Although the season has ended, a rising star in the women’s golf team is hoping to continue to improve in the future and receive more honors for her efforts.
Freshman chemistry major Sarah Funderburg was named Big South Freshman Women’s Golfer of the Week on Nov. 1, 2018. This honor comes after placing in the top ten during the Terrier Intercollegiate at the end of Oct., which helped the Winthrop University women’s golf team tie for second place with USC Upstate. Funderburg was surprised by her honors after her performance in the tournament.
“I didn’t think I was doing well since I made two doubles in the front and back of the match. But I made some birdies and then realized what I had accomplished,” Funderburg said.
Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, Funderburg was exposed to golf by her parents. Her older brother was skilled in the sport through trips to a golf course.
“When I was five years old, my parents took me to a golf course. My brother and I started practicing together so it was a learning process for both of us,” Funderburg said.
Growing up, Funderburg managed to train with her brother through local golf courses as children and through the locations where their family moved.
“I used to live on a farm, and we had a lot of land where I would throw golf balls. Then we moved to Inland Greens, which is where I and my brother practice,” Funderburg said.
When she arrived at Winthrop University, Funderburg was surprised at the amount of training and practice the team required. One such aspect was the team practicing six days a week, contrary to her prior training.
“Over the summer, I played a couple of tournaments to prepare myself. When I got [to Winthrop], there was much more required training,” Funderburg said.
Another challenge for Funderburg was when she came to Winthrop was adapting to an all-female team. She was used to training with boys during her time in high school.
“The high school I went to only had men’s teams, so I practice with guys like my older brother. With eight girls to practice with, it was a big adjustment,” Funderburg said.
With the Terrier Intercollegiate, Funderburg was surprised how she was named Big South Freshman Women’s Golfer of the Week. She was proud of the achievement to her athletic career.
“I wasn’t expecting it I ended up playing better than I thought. Being named Big South Freshman Women’s Golfer of the Week is something I’m never going to forget,” Funderburg said.
Funderburg was surprised how her upbringing from Wilmington and efforts at Winthrop helped her achieve more honors and improve herself during the tournament with the help of her teammates at Winthrop.
“The background of playing at a small Christian league and playing at Winthrop shows I succeeded in the things I wanted to do,” Funderburg said.
With the end of the current season, Funderburg is hoping to continue to improve her skills in golf and try her best to earn more honors and awards during her athletic career at Winthrop University.
“I plan to get two or three more top-ten finishes. The main thing is to continue to be a good teammate and contribute to the team’s score,” Funderburg said.
