The Alabama Crimson Tide women’s golf team will host the SEC Championships for the first time in 12 years this weekend. The last time Alabama hosted the championship was in 1998 in Birmingham. It is the first time that UA has will host the tournament in Tuscaloosa.
Head coach Mic Potter is in his fifth year as coach at Alabama, so this is his first time hosting SEC Championships at home while with the Tide. He said playing at home is beneficial to the women of the Tide.
“I think it’s always the advantage,” Potter said. “You don’t have to travel. For one, you know the golf course. Number two, you’re in comfortable surroundings. You know the restaurants. Everything to us has been the same old, same old, so that has to be an advantage. Obviously, you still have to execute the shots. Doesn’t matter where you are, you still have to execute the shots.”
Junior Camilla Lennarth is also looking forward to the meet being at home because of her familiarity with the course.
“I feel like we have some home advantage because this course is kind of tricky, and the hills up and down, and the slopes,” Lennarth said. “So I feel like it’s good knowing that we’ve been out here before. We all feel comfortable out there.”
Not only is the team familiar with the course, but they will also have a few extra people supporting them that they would not have had if the meet were not in Tuscaloosa.
“I think it’ll be nice,” Potter said. “I don’t know if it’ll be a factor in our play, but certainly it will be nice for our parents and our administrators and our leaders of the student body and the athletic department to see us play because we just don’t play at home that often. So, it’s a good opportunity for them to see what our team is like and how the girls play, and it’s a good opportunity for us to have them out here and supporting us.”
Though playing at home might bring added pressure to win in front of many people rooting for you, Potter said playing at home also adds comfort.
“You want to do well, and I think it’s a little added pressure, but I think maybe to offset that, you’re comfortable on your own golf course,” Potter said. “So hopefully, they’ll offset each other.”
Lennarth said she’s pretty comfortable.
“All you can do is hit one shot at a time and hit as good as you can. You can only do your best, and if you’ve done your best, that’s fine,” Lennarth said. “That’s the score you get for the day, and I’m just going to try to play against the course and not play against anyone in the field and then see what kind of results I get.”
Potter said another advantage was that people who don’t normally come visit could enjoy the city of Tuscaloosa.
“Well, you know, I think it’s a place that not many people get to come and visit,” Potter said. “They might come to a football game occasionally, but I think it’s a great opportunity for people to see our campus and see our town. I know one team drove through campus, and they were like ‘Whoa, we had no idea it was this nice,’ so that to me makes me feel good that they get to see it and appreciate what Tuscaloosa has to offer.”
The tournament will be at the North River Yacht Club all day through Sunday.
