Representing the Killarney Lakeside Golf Course, golf sensation Cala Korman is looking forward to Golf Manitoba's Women's Amateur coming up in early July.
Before looking ahead to the event, Korman looked back on how she got started in golf. "I actually live pretty close to a golf course," she says with a smile. "I grew up near by, so my dad would take me out. I'd go out with him and my brother, so I actually spent a lot of time out there. When I was 10, I did a tournament, the Manitoba Games. My old coach was coaching there and he brought me in, I had a lot of fun and that is what kind of got me hooked."
It took a few years after the Manitoba Games for Korman to really dedicate herself and find the drive to compete. "At 10 or 11, I started to enjoy golf more but I didn't start taking it seriously until I was 14. That's when I realized I could go to school with this, get a scholarship and get more competitive with this."
When it comes to the game of golf, Korman says there's many aspects that make her love the game. "It's a mixture of everything. I wouldn't say there is one particular thing. I like that it's individual and that it's anyone's game. You can have a come back or things can switch week to week. I really to like the mechanics and the technical side, the swing parts, that's always interested me. Overall, it's fun being outside, it's fun to play casually or competitively, it's a great way to meet people and connect, I just really enjoy it all."
It helps that Korman is also really good at the game and because of that, she's build up some great relationships with other golfers through events and competitions, relationships she cherishes. "It's so awesome. I think being in Manitoba, we're a tight knit group with how small Golf Manitoba is, so we're all pretty close, even when we compete. When I go back to school (in Utah), we're all playing on a team but we're all individuals. It's fun to compete day to day at practice or at a tournament, we're pushing each other, wanting to beat each other but also cheering each other on."
After a strong showing at a recent qualifier, Korman is gearing up for Golf Manitoba's Women's Amateur coming up in the first weekend of July and she feels she needs to ramp up as the event gets closer. "Right now, I actually think I'm pretty neutral on every part of my game. There's not one part I'm overly confident in and I believe there is a lot to work on if I want to have a chance. Lots of the other girls are at their peak right now. Addison (Kartusch) is playing well, she just won match play, so she's feeling well. I know I have a lots to work on in all aspects of my game. I know at St. Charles, it'll be important around the green and some tee shots will be a challenge."
Korman is also working on the mental side of the game and over the past few years, she feels like she's gotten stronger there. "That's absolutely the hardest part for golfers, I'd say. Because it can switch so easily, you can be playing so good one day and then terrible the next. I'm always focusing on that side of things but going into the Amateur, I'm in a good head space. I want to play my game and be patient."
Having earned a golf scholarship and now golfing in Utah for college, Korman passes along advice to other young golfers. "Just work hard, find a way to enjoy it and don't be afraid to get creative with practices. I come from a smaller course compared to other golfers I meet in the States, but there's no excuses, if you really want to do it, you can do it."
At the core of Korman's game, it'll always be the love she has sharing it with family. Her dad Rick and brother Parker, two of her biggest supporters have always been there for her, but these days, only one of them pushes her on the course. "I have to say, I beat my dad regularly, but my brother, he still get's me," Korman says with a chuckle. "He's good competition for me, we'll go play a match and I'd say, there's only a handful of times I've beat him. I got to give him credit, he's a good golfer. He pushes me while dad cheers us on," she again says laughing. "I've passed him."
Cala Korman hopes to pass a number of players on her way to the top of the Women's Amateur coming up in a few weeks.