FLOYD, Va. – The last time the 10 sports team chatted with Virginia Tech golfer Amanda Hollandsworth, she was at the Women’s U.S. Open.
“Yeah last June, about a year ago, a lot has happened,” Hollandsworth said. “I decided to go to Q-school to pursue my professional career.”
Q-school, or qualifying school, allows golfers the opportunity to compete for a membership in the LPGA. In California, Hollandsworth made it to Stage 2, but didn’t move on. However, she still earned partial status on the Symetra Tour, which is the tour directly below the LPGA.
“I played in a lot of mini tour events, I played in three in Feburary, I’m really looking forward to getting into bigger tournaments and hopefully pursuing a little bit more on the Symetra.”
Her season has been scaled back quite a bit due to the Coronavirus pandemic, so for the last few months, Hollandsworth has been staying sharp at her local courses.
“Thank goodness that golf courses didn’t close though, I’ve really gotten to work on my game,” she said. “I’ve gotten to play a lot at the Pete Dye River Course and out here at Great Oaks. I definitely miss the competition aspect of it, but it’s been fun working on my game and kind of see what I need to work on and see how I need to get better.”
Hollandsworth understands the reason for the cancellation, and made sure to thank the essential workers during the interview.
“They have taken time out of their lives to keep us all safe during this crazy time. I really appreciate everything they are doing and I want to give so much thanks and appreciation to them and their hard work.”
As tournaments begin to start up again, Hollandsworth is excited to begin competing in late July. She’s ready to prove the difference in her golf game since being on the big stage one year ago.
“At the U.S. Open, I played with the best of the best. I learned that I can play with those girls, it’s just a matter of mindset," she said. “I have all those shots they have but they have the experience. I’m looking forward to getting that experience, and hopefully soon I’ll be out there with all the big names.”