NJSGA Women's Champions Totland, Chen Now Star For Furman
By Steve Edelson, Asbury Park Press
Furman coach Kelley Hester has seen plenty during her 18 years coaching in the collegiate ranks.
She watched Stacy Lewis blossom under her tutelage at Arkansas, becoming a star on the LPGA Tour and the No. 1 ranked player in the world, before guiding Georgia, her alma mater, to five NCAA appearances in five season, earning national Coach of the Year honors in 2009.
But when she looks back on the sophomore campaign Tinton Fall's Taylor Totland, winner of last year's NJSGA Women's Amateur, had for her at Furman, she readily admits it took her by surprise.
``I don't think we could have anticipated her having the kind of season she had,'' Hester said.
``I'm looking at her numbers, and it's not often that you take 2 1/2 strokes off your average. She really played well.''
How well did she play?
Totland, a three-time Shore Conference champion, set scoring records at both the Lady Paladin Invitational and the Southern Conference Championship, earning conference Player of the Year honors as she picked up three victories in all on the season.
Tinton Falls native Taylor Totland earned All-American honors as a sophomore at Furman this spring, winning the Southern Conference title. (Photo: Courtesy Furman Athletics)
When thrown into the talent-rich waters of the NCAA East Regional, she finished tied for fifth overall, earning a spot in the NCAA Championships, the first Furman player to compete at the national championships since the team qualified in 2008.
For her efforts, Totland was named an honorable mention All-American, and Furman's Female Athlete of the Year.
``I played well. It just kind of happened,'' Totland said. ``It was a big jump from last year to this year.
``Freshman year is such a big adjustment. Sophomore year you're more acclimated. And I just have amazing coaches in Kelley and Jeff (Hull). They've been keeping mentally there with some swing changes and worked on my course management. I just couldn't ask for better coaches.''
The numbers tell it all.
Her stroke average of 72.5 was the lowest ever for a Lady Paladin player. She was ranked 20th nationally, and finished top-10 in nine of 11 tournaments.
And one of the tournaments she didn't was the Rebel Intercollegiate, where she was tied for 13th in an event featuring five of the top-20 teams in the nation.
``The individual stuff is nice, but I try to make it all about the team,'' Totland said. ``They played great this year. It was awesome. Furman golf is making a big comeback. We have two big recruits coming in, and it's exciting to think about what the future holds for us.''
Totland made her way to NCAA Championship in Bradenton, Fla. as an individual, where she closed with a 75 in the final round of the event.
``It was such a good learning experience for me,'' she said. ``I learned some really good things in that tournament that will help me in the future.''
Totland, a former NJSIAA individual state champion, was joined this year by another NJSIAA champion, with Montgomery's Alice Chen finishing with the second best stroke average on the team as a freshman.She was named Furman's Rookie of the Year for all sports and Conference Freshman of the Year..Chen won the NJSGA Women's Amateur in 2013.
It looms as a very interesting summer for Totland now.
Last year, she qualified for match play at the U.S. Women's Amateur at Nassau Country Club in Glen Cove, N.Y.
In her opening round match she ended up playing Kristen Gillman from Austin, Texas, and after leading most of the way she lost, 1-up. Gillman went on to win the tournament.
``I think that's a lot of what we've been working on with her is the mental side of the game,'' Hester said. ``Getting her to understand that she is just as good as these players.
``We feel like we've been able to help her improve, but it comes down to the player and she has really worked hard on her game, and it shows.''
On Saturday Totland returns to Furman, where she'll be taking summer courses for the next month, competing in a tournament in Georgia along the way. After competing at the North-South Amateur in Pinehurst, N.C., she'll return to New Jersey to compete in the state Amateur and try to qualify for the U.S. Women's Amateur.
``My confidence is a lot of what the coaches have been working on,'' Totland said. ``I am looking forward to this summer.''
And with two years remaining at Furman, Totland, currently ranked 36th among U.S. players in the Golfweek Amateur Rankings, there's no telling what the future holds for the former Red Bank Catholic standout.
