My first year in America has come to an end.
The first semester (August through December) didn’t go entirely smoothly. Although I qualified for all the tournaments, I never really found my rhythm. I truly had to find my place – both within the team and in America itself.

From late December to early January, I went back to the Netherlands for the Christmas break. During that time, I had doubts about whether I had made the right decision and whether America was really the right path to the top for me. In the end, I decided to return. I worked hard, had to make a lot of adjustments, but eventually things turned around – and I have absolutely no regrets.

We kicked off the second semester with a match play team event in Florida, where we finished second as a team. Shortly after, we played a tournament in Arizona, where I finished fourth individually.

I was also named Mid-American Golfer of the Week, and our team was invited to have breakfast with the university president because we had the highest academic GPA of all athletic teams!

Then followed tournaments in Puerto Rico and Georgia, which also went well. In early April, a major tournament in Ohio was on the schedule. I shot -7 in the qualifier and was selected as the number 1 player. Unfortunately, I got sick and wasn’t able to compete.

Shortly after, we had our Conference Championship – a key tournament where schools within the same region (in our case, the Mid-American Conference) compete for the title. This was our final tournament of the season. I was proud to be selected as the number two player in the lineup as a freshman. Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish the tournament the way I had hoped, but I learned a lot that I’ll take with me into next season.

I’m proud of how my first year turned out. I’ve become a better golfer, but also grown as a person. I also have a much clearer idea of why I’m doing all of this. In America, you really learn to fight for your spot – much more than in the Netherlands. I’ve never questioned my love for the game, but compared to a year ago, I’m even more driven now.

Academically, things also went really well. This past year I studied Law and Psychology and finished the year cum laude!

Right now, I’m back in the Netherlands. Despite all the achievements and highlights, I’ve decided to take it a bit easier this summer when it comes to tournaments. But of course, I’m not standing still – there are still exciting things to come!

In August, I’ll return to the U.S. for my second year (sophomore year). This year I won’t be living in a dorm on campus anymore, but in an apartment with two of my teammates.

I’ve also changed my major. Studying Law and Psychology turned out to be quite challenging alongside golf. Of course, my studies are important to me, but they shouldn’t come at the expense of golf – which is, after all, the main reason I’m there.

I’ve decided to switch to Political Science: Global Politics & International Affairs. I’m really excited about it!

And of course, I’ll keep you updated on all my tournaments and results in my sophomore year through my social media and my website