For
Margaret Ulrich, the best feeling on the golf course isn't sinking a birdie or hitting a long drive that splits the fairway.
It's the feeling of having a calm mind.
"When my head space is steady, there is nothing that is going to throw my game off track," said Ulrich, a freshman on the Morehead State women's golf team.
When Ulrich was going through the recruiting process, she wanted to find a school that put as much emphasis on academics as it did athletics.
"I chose to attend Morehead State because of the family-like environment both on and off the course," Ulrich said. "(Head) Coach (Stephanie) Barker is also a fantastic coach, and I knew that with her coaching style, I could continue to grow in my golf skills."
In addition to having a family-like environment, Ulrich also found a place that allowed her to grow spiritually as well.
"I start mentally preparing weeks in advance (for tournaments)," Ulrich said. "I do drills that make me focus under high pressure or suspense. I also focus on building my relationship with God on and off the course. I find my peace in prayer when I feel the pressure coming on."
Despite all the preparation, golf is a sport that is often unpredictable.
You can practice all you want, but sometimes, things just don't go your way.
"When my game starts to feel off, I go back to the basics," Ulrich explained. "I go back to my default swing and only focus on hitting fairways and greens. It is much easier to make a par from the fairway and the middle of the green instead of trying to take shortcuts that could cause trouble to come into play."
Ulrich's approach of not taking shortcuts is one she'd recommend to any young girl wanting to play golf at the Division I level.
"Hard work goes further than talent," Ulrich said. "I would also tell her that being happy is more important than scoring low. The recruiting process has a lot of highs and lows, and it is important to know that everything happens for a reason."
For Ulrich, her 'everything happens for a reason' mentality comes from Nana, who she looks up to as a role model.
"She always puts others before herself, and she has such a loving heart," Ulrich said.
Whether it's out on the golf course or figuring out her future career path, Ulrich looks to her Nana as a source of inspiration.
"I am not sure what I want to do once I graduate, but I know that I want to be able to help future generations," said Ulrich, who is majoring in Space System Engineering. "Whether that is engineering devices to help people or having a first-hand impact, like teaching."
When Ulrich was asked to choose a walk-up song if she was given one for a tournament, she chose "The House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals.
Like the song says, there is a house in New Orleans they call the Rising Sun. But there's also a house in Morehead, Kentucky, with a rising star in Ulrich.
