Throughout last season, Ball State University women's golf coach Katherine Mowat could tell sophomore Kirsty O'Connor was blessed with special talent.
O'Connor posted the lowest average score in her second season with the Cardinals - a 77.33-shot mark per 18 holes - and competed in all 27 rounds during Ball State's season. Her season-long performance earned her a spot on the All-Mid-American Conference second team.
As sterling as her sophomore year was, O'Connor saved her best outing for the postseason.
O'Connor recently won the Welsh Ladies Closed Championship and will represent Wales in the European Team Championships, which is held July 8-12. The Cardinal ace posted a 154 two-round score to advance to match play, where she defeated 2006 champion Stephanie Evans.
"It's such a great accomplishment for her as a golfer and as a young woman," Mowat said. "It's always a great honor to have the chance to compete for your country."
O'Connor, who lives in Lancashire, U.K., during the summer, was unavailable for comment because she was competing at a local golf tournament Sunday.
In her sophomore season, O'Connor established a reputation for having great performances in big meets. She shot a low round of 70 at the MAC Tournament Preview at The Brickyard in September. O'Connor also helped lead the Cardinals to four tournament wins last season, three of which came during the spring portion of the schedule.
With her reputation in place, Mowat said, she wasn't surprised when she heard the news of O'Connor's victory.
"Her sophomore year she played some really good golf and learned a lot about herself and what she's capable of doing on the golf course," Mowat said. "I've been telling her this all along. I think she's still getting used to the fact that she can compete with the best there is. It's wonderful timing for her, coming into her third season here."
After climbing the ranks in the MAC, Mowat said, O'Connor can use her next challenge as a spring board for her final two seasons at Ball State.
"If people didn't know who she was, they certainly do now," Mowat said. "She's one of the best players in the conference, and I expect her to prove that over the next two years. Her focus is to make her presence known in the MAC, and she's a name people will look out for, for the rest of her collegiate career."
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