As collegiate golfers, players must balance being a part of a team, along with keeping a competitive edge to perform well as an individual. That balance comes full circle on the putting green.

Teammates count on each other to make clutch putts, and players must seize the moment when it presents itself. Last Friday, Brooke Pancake seized the moment.

On the 18th hole, Pancake delivered with a two-putt for par on the par-five, securing a one-shot lead over Southern California, clinching the women’s golf team’s first national championship.

“Of course there are nerves and adrenaline going, but at the same time, I couldn’t think of a better opportunity to represent the University and the golf program,” Pancake said. “I knew the national championship was in my hands.”

Pancake entered the season as the Tide’s lone senior and knew her leadership would be a key to the team’s success. She said team struggles early in her career helped bring her to this moment.

“I wanted to leave the program better off than it was when I first arrived here,” Pancake said. “I wanted to lead by example through my work ethic, my academics and so forth. I told [head coach] Mic [Potter] this was going to be the best year ever. I’m going to remember this for the rest of my life.”

Along with head coach Mic Potter, Pancake was one of the main catalysts who helped build Alabama’s golf program into a national contender. Their relationship blossomed both on and off the golf course, and Potter said he was glad she was put in a position to win it for her team.

“I had a lot of confidence [Brooke] was going to make it, so I don’t think I was real surprised, but definitely, I was relieved,” Potter said.

But Pancake did not have much time to enjoy her shining moment. Now a professional, Pancake left the team and immediately began preparing for the U.S. Open in July. Pancake continued her storybook run by qualifying for the tournament by shooting 72 on the first day of qualifying and 70 on the second day.

“I feel like I’m on cloud nine,” Pancake said. “It has literally been a dream come true to be a part of that program, and I can’t explain how blessed I am and how many doors have opened. To qualify for the U.S. Open and to have qualified for a major my first year out is amazing.”