By Dick Dornan
MyBurbank Sports Editor
On the morning of June 27, 2013, at precisely 7:18 a.m. Eastern standard time, Emily Tubert teed up on the first hole of the 68th U.S. Women’s Open Championship at Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, New York. What a moment it was for the young University of Arkansas golfer from Burbank, California.
“The U.S. Open is every kid’s dream and every golfer’s dream to have the opportunity to play in that. It is the premier event in the world. To have that experience was incredible,” Tubert said. “The entire week was awesome. I learned a lot. Just to compete with the best in the world at a high level on the biggest stage was eye-opening. It was a great learning experience.”
While many of us here on the West Coast were sleeping three time zones away, Tubert was swinging her way alongside the world’s best women golfers in the grandest of events. For two days, Tubert experienced championship golf at the highest level. She recorded a two-day total of 152 shooting a 74 on her first day of competition followed by a 78.
Unfortunately, Tubert did not make the cut for the weekend but that didn’t take away anything from the Razorback senior. To just qualify for the championship and then play 36 holes was plenty for Tubert to bask in. There will be many future opportunities for her to play for golf’s biggest prize. But for this one weekend, it validated her blossoming career.
“I felt like I belonged there. I felt that my game is good enough to compete with the best in the world. It was my first U.S. Open hopefully of many,” she said with confidence. “I played really well the second day. The score does not at all indicate how I played.”
Following a high school career at Burroughs where she was named a three-time Junior All-American, Tubert is enjoying similar success at Arkansas yet with more prominence.
As a freshman, she won three tournaments, had nine top 10 finishes, earned All-Southeastern Conference and All-America honors. Tubert led the team in scoring average with a 72.16 mark, and was the top-ranked freshman in the SEC earning both SEC First-Team as well as SEC Co-Freshman of the Year honors.
As a sophomore, Tubert led Arkansas with a 72.50 stroke average while earning her second First-Team All-America as well as First-Team All-SEC honors. She finished her season as the top-ranked player in the SEC and the second-ranked collegiate player in the country.
This past spring as a junior, Tubert won two more tournaments, led the Razorbacks with a 73.41 strokes per round and was recognized as an All-American for the third time in three years.
“Emily continues to be a leader for our Razorback team and I’m excited that she has earned her third All-America honor,” Arkansas coach Shauna Estes-Taylor said in an interview with the media relations department. “She has been one of our statistical leaders all three seasons and her steady play is something we count on each week.”
“I have had a pretty good career so far. There are some records that I am still chasing primarily held by Stacy Lewis (a former Arkansas star and currently the No. 1 American and No. 2 ranked player in the world). I’ve broken some of them but some are four year records,” Tubert said. “I got one more year to buckle down and get after it. I don’t think I’ve played to my potential. But so far so good. I’m looking forward to this next year.”
Tubert had the special opportunity to play with Lewis in a practice round the day before the U.S. Open.
“I got to pick her brain, talk to her, and watch how she broke down the golf course,” said Tubert.
Tubert also participated in the 2012 Curtis Cup in Nairn, Scotland, representing the United States against Great Britain and Ireland. The Cup brings together the eight best amateur women from the U.S. against the eight best women from the other two countries.
She hopes to be a part of the 2014 Curtis Cup next summer when it’s held on American soil in St. Louis, Missouri.
“Getting to tee it up for your country is always a huge honor,” Tubert said with pride.
In the meantime, Tubert has been home here in Burbank for the past four weeks relaxing and enjoying time with family and friends. But as a true professional in the making, Tubert worked out daily spending a lot of time at DeBell GC honing her game.
Next up is the 2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship in Charleston, South Carolina, from August 5 – 11. Another significant event for the pride of John Burroughs High.
Then it’s a return to Arkansas for her final season before the strong possibility of turning pro a year from now. It’s been an amazing ride thus far for Tubert in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
“It’s been awesome. There’s no other place I rather be. Heading out there before I chose to go to Arkansas, if you told me that’s where I would end up I probably would have told you that you are crazy,” Tubert said with a chuckle. “But I feel blessed every day that I get to be there. I think we have a very strong team. The talent is definitely there. I’m surrounded by great people, the coaches and my teammates. The support team for athletes in general has been fantastic. And the fans are unlike anything else.”
In honor of Emily Tubert, we share the infamous Arkansas battle cry…..
“Calling the Hogs: Pig Sooie”
Woooooooooo, Pig! Sooie!
Woooooooooo, Pig! Sooie!
Woooooooooo, Pig! Sooie!
Razorbacks!
