Lauren Sewell didn’t feel the need for pressure.
The Kentridge junior receives enough of that during the golf season, which helps explain why she recently made a verbal commitment to play at Oregon State University after graduating next spring.
“(Committing early) is nice because it takes pressure off of me,” said Sewell, who has been one of the state’s top female golfers since coming onto the prep circuit two years ago. “I won’t have the pressure of college coaches watching me.”
Of course, college coaches just may want to sit back and enjoy watching Sewell perform regardless of where she has recently committed. Because when it comes to excelling under pressure, few are as good as Sewell.
Enough was evident this past fall, when she won the district title at Bremerton’s Gold Mountain Cascade Course by carding a rock-solid two-day total of 143 (73 on the first day, 70 on the second). That two-day total included seven birdies and also was the lowest score in 15 years of the South Puget Sound League tournament.
Oregon State proved to be the best choice, admitted Sewell, who also was being courted by Fresno State and the University of Oregon among others.
“I’ve been down there twice now, visited the coaches, met the team and I real just fell in love with the campus,” said Sewell, who sports a 3.5 grade-point average.
Sewell, 17, will enter the state tournament, slated for May 27-28 at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco, among the favorites to win it all. Kentwood star Rui Li also will be among the title contenders.
Sewell took seventh as a freshman and fifth last year as a sophomore.
A title could be on the horizon, Kentridge coach Charlie Mitchell said.
“I really think she has a great shot to compete and win,” he said. “With her getting fifth last year, I think she can move higher than that. Winning district in the fall was a great win because of the competition that was out there, especially from Rui Li.”
Sewell won’t sign her letter of intent until November, though she doesn’t anticipate changing her mind any time soon.
“Oregon State was my No. 1 choice for a really long time,” she said. “I couldn’t imagine myself going anywhere else.”
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