For sophomore Lauren Cox, the 2014 golf season was one to remember. After shooting 74/76 at the Regional Golf Tournament in Sealy, she placed 5th and advanced to the State meet. According to Cox, she praticed every day in order to advance to state and head coach Vicky Castino, her husband Jimmy and Coach Aaron Burke all helped her with her game to prepare for the tournament.

“The state meet was awesome,” Cox said. “The UT course is near Lake Austin. It’s very hilly and windy. The girls that I played with were the best in the state. I had a great time and I can’t wait until next year.”

Cox said she plays every day and works on her short game frequently. She also takes lessons from Kerry Lamb at Sunset Golf Club.

“He is a great instructor and works with me on my swing,” she said. “I go to the range usually once or twice a week. I also play in tournaments throughout the year in Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas.This summer I plan to play in the Starburst Tournament in Waco, Texas.”

According to Cox, she loves golf because of the challenge of the game.

“The courses are beautiful,” she said. “The people that you meet at the course are so friendly. I can play it by myself or with friends. It is a great game.”

Cox said one day she would love to play college golf and that remains one of her goals, as well as improving her skills every year.

“In golf you are always playing against par,” Cox said. ” When I was younger my goal was to break 100. Once I started shooting in the 90’s my goal changed to the 80’s. Now my goal is to shoot par or better. Golf is a mental game. It will take great focus to get to par.”

During her freshman year Cox played many other sports, including volleyball, basketball and track. This year, she decided to focus her attention solely on golf – and it has surely paid off.

“I practice my game the whole year and it made a big difference in my game,” Cox said. ” Outside of golf, I love going to the movies and hanging out with my friends.”

According to Cox, her biggest inspiration is Phil Mickelson because he is a great golfer, but still a regular guy.

“I’ve learned a lot about golf from watching him on TV and at the Shell Open,” she said. “He can hit a bad shot and still stay focused on the next shot. He always conducts himself like a gentlemen.”

Cox said she has been playing golf since she was 8 years old and she started playing 5-hole tournaments through the STPGA during the summer. Many of her family vacations have been spent in Florida at the golf course.

“I loved driving the cart and hitting golf balls,” she said. “We’ve been to Scottsdale, Arizona, San Diego, California, Branson, Missouri, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I grew up playing some beautiful golf courses. I hope to play golf for a long time. It’s a great game.”