FORE Magazine

Top Menu

  • About Me
  • Contact Us
  • Home

Main Menu

  • Current Issue
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
  • scga.org
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login

logo

FORE Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
  • scga.org
SCGA JuniorSummer 2015
Home›SCGA Junior›Full Circle: The Promising Future of Sam Rocha

Full Circle: The Promising Future of Sam Rocha

By Julia Pine
July 1, 2015
4163
0
Share:
Sam Rocha's promising future

Sam Rocha will never forget her first trip to the Occidental College campus. It was a day that changed her life forever, and opened her eyes to new possibilities. The then-high school sophomore, participating on an educational outing with SCGA Junior (formerly SCGA Youth on Course), had no clue she was stepping foot on her future college campus. But now that she’s just weeks away from beginning classes at the small, liberal arts school in Eagle Rock, Calif., the full circle moment is one that’s almost complete.

“Being able to go to the campus that day, meet with the golf team, it was life changing for me,” said Rocha. “I had never seen an environment like that before. That following summer, I realized that I had a chance to make that my reality.”

SCGA Junior gives kids who are part of its club the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational outings throughout the year, including a yearly trip to Occidental. Andrew Larkin, head coach of both the men’s and women’s golf teams at Oxy, has worked closely with SCGA Junior to ensure that his program remains involved in this unique experience.

“It’s so important for us to be involved in the community,” said Larkin. “The community has been great to us, letting us have places to play and giving our players internships and getting them involved in different aspects of the golf industry. Allowing people to learn about our golf program, college golf as a whole, it helps everyone, and if every couple of years we can pick up a player like Sam out of it, that’s just frosting on the cake.”

For Rocha, the realization that she was talented enough to play college golf was a process. First getting involved in the game through the Tiger Woods Learning Center, Rocha didn’t fall in love with the game right away. In fact, she didn’t care for it much at all.

“I honestly didn’t like it,” she said. “But my dad sort of threw me into it, made me play, and I learned to like it. I started getting better and better and then I really learned to love it.”

The promising future of Sam Rocha

The promising future of Sam Rocha

With a new goal of playing golf in college and the memory of her day at Oxy fresh in her mind, Rocha reached back out to Larkin, inquiring about the opportunity to play golf in his program.

“We’re looking for players who can play at a high level, but also someone who is a strong leader. That’s something I saw in Sam right away,” Larkin said.

The motivation for Rocha to be a leader came at a relatively young age. Playing on the Cerritos High School golf team, she was left out of an event her freshman year that only the top players were allowed to participate in.

“That motivated me to practice and stay on track,” said Rocha, who was team captain both her junior and senior seasons. “It made me want to lead the team and get others to stay on track as well. I’ve seen girls on my team quit golf and go down the wrong path. I want to be a role model.”

Without a swing coach, Rocha’s golf game improvement really came from within. She’d use the internet to learn swing tips and committed to practice on a regular basis. The SCGA Junior Golf Pass she’d use at Heartwell GC and Lakewood CC provided an affordable option to better her game.

“Four years ago, I became more involved with SCGA Junior, not just using the Golf Pass but also taking advantage of outings and programs. SCGA Junior is involved in aspects of my golf game, but also grades and community service. The focus is not all on golf. They showed me there are other things that are important.”

That understanding and commitment to golf and school will come in handy at Oxy, a school with a reputation for a rigorous academic workload. With Rocha deciding to play golf at a Division III school, she first needed to get into Oxy on her own merit, which she did through the early decision process.

“I know the golf is going to be challenging, and it will be tough academically, but I feel like I can do it,” said Rocha, who plans to major in biology. “I know that if I’m studying something like bio that I’m interested in, I’ll stay on track and enjoy it.”

And she’ll have Larkin and the rest of the golf team as a support system.

“One of the biggest differences between Division I and Division III in collegiate athletics is that golf doesn’t have to be the only focus,” said Larkin. “We want our athletes to have the full college experience and be able to major in something like biology and have internships and join sororities.”

The dorm life, golf, academics are all things Rocha is looking forward to this year, as well as a scheduled team trip to Hawaii.

“It’ll be my first time on a plane!” said Rocha.

Also in her corner as a support system will continue to be SCGA Junior, which is providing financial assistance for her college experience. Earlier this year, Rocha’s involvement with SCGA Junior led to her being selected as one of 37 SCGA Junior Scholars.

“To be an SCGA Scholar, you have to follow up with them with your grades and continue to do community service,” said Rocha. “I think that will help keep me accountable, and I’m so thankful for that opportunity.”

