The Tennessee Tech Golden Eaglettes women’s golf team is set to begin OVC Tournament play.
The upcoming OVC tournament will mark the Golden Eagles’ third tournament in Alabama. Tennessee Tech Women’s Golf Head Coach Amanda Smith said her team playing multiple times in the same state gives everyone an opportunity to take advantage.
“Just having that be a part of your game and having to accept that as part of your game and you actually score better that way,” Smith said. “So being able to kind of see that line of that or be, play more free and knowing that that’s going to be exactly the copy and paste of what your’e going to find at OVC kind of gives our players a little bit more of the, take the pressure off.”
The Golden Eaglettes finished in sixth place in the recent Chris Banister Golf Classic in Gadsden, Alabama. Smith said her team practices with the men’s team before each tournament.
“It’s been a dream, you know, like I love being able to travel with the guys, I love being able to see the different practices we put together for both teams and kind of letting them play against each other at the same time too,” Smith said. “So having both the teams really close is awesome for me to see and be a part of.”
Smith has been with the Tennessee Tech program for six years. She started as the assistant men’s and women’s coach before being named head women’s golf coach in July 2021. Smith said her favorite part of coaching is seeing the girls develop into better women and leaders.
“As a coach, it’s more of like a mentorship for me after so long.” Smith said. “It’s more of hey, how are these girls going to do in the outside world? How are these girls going to be leaders, how are they going to be fearless, how are they going to just take on different things in their lives and show they’re having fun with the people around them?”
Smith said she acquired the mindset from her old golf coach. She remains an assistant for the men’s golf team. The Golden Eagles’ men’s golf team won the OVC tournament last year.
The women’s golf team seeks their first tournament win since 2016.
