Grace ace Lucy Young will look to lead her team to a potential second straight national title during this week’s NCCAA Women’s Golf National Championships. InkFreeNews file photo by Mike Deak

By Mike Deak
InkFreeNews

PALM COAST, Fla. – It is safe to say that they haven’t been in this position before. But one could surmise the Grace women’s golf team is relishing the opportunity to be the hunted.

Grace College will enter the NCCAA Women’s Golf National Championships as the defending champion, having won the 2019 championship in heartstopping fashion by one stroke. Their return in 2020 will see them among five teams playing in the three-day championship tournament at Hammock Beach Resort, the home of last year’s tournament where the Lady Lancers won its first-ever golf title on the final hole of the tournament. Specifically, Lucy Young held her own with the individual national champion, Erskine’s Anna Parramore, and certainly remembers the drama of the final three, national championship holes.

“I don’t feel any different,” laughed Young about her role in just the third national title in Grace’s athletic history. “It was super exciting. All of the experiences we’ve had because of it have been really great.”

Grace has only had a women’s golf program for six years, making its championship in 2019 that much more impressive. But the 2020 team isn’t necessarily focused on trying to create an identity. It already has one. Which will make its play at Hammock Beach that much more enjoyable.

“I think our status level has raised given we are still relatively new and weren’t very good the first couple years,” said Grace College head coach Denny Duncan, who has guided the program since its start in 2015. “People around town know about our team. But the problem is, they know me and not these girls. We could go to the same WalMart and no one is going to know because they know me, but Lucy and Carolyn (Pacocha) are just a couple college kids. That’s one thing I’d like the change about this. I’d like to get this to where people know who these great golfers are.”

Despite the title defense, Grace likely will be chasing after Dallas Baptist, who will be paired with the Lancers as well as Oakland City in round one on Monday. Bethel and Erskine will be paired together ahead of Grace’s trio. Grace and Dallas Baptist will be paired together on Tuesday for round two. The final round will be determined by the team placements through the first two rounds.

Leading the way for the Lancers is Young, who averaged 77 in five tournaments this fall. Young posted a 74 twice this season, including her final round at the Battle at the Henge tournament at Stonehenge earlier in the month. Pacocha also has experience from last year’s championship, and enters the 2020 tournament with a 79 average in her five tournaments, her best a 74 at the Pure Michigan Invite.

“I’m just going into this with consistency in mind,” Pacocha said. “Going out there and playing my game and trying to stay level-headed. I don’t want to get up or down about it. A bogey here and there is fine, we love birdies, but playing consistently and playing your game. We’ll just see how it goes from there.”

Young and Pacocha will lead the roster, which will also feature Rebecca Hawes, newly minted Dan Wood Award winner Rachel Harvey, and West Noble alum Hannah Godfrey.

Dallas Baptist will bring in a trio at the top in Olivia Mitchell, Hannah Harrison and Julia Garcia that shot 68, 69 and 71 in its one recorded tournament this fall. Parramore will return to defend her individual title as the No. 1 for Erskine.

“I feel like we just need to be focused, maybe not relax, but not be so tense,” Young said.

Chimed in Pacocha, “We are there for our job and that’s to win a national title. But we also want to have fun. But we are student athletes, too, so we’ve got to study for our accounting, maybe jump in the pool once or twice.”

Grace tees off Monday morning at 9:05 a.m. Fans can follow along with the tournament at the NCCAA women’s golf championship page.