Scholarship means American dream for golfer

 

A junior member of the Mangawhai Golf Club and, for some years, a major emerging talent on the New Zealand golf scene, Belinda May has just put her name to a golf and academic scholarship agreement with Troy University of Alabama, USA.

Belinda’s American dream began in 2015 when she travelled to the famed Pinehurst golf complex in North Carolina to compete in the US Kids Golf Teen World Championship. 

After this amazing experience she knew she wanted to return and become fully immersed in the American golfing system. Now, 17-year-old Belinda and her supportive family team of mum Sherrall, dad Iain and brother Konrad (who first inspired Belinda's interest in golf) have reached a moment in her life that has them all a little frightened and a whole lot excited.

A proud Northland girl, Belinda has spent the last few months evaluating scholarship offers from more than 16 American universities before settling on Troy. She gave her verbal commitment to Troy University then had to keep the secret until her signing day when she could publicly announce the details of her commitment to Troy.

“Troy University has a very strong athletic programme and the golf coach I'll be working under has a great record in developing a player's ability. The current Troy Trojans girls golf team has been chalking up some really strong results recently, so this just seems the best opportunity for me,” says Belinda. “Troy's not too big, just under 20,000 people live in the city, and I'm frantically reading as much as I can about the area so I can fit in quickly.”

Belinda's time at Troy will start in August – and it's not going to be all golf. Her scholarship programme places a strong emphasis on achieving academic goals and she expects to complete her degree and then aims to gain entry to the Q School, the pathway to gaining a spot on the LPGA tour. 

She'll be leaving Whangarei’s Kamo High School with a strong list of scholastic achievement where she has excelled across a range of subjects. It's these skills, along with her golfing abilities, that brought her to the attention of several strong universities and she's determined to keep this successful balance in her life.

“Belinda's past year has been full on as she's worked toward qualifying for a golf scholarship in the States,” says proud Mum Sherrall. “Her workload's increased tremendously with extra practice, late nights, early mornings and lots of travel to tournaments around New Zealand.

“The last three months have been really hard for her. She says that learning the SAT exam to get into a university in America was harder that her toughest round of golf. She's sent so much paperwork to America that she's probably cut down all the trees in Northland!”

Belinda has been a member of the Mangawhai Golf Club for the past three years: “I love the course. It really challenges your game, and the members there are always so positive and supportive. I thank everyone who's helped me to get to this point in my life – we (me, mum and dad) couldn't have got here without the support of so many people.”

All members at Mangawhai wish Belinda well, confident that her special playing skills and her impressive personal presentation will see her succeed in this exciting new stage of her life. 

Proud brother Konrad, mother Sherrall and father Iain watch on as Belinda signs her scholarship to Troy University in Alabama.


Belinda May


“THE CURRENT TROY TROJANS GIRLS GOLF TEAM HAS BEEN CHALKING UP SOME REALLY STRONG RESULTS RECENTLY, SO THIS JUST SEEMS THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR ME.”