Justin Silverstein, the latest coach in Scottsdale, Ariz., admits that his staff made sacrifices down the stretch.
USC’s Women’s Golf Coach began walking with freshmen Catherine Park during the Silverado Showdown early in April. He didn’t intervene much, but did give advice when necessary on reading greens and figuring out yardages.
Park has reaped the benefits of this switch. She finished tied for second in that same week. She tied for third at the Pac-12 Championships as USC won team title. Park placed 17th at the Pullman regional.
Park, who is still searching for her first college win, has 18 holes left of stroke play at Grayhawk Golf Club to complete the 2023 NCAA Women’s Golf Championship.
Silverstein: “I told my boss over and over that Catherine would break out.” It took a bit longer but I believe the final push came from a little on-course coaching.
Park shot 1-under-71 on Sunday in the toughest conditions of the entire week to lead the field at 10-under-206. She is four shots ahead of Rose Zhang, who was the defending champion, Oklahoma State’s Maddison Hinton-Tolchard, and Florida State Charlotte Heath.
It was her second round on Saturday that allowed her to break the NCAA records. Park’s 8-under-64 is the lowest round ever at an NCAA Women’s Golf Championship.
Park stated Sunday, “I didn’t realize it until it was posted.” “I didn’t expect that it would be tied at the record. Today’s round was a mental challenge. “I didn’t want overthinking and tried to be steadie.”
Silverstein hinted that Park was on a trend towards a breakout for the entire season. Her worst round of the year, a score of 66, was on the first day at the Pullman Regional. Three of her top-six finishes have occurred since March.
It all came together on Saturday and Sunday.
Silverstein stated that Park’s first boost came from a change in November, when she switched from drawing to cutting the ball. It was then her improvement on greens where she gained almost two shots.
Silverstein stated that “on greens like this, she has really bought into hitting her putts softly, and her pace control has been very good, except for two putts today.”
Park enjoys the competitiveness of leading the leaderboard in the national championship. She was raised in an athletic family. Seo Hyang Soon, her mother, was the first Korean gold medalist in 1984 when she won a gold medal for archery. She was 17 years old. Her father Park Kyung-ho is a gold medalist at the 1986 Asian Games in judo.
Park’s relationship with her mother and family history has helped Park both on and off the golf course.
She said, “It helps me when I am struggling mentally. They help me get up because they know what I feel.”
Park faces her greatest challenge to date on Monday. She will be aiming for an individual title and trying to become the 3rd consecutive freshman to win the NCAAs.
Heath, the finalist of the ANNIKA Award (awarded to the best female college golfer), will be chasing Zhang, the top-ranked amateur player in the world, as well as Hinson-Tolchard, the Big 12 Individual Champion and Zhang.
USC is currently ranked fourth in the team competition and has a great chance of making it to match play. However, 18 more holes await.
Park is looking forward to the competition.
Park said, “I am so excited because we are in a good position.” “I am so confident, and I know that our team is very strong. “I know they’re going light it up tomorrow.”
