Shweta Galande swings her club. Shweta placed 27th in the NCAA Championships.
As a freshman, Shweta Galande not only was the first on the University of Missouri-St. Louis’ women’s golf team who qualified for a national tournament, but also did well at the tournament.
The Current: You are from New Dehli, India. How did you find yourself at UM-St. Louis?
Shweta Galande: I had spoken to my agent. He gave me a list of some universities, and I liked UMSL first of all because your weather is what I’m used to playing in. Plus, the psychology [program] they offered me was interesting. They had given me 100 percent scholarship, plus being on the team. I really wanted to play my first year and not just sit on the side and watch others play.
TC: How did you get involved with golf in the first place?
SG: My dad was watching golf on TV one time, and I started ridiculing the game. I was like, “Oh my God, this is such a boring game, just hitting around the golf ball. I mean, it doesn’t make sense. I mean, anyone can hit a golf ball.” So, my dad was like “Ok, do you want to try a hand at it or something?” I said, “Yeah, sure!” So, he took me to the golf course, and I could not hit the ball as many times as I tried. I never even knew there was a game like golf that existed before that. When I first held a golf club, I was thirteen. He asked if I wanted to join golf, and I said sure, just for fun. But as I got … better, I got more into golf.
TC: How did you feel as a freshman qualifying for a national tournament?
SG: Nationals [were] a very big thing for me and for our school because I was the first one to go to nationals. It was a new experience. Everyone at nationals is as good as you. It was a very healthy competition, very different. It made me feel really important. It was a very exhilarating experience, and it was icing on the cake for my first year. I couldn’t believe that I actually made it to nationals. It was a very humbling experience, and I was ecstatic. It’s an experience I’ll always cherish. It’s like a stepping-stone.
TC: Can you tell me a little about your relationship with your coach, James Earle?
SG: We kind of bonded when we went to nationals. The thing that I like about him the most is that he’s not interfering, he doesn’t mess with your game too much. He gives you your space to work with. If I know how to get a particular outcome, he won’t come in and force things on me.