Katherine Zhu, a junior on the women's golf team, talks about her experiences in competing for Pepperdine. The team has completed three tournaments so far this season and she helped the Waves earn a victory last weekend at the Ron Moore Intercollegiate.We asked her to share with us her cultural background, her experience at Pepperdine, and, most importantly, her thoughts on golf:
Q: How does it feel to be a part of Pepperdine golf team?
A: It feels like my second family. Since we only have eight girls on our team, I feel like we have stronger bonds among our teammates. For me, it feels like we are all very connected and we are a big family in that sense. I think our coach pays attention when recruiting to whether or not a recruit will fit into our culture of the community. It is easier to get along with each other.
Q: What is your favorite thing about competing for Pepperdine?
A: As a group, I get to compete against other teams with everybody. I know that I have everyone's support.When we are competing, girls who finish before the last person will stay out on the green and cheer on that teammate as they come in. We cheer each other on both on the field and off the field. We have a symbol for each other. We make hearts whenever we see each other on campus, and it shows how much we love the team and one another.
Q: What made you to play golf? What got you interested?
A: I was at a range when I was 14. I started hitting some balls and I really enjoyed it. I also played tennis, so it helped to hit the ball more times and it got me interested in the sport. Once I started playing golf, I was just really into it.
Q: Your parents were great athletes in China. How did their athleticism affect your love for sports?
A: My mom ran track, and my dad played soccer. When I was little, they would just sign me up for different sports. I started to be really involved in many sports. In school, I sought to run for the track and field. I think that they are really a big factor in how I got into sports.
Q: You lived in Canada,you call China home since your family lives there, and now you live in the United States. How did living in different countries shape you as a person?
A: I know more about different cultures. That's really helped me to play golf, because I meet different people when playing in tournaments. It provided me a broader perspective of the world, and I got to understand more about the sport, people,and my teammates better. Our team only has a few Americans, and we have more international student-athletes on the team. The experience I got from being in different countries has helped me to understand my teammates better and mix well with other people.
Q: What do you like most about golf?
A: It is very challenging.The challenges are present throughout, and you can use that to your advantage.You can also beat your own score. In tournaments, it is important to compete with other players, but I feel that often times I am also trying to beat what I had accomplished.
Q: When you are in a slump, what is your strategy of getting out of it?
A: I just believe that, if you work hard, then you'll get something out of it. I always try to work hard and see where it takes me. I wasn't playing really well last year, and I kept on practicing and working on what works for me. I knew that it would work out eventually, and learned to put in the effort. When you work so hard on something, you never want to give up.
Q: What is your favorite moment as a golfer?
A: It was this past weekend. We won the tournament. It was really close between Pepperdine and Denver.We started off winning by four strokes, and then we were at a point where we were losing by two strokes. It was up and down, and I felt the tension between the two teams. In the end, when you see your teammates yelling, "We won," we were so happy that some of us almost cried. We worked really hard to get good results, and I felt that this moment was a reward for our effort and hard work.
