Albuquerque Journal

Women Have Lofty Goals
By Glen Rosales For the Journal

Britney Choy's 2007 fall season was wrecked by a back injury that required surgery during the summer.
   
Since the sophomore for the University of New Mexico women's golf team returned to the course in January, however, she and the Lobos have taken on a new look.
   
"When she was recuperating from that injury, the only thing she could practice was her putting and chipping," said UNM coach Jill Trujillo. "That part of her game has really improved and I attribute it to the back injury because she had to practice those two areas of her game so much."
   
It's gotten so good that Choy will be playing from the No. 1 spot for the No. 23 Lobos today when they open play in the Mountain West Conference tournament at the UNM Championship Course.
   
During a recent tournament at Arizona State, Choy needed just 52 putts over the final two days, helping her to tie for 11th.
   
Although playing in just four tournaments, Choy has zipped into the top 50 individually, checking in at No. 47.
   
Choy said she never thought that was going to be the result of having to repair two ruptured discs in her back that were touching on a nerve.
   
"They had to go in there and clean it up," she said of the July surgery. "But now I feel 110 percent. My back feels better than it ever did."
   
And her game is equally improved.
   
"My putting probably was the weakest part of my game," Choy said. "During rehab, with all the putting I did, it's one of the best things about my game."
   
With nothing else to do, "I'd spend two hours a day on the putting green," she said. "At first, I'd dread it because it was all I could do."
   
Now the Lobos are counting on former alpha wolf Jodi Ewart to also return to form, which would form a dominating duo at the top of the lineup. Although Ewart is ranked 37th nationally, she has struggled with her game in the spring.
   
"For the team, it's been a great year," she said. "For me, the fall was good, but the spring hasn't been so good."
   
Unlike Choy, though, Ewart believes her problem has been more upstairs.
   
"My short game wasn't where I wanted it. Then other little things developed," she said. "One thing led to another."
   
Ewart is convinced a visit to a sports psychologist has helped get her straightened out.
   
"I've been seeing a sports psychologist since I was 14 and it really helps," she said.
   
If both players are on top of their games, it could make for some long days for the rest of the conference teams.
   
"Our expectations are to win the championship on our home turf," Trujillo said. "Out of all the teams, we know our course the best."
   
That, of course, is an advantage the Lobos will do their best to exploit.
   
"We don't want to just win," Trujillo said. "We have some different goals to chase. We're looking at some conference records. We're looking course records. A 66 is the course record in competition. Jodi has done that in qualifying rounds, so we know it can be done."
   
The point, she said, is to set the bar high now to prepare for next month's NCAA Championships
   
"We're trying to get prepared for regional play and national play," Trujillo said. "We want that pressure now to get them ready for the upcoming rounds."