“Welcome to the Team” is a Q&A series where The Collegian sits down with first-year student-athletes who are entering their first season at Butler University. These articles will address why they chose Butler, what they hope to get out of this season and some personal tidbits that you won’t find anywhere else.
This week, sports co-editor Nhu-Han Bui sat down with two first-years on the women’s golf team: Addi Kooi and Samantha Von Rohr.
Addi Kooi is a first-year health sciences major from Westfield, Indiana. Photo by Darcy Leber.
THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN: How did you start playing golf, and when did you realize you wanted to continue playing it in college?
ADDI KOOI: My dad and brother played, so I was introduced to it at a younger age, but I despised it until COVID came around … There was nothing left to do but play golf because we could social distance. So my brother and dad would go out all the time, and I was left at home, like, ‘This is stupid, I’m gonna go join you.’ I got into it when I was about 13, and [have] played since then.
TBC: How did you learn about Butler, and when did you realize it was the right fit for you?
AK: I live about 25 minutes away, and it’s been on my radar since I was a young kid. I knew a lot of people [who] went here. I had a friend [who] knew our coach, [Christie Cates], and got me in contact with her, and that’s how I came here.
TBC: What is your favorite club to use?
AK: My favorite club in my bag is a pitching wedge because I use it a lot and it’s very versatile in my game.
TBC: What is your match day routine?
AK: We wake up [and] go to [the] hotel breakfast. I like to start my day with a big waffle, maybe some eggs. And then [we] usually get to the course pretty early, about an hour and a half early. [We] spend half an hour on the range, half an hour doing your own stuff and I always like to listen to music to get match ready.
TBC: What are some lessons you learned throughout the season?
AK: I think one big lesson is that my identity doesn’t rest in golf. I think that’s a big one I’ve learned [because] otherwise you’re gonna strangle yourself, and it’s just gonna be too mentally exhausting.
TBC: What is the highlight of your first season?
AK: We got the school record out at Bradley, that was really cool. I did well there [too], and I didn’t expect to do well there.
TBC: What are your goals for your career here at Butler?
AK: I would love to get an individual win at some point in my time here, and I would also love the team conference one year. We definitely have a shot at it, it’s just gonna take some work.
TBC: If you could only listen to one singer for the rest of your life, who would it be and why?
AK: Right now, I’m obsessed with Sam Barber.
Samantha Von Rohr is a first-year exploratory studies major from Bradenton, Florida. Photo by Darcy Leber.
TBC: How did you start playing golf, and when did you realize you wanted to continue playing it in college?
SAMANTHA VON ROHR: When I was nine years old, we moved from St. Louis to upstate New York, and I just picked up golf there at a young age. [I] did camps and stuff, played little mini tournaments and really got into it. Then I went to IMG Academy my junior year of high school, [and] that’s when I knew I really [wanted] to go for this, play all year round and try to play in college.
TBC: How did you learn about Butler, and when did you realize it was the right fit for you?
SVR: Treva [Dodd], who’s a sophomore on our team, also went to IMG Academy, and when I was in school with her, she was really excited about going to Butler and spoke really highly about the program. So I got in contact with Coach [Cates], and I just absolutely loved my visit here, the campus [and] teammates.
TBC: What is your favorite club to use in your bag?
SVR: It definitely changes, but right now, probably my 56-degree just because I use it around the greens.
TBC: What is your match day routine?
SVR: [I] wake up maybe two hours before tee off, depends [on] how long they have to drive. [At the] hotel breakfast, I like to go for a plain bagel, scrambled eggs and maybe some fruit like a banana. And then when we get to the course, [I] warm up, spend about half an hour on the range, half an hour putting and chipping and getting ready to get your stuff together. Then we walk out to the holes and play.
TBC: Have you had any difficulties with adjusting to collegiate-level golf?
SVR: In junior golf, you don’t play 36 holes very much in one day. Most college tournaments, you do play 36 holes, so that’s definitely been an adjustment, [along with] being in shape for that.
TBC: Is there a lesson you have learned from the upperclassmen on the team?
SVR: Definitely to stay patient, it’s a journey. It’s not a semester, it’s not just your first year, it’s four years, and golf, like any other sport, is really up and down. [I’ve learned] to stay supportive to your teammates and to stay positive.
TBC: What is your favorite memory from the season?
SVR: It was really fun that the team ended the fall off a win at Dayton. I thought that was super fun. The course was really nice, and it was challenging. My other favorite memory would be getting to play in Arizona, because I’ve never been out west to compete in golf, and it was just such a different terrain and everything, and it was really pretty. I enjoyed that.
TBC: If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
SVR: Well, taking health out of it, I would definitely say mac and cheese. I’m the biggest mac and cheese fan on the team. But if health [were] a factor, probably salad.