Sometimes, first-year USF women's golf coach AJ Newell can't believe her good fortune. She has her dream job. She has returned to her hometown area. When she drives over the Howard Frankland Bridge to her St. Petersburg residence, there's the glimmering water and usually a gorgeous sunset.
"We truly do live in paradise,'' Newell said.
Even though there's work to be done with the Bulls, Newell said she relishes the challenge and believes her players are eager to chase the challenges of winning the American Athletic Conference championship and qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.
After the departure of seven-year Coach Erika Brennan to Georgia and the ascension of All-American and AAC Player of the Year Melanie Green to the professional ranks, Newell inherited a roster with two returning players. But with some solid additions — plus an excellent recruiting class on the way — she's bullish on USF's future.
USF begins its spring season on Sunday at the UCF-hosted PDI Intercollegiate at Orlando's Eagle Creek Golf Club.
"It has been the hardest possible work you can do, but it's also the most fulfilling kind of work,'' said Newell, the former Tennessee All-American and Michigan assistant coach. "It's an honor to show up every day and pour into these student-athletes. And it's my favorite thing in the world.
"We have a team full of wonderful young ladies who enjoy spending time together and it has been cool to watch their development. We had some hurdles in the fall with the hurricanes and multiple injuries. It wasn't the fall we wanted golf-wise, but everybody had a bright spot. And I know there's going to be a time when our whole team is shining bright.''
USF's returning players include Leonor Medeiros, the program's longtime spiritual leader, and Emma Kim, who has played in a handful of tournaments as an individual. Medeiros finished in the top-25 four times and in the top-10 on three occasions, while registering a scoring average of 74.70 (with three rounds in the 60s and a fifth-place finish at the Badger Invitational).
"There's no shortcut to a quality team relationship, so we've leaned on Leo (Medeiros) a lot,'' Newell said. "Her performances in the fall certainly led our team, but we've been leaning on her to help mentor and help our younger players grow. She's not just a great teammate, but she's someone who helps her younger teammates manage what college athletics looks like. We're seeing great growth from our young players and I know Leo has had a big hand in that.''
Newell said she anticipates prominent roles for junior Alice Webb, a transfer from the University of Indianapolis, plus freshmen Cherry Marley of England and Valentina Bosselmann of Brazil. There's also graduate transfer Kenzie Heba, who won two Gulf South Conference championships at West Florida.
"Alice Webb had an injury in the fall that really held her back, but now she's back on her game and I'm excited to see her on the course,'' Newell said. "Valentina and Cherry (the AAC Women's Golfer of the Month in October with a team-high 16 birdies and a low round of 69) have had some very good moments as well.'
USF has an intriguing transfer in sophomore Holly McLean, a Cayman Islands native and a two-time Caribbean Amateur Golf Champion who had a top-10 finish at the Kyle Blaser Invitational as a University of Oklahoma freshman. Newell is awaiting word on when McLean will be eligible to play. When that time comes, Newell said McLean will be "a mainstay in our lineup.''
Newell said she refuses to put limitations on the program, saying the AAC championship is a current goal. Regardless of the timeline, Newell said she will enjoy the process of building USF's program.
"I used to go to bed every night wondering how I was going to get better at golf,'' Newell said. "Now I go to bed every night wondering how I'm going to get the eight players on my team better at golf. My husband is used to me watching swing videos on my phone as I'm lying in bed, trying to go to sleep.
"My dad used to always say you've got to have that greasy piece of chicken that you want to dig your teeth into. I love digging my teeth in their golf games. We'll keep doing what we need to get better. We're developing the relationships where we can go in and help these players and we're developing the trust that comes with understanding what they respond to. It's hard work, but we're so happy to be here and we are enjoying the process.''
