CHATTANOOGA---There is a national month for just about everything. In fact usually more than one, and April is no exception with National Poetry Month, National Child Prevent Child Abuse Month, Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Jazz Appreciation Month among others. In Chattanooga, it has proven to be women's golf month.
The Chattanooga Mocs circle the middle portion of the fourth installment of this annual trek around the sun. That's when the Southern Conference holds its annual championships. In fact, it's April 21 as this is posted which would have been this year's final round.
This is the month when the Mocs excel beyond any other league program over the last 11 years. Seven of the last 10 years included either a team or individual trophy returning to the Scenic City. Four of those included a clean sweep of both.
"I think looking back at our conference record, I'm extremely proud of how we performed," Coach Colette Murray reminisced. "The girls as freshmen coming in don't always know what the conference championship means. That time of the year, you done all the work and you're putting things in play.
"We don't make it a big deal emotionally, it's making them understand that from a history standpoint, we should bring back some hardware."
They shared the most team titles with Furman winning five each over the past decade. Chattanooga holds the advantage overall with an average finish of 1.55, 0.55 clear of the Paladins' 2.10 with ETSU third (4.0). Individually, six individual winners rank well ahead of the Paladins three and one for Appalachian State.
The program won five in a row from 2010-14 after a runner-up ending in 2009. That was followed by finishing second over the last five including a tie in 2018. The individual wins came fast and furious too with five in six years. It was led off by new UTC Hall of Famer Emma de Groot in 2011 followed by Jordan Britt (2012), Agathe Sauzon (2013), Emily McLennan (2014) and Megan Woods (2016). Monica San Juan capped the spurt winning last season in Hilton Head.
"I think honestly, it was the fact that it was the end of it...it was when it mattered the most to play," Maria Juliana Loza '12 shared about that special stretch of time. "If you won the SoCon, you got an invite to regionals although we were always in position rankings-wise to go anyway. The tournament itself, if you win, there's more to come. That kind of drove us. It meant a little bit more.
"You've been playing for this all season. It was either a time to shine or redeem yourself depending on how your season went. I like that part of it. You dig deep and figure out how we can show we belong and compete in regionals. I think that really mattered to me."
The third time was the charm for Coach Colette Murray's group. She re-started the program in 2008 after more than 20 years absent from the tee. It took just three years to capture the first conference crown and only seven for those five trophies.
The 2010 win was by eight over College of Charleston. The Mocs featured three in the top 10 led by de Groot's runner-up total of 220. Loza was fourth, while current Ladies European Tour pro and 2016 Olympian Christine Wolf tied for sixth.
"From the first one, it was strange when we didn't win but still made it all the way to nationals (final championship rounds)," Loza noted. "It was bittersweet. We came in (2010) like this better not happen again. We were just very determined, and maybe it was an even bigger to us since we went to nationals the year before.
"I kind of joke we were jinxed after going to nationals (2009) and then won three straight but didn't get back (to the finals)."
The first of four straight title sweeps came in 2011 with a 30-stroke triumph over the Cougars and de Groot winning by three over Britt. Loza tied for fifth, while Wolf tied for seventh as four Mocs earned top 10 spots.
"The biggest memory I have (of the postseason) is regionals at Notre Dame," she added. "That's what sticks out most. I birdied four of the last six holes trying to help Christine and Emma in their last year (2011). We had a good team and wanted to get back to nationals with them, but it was an unfortunate finish.
"It always seemed like whatever I did in postseason mattered and counted making it more fun. I like being accountable I guess."
It was a comeback win in 2012 as Britt led the surge getting the win as the team nudged UNC Greensboro by three. Loza tied for third further cementing her postseason reputation.
The first of two playoff medalist wins came in 2013. Sauzon topped CofC's Mary Chandler Bryan on the 55th hole as her team won by six over Furman. McLennan ended tied for fifth as the run of multiple top 10 finishers continued. Celebrating Agathe Sauzon's (center) 2013 win.
Memories from the playoff win from Sauzon Coach caddies for me and talks to me positively, and I felt all the good vibes from my teammates who were behind me! The joy was already here because we knew we had won the SoCon as a team.
I hit a good first shot with my driver. It was a short and narrow par 4. I remembered I had not a full wedge shot around 70 yards which was not my strength at that time so quite nervous. But I wanted to make my team proud.
I hit to 6 feet maybe, very close. Put some pressure on the girl from Charleston. She didn't make the putt for birdie. For me, that was one of the most nervous small putt i had to make. Did it! All my teammates ran at me to hug me and celebrate all together. It really felt like a big family celebrating the win and my first individual win. That was a great spirit with awesome girls and Coach Colette, of course!
Thanks for all these memories made in college career! Thanks Mocs!!
It was McLennan's turn to take home individual honors while pacing the fifth team win in a row. Her four-shot win was the largest of the stretch battling torrential downpours to thwart the Paladins again. Britt was third with a tie for sixth by Isabella Loza and a tie for tenth by Sauzon.
"The win in 2014 holds a special memory," Murray recollected. "The last round in the monsoon, the look on Jordan Britt's face walking down the first fairway. I was a bit concerned and asked her if she was OK. She looked at me and said, 'it's on Coach'.
"There are so many great memories that flood back both with teams and individuals."
After a rare trophy-less trip in 2015, Woods won in dramatic fashion. Her 218 matched Furman's Alice Chen. The duo scraped and clawed their way over five playoff holes before Woods won with a par as the second of five straight second-place endings continued.
San Juan had a dominant run through the 2019 field. She was tied for the lead after 18 and was up six heading into the final round before winning by four over a strong field with the next three on the leaderboard fresh off a trip to the inaugural Augusta National Women's Championship.
"It's something we do…they've all seen it," Murray concluded. "It goes from Emma to Jordan, Jordan to Aggie, Aggie to Emily, Emily to Megan and Megan to Moni. That carries the belief in what we can accomplish and expect to do."
This year's edition had high hopes. Whether a sixth team title or seventh individual, it was going to be a fun three days in Hilton Head. They'll have to wait until 2021 to compete for the gold again.
GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs. Buy officially licensed gear in our online store. The Mocs can also be followed on their official Facebook page or on Twitter. Find out how to join the UTC Mocs Club and support more than 300 student-athletes by clicking here.
