I’m prepared – I’m ready,” said Paterson, who will be among the field of women competing at the 2022 NJCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship when play begins Monday, May 9, at the Mayfair Country Club in Sanford, Fla.
“I’ve been practicing a lot and I’m excited. I know there will be some nerves, but I think it’s more me being excited than anything else. I’m ready to go.”
Paterson will be Blinn’s lone representative at nationals this season after she punched her ticket to Florida with a seventh-place finish at the NJCAA South District Tournament on April 12.
Paterson’s strong outing at the district tournament, combined with two straight third-place showings (at the Lowery Invitational and Blinn Spring Classic), have put the 18-year-old on a timely roll.
“I think I just got more confident as the season went along,” said Paterson, who admitted a rough fall helped her learn the collegiate ropes and set her up for growth and success this spring. “That really helped me and changed my game.
“During the fall, I was anxious and nervous and wasn’t that confident. Then in the spring, I really just started playing better. I was pushing myself a little more, I improved my short game and my putting and just put belief in my ability.”
Paterson hopes to build on her spring momentum and cap her first college season with a big finish.
“I’m really trying to get myself into the top 20,” Paterson said. “I think that’s a good goal for my first collegiate season. If I can do that, I’ll be pretty happy.”
Blinn head coach David Johnson said Paterson’s first campaign as a Buccaneer has been nothing short of spectacular, adding that regardless of how she finishes at nationals, he’s excited to see how this success pushes Paterson’s game forward next season.
“We’re really impressed with how she’s been playing lately, and she’s gotten better every tournament,” Johnson said. “That’s the course you want a freshman to take. They come in not knowing what to expect, and at first it can be a struggle for them, but as the year went along, the progress Holly has made has been impressive. We’re proud of the way she plays and handles herself out on the golf course and we can’t wait to see what else is in store for her.”
Blinn assistant coach Katie Johnston will make the trip to Florida with Paterson, and she said she has one expectation for her first-year athlete.
“I just want her to go out there and have fun,” Johnston said. “We’re going to be in Florida; she made it there and that’s a huge accomplishment. So, just go out there and have fun and enjoy Florida.
“If she plays the way I know she can play, she can definitely be in the top 20, but I just want her to go out and have fun and finish the season on a high note.”
The national tournament will conclude on Thursday, May 12. The action can be followed with live updates at https://results.golfstat.com//public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=participants&tid=25334.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
