The Wood file

Full name: Courtney Wood

Hometown: Brentwood, Tenn.

Class: Freshman

Sport: Women’s golf

Best round: 64 at Temple Hills Country Club in Brentwood, Tenn.

Holes-in-one: Two

Accolades: Finished fourth out of 89 players at Price’s Give Em Five Intercollegiate Tournament in New Mexico; Finished 12th out of 74 players at the Mercedes-Benz Women’s Championship in Knoxville,

Tenn.; Leads the women’s golf team in birdies, par putting and greens hit in regulation

Quietly Leading
Women’s golfer growing up quickly in first season as Horned Frog

By John Weyand
Staff Reporter

A young, prodigious golfer named Wood shot a 64 in a club championship, shot two holes-in-one and had the chance to play in a professional tournament all before she got to college.

Freshman golfer Courtney Wood lines up an iron shot at the TRW Regional Challenge.

That’s right, she. And it’s not Woods, it’s Wood.

Courtney Wood, a freshman member of the TCU women’s golf team, has already made a contribution to the program. Despite being one of the Frogs’ top scorers in the 2000-2001 season, Wood said her play has been nothing out of the ordinary.

“I expect a lot out of myself,” Wood said. “Every round I try to shoot my best.”

With so many options as a talented high school athlete, Wood said the size of the student body attracted her to TCU.

“I didn’t want to go anywhere with 40,000 students,” Wood said. “I’d probably get lost.”

Wood also said women’s golf head coach Angie Ravaioli-Larkin was a big part of the choice to come to Fort Worth.

“I really liked (Ravaioli-Larkin),” Wood said. “We talked a lot and got to know each other really well before I came (to TCU).”

Wood said Larkin had made her aware before she joined the Frogs that she would be a leader on the TCU golf team. Wood said she was prepared for that position, but development was still necessary.

“I had to grow up a lot,” Wood said. “But I was the leader in high school. I expected to be the best player at TCU.”

Wood said her leadership exists more in her playing than it does in motivating her teammates.

“I don’t make speeches,” Wood said. “I’m not as encouraging as some of the other girls. I just stay real quiet and lead by example.”

Wood also said her teammates are very accepting and supportive of her.

“We have all gotten along really well,” Wood said. “We have a really good chemistry.”

Ravaioli-Larkin said several qualities made Wood an ideal recruit.

“I look at other things besides ability,” Ravaioli-Larkin said. “(Wood) hit every category I consider. She has determination, drive, the (right) attitude, the work ethic and initiative.”

Ravaioli-Larkin said she agreed that Wood’s best leadership is in her habits.

“(Wood) already leads greatly with how much she practices,” Ravaioli-Larkin said. “(Wood) does what she thinks she needs to do to get better, not just what everyone else does.”

Ravaioli-Larkin said Wood has grown a good deal in her short time at TCU.

“(Wood) has matured a lot as far as being away from home,” Ravaioli-Larkin said. “She’s started to adjust to college life, and it seems like she’s really enjoying it now.”

In addition to personal growth, Ravaioli-Larkin said Wood has truly become a part of the golf team.

“(Wood) has helped make everyone (on the women’s golf team) a little bit better,” Ravaioli-Larkin said. “She has become a team player. She has always been out there to win herself, but now she’s behind the team.”

Ravaioli-Larkin said Wood shows promise to become exceptionally successful as a collegiate athlete.

“She has the potential to be the No. 1 player in the country,” Ravaioli-Larkin said. “She could be an All-American as many years as she wants.”

Ravaioli-Larkin said Wood faces very few obstacles in being a top player.

“As far as I can see, she just has to continue to mature as a player,” Ravaioli-Larkin said.

The quality Ravaioli-Larkin said she associates most with Wood is a knack for success.

“She is a well-rounded girl,” Ravaioli-Larkin said. “She is good at everything she tries to do.”

Wood said she’s going to try to reach success one day at a time.

“Every day, I continue to improve a little bit,” Wood said.

Leading the women’s golf team in birdies and par putting and having two holes-in-one to her credit already, it seems she leaves little room for improvement, but she’d never say that.

John Weyand
j.h.weyand@student.tcu.edu