she finished as runner-up at the Windy City Classic earlier this month in Chicago, where she tied Texas’ 18-hole individual scoring record by shooting an 8-under par 64 in the opening round. O’Keefe’s 9-under-207 final score was the seventh best 54-hole score ever in program history.
Murphy, who was an assistant coach for the UT Men’s Team during the time that current PGA star Jordan Spieth was with the program credited O’Keefe as having a mental toughness similar to his own.
It does remind me a bit of Jordan. Murphy commented, “It’s definitely next level.” “That head is much older than her age,” Murphy said. That’s a tribute to her parents. They’ve taught some great things to her. She’s got the right disposition for golf. She has studied optimal performance states.”
What about her game, then?
Murphy commented, “Well, I think she has a nice power and she’s got great hands around and on the greens.”
Kim, a Canadian from British Columbia, won a four hole playoff at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup last week in Dallas. She also claimed individual honors. She is a Canadian from British Columbia. In round three, she birdied holes 17 and 18, forcing a play-off with Texas A&M’s Adela Cernousek at 11-under par.
Murphy stated that Kim is “rock-solid” in all categories and very competitive. “She is able to hit it straight every time. I think her best shot is her approach shot. She is probably the best player on our team when it comes to her approach shots off the fairway. “She doesn’t have a flaw in her game.”
Murphy, who began his coaching career shortly after he ended his professional career in 2005, believes that the rapid rise of freshmen such as O’Keefe, and Kim, is a testament to golfers’ early development. Kim and O’Keefe both competed at the U.S. Women’s Open which is considered the pinnacle for professional women’s golf in the U.S.
He said, “They have seen the highest level you can ever see in golf.” “It was a bit surreal for me to see both the U.S. Open and the Masters. It was insane. “Freshmen are entering college more experienced than ever.