Previous Article

Work or Play? : Golf, we apologize…it’s ...

Next Article

Short Courses Reborn

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Julia Pine

Since joining the SCGA in early 2011, Julia has worked to enhance members experiences on scga.org with fresh content, in-depth coverage of tournaments, videos, member engagement opportunities and more. She is the editor of the SCGA's FORE magazine and plusFORE digital magazine and handles the Association's growing social media program and media relations. Julia is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University and grew up in Berkeley, Calif. For her, sports is not just a career, but a passion.

Related articles More from author

  • ProfilesSCGA JuniorSummer 2017

    Getting Connected: Suzanne Kelley Gives Back Through SCGA Junior

    July 26, 2017
    By Julia Pine
  • SCGA Juniors
    SCGA JuniorSummer 2016

    Small Spikes, Big Future: Junior Golf Programs Making a Sizable Difference

    July 1, 2016
    By Judd Spicer
  • SCGA JuniorSpring 2018

    Back to School

    April 26, 2018
    By Jonathan Coe
  • FORE HerProfilesSCGA JuniorWinter 2019

    A Smile and a Nudge: Driving Girls Golf Forward

    January 21, 2019
    By Hailey Tucker
  • SCGA Junior Ashleigh Park
    NewsSCGA Junior

    Youth on Course: Giving Back Through Golf

    January 1, 2015
    By Julia Pine
  • SCGA Junior Champion
    SCGA JuniorWinter 2016

    Set for Success: Already Accomplished, Alyaa Abdulghany Aims for the Next Level

    January 1, 2016
    By Julia Pine

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Recent Posts

  • FeaturedPublic AffairsWinter 2023

    Grass by Design: Pure Research Yields New Strains of Drought-Tolerant Grass

  • FeaturedHandicap HintsWinter 2023

    New Year’s Daze: Looking Forward and Looking Back at your Handicap

  • FeaturedGolf GroupsWinter 2023

    Club Spotlight: FOREGALS Golf

  • FeaturedThe PodiumWinter 2023

    Changing of the Guard: New Galleri Classic Set to Debut in the Desert

  • FeaturedFirst CutWinter 2023

    Talking It Out: What’s a Round Without a Recap?

FOLLOW US

Facebook 0Fans
Twitter 0Followers
Instagram 0Followers
Youtube 0Subscriber
  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • Changing of the Guard: New Galleri Classic Set to Debut in the Desert

    By Judd Spicer
    February 7, 2023
  • New Year’s Daze: Looking Forward and Looking Back at your Handicap

    By Kevin O'Connor
    February 7, 2023
  • Grass by Design: Pure Research Yields New Strains of Drought-Tolerant Grass

    By Craig Kessler
    February 7, 2023
  • Best Ball Bar & Grill: Woodley Lakes GC Gets a Big Culinary Upgrade

    By David Weiss
    February 7, 2023
  • Making a Future in Golf a Reality: Skylar Graham and the Pathways Internship

    By Ken Van Vechten
    February 7, 2023
  • The Diva Golfer

    By Azucena Maldonado
    January 31, 2017
  • The USGA’s Major Proposed Changes to the Rules of Golf

    By admin
    December 14, 2017
  • Stand By Me: Temecula Native Joe Skovron On Life As Rickie Fowler’s Caddie

    By Jonathan Coe
    October 26, 2016
  • Watching the Tiger Watchers

    By Andy Brumer
    February 20, 2018
  • Remembering Jim Murray: Best of the Best

    By Bill Dwyre
    February 14, 2017
  • Julie
    on
    November 13, 2022

    The Single Life: The Simple Pleasures of Being “That Guy”

    Thanks for this. I ...
  • free proxy list
    on
    December 5, 2018

    Top 4 College Golf Names You Need To Know

    Hello,I log on to ...
  • Adela C. Garcia
    on
    November 17, 2018

    Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”

    Azucena Maldonado is a ...
  • Rose Sauceda
    on
    November 15, 2018

    Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”

    Congratulations my lovely Amiga ...
  • Judy Carls
    on
    November 15, 2018

    The Gilded One: Eldorado CC

    Excellent magazine..thank you Judy Carls LPGA ...

RECENT COMMENTS

  • Julie on The Single Life: The Simple Pleasures of Being “That Guy”
  • free proxy list on Top 4 College Golf Names You Need To Know
  • Adela C. Garcia on Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”
  • Rose Sauceda on Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”
  • Judy Carls on The Gilded One: Eldorado CC
© 2016 FORE Magazine About Us | Contact Us | Advertise