Whirling through the air, the ball plummeted from the sky behind the waving red flag-only to be captured by a tin cup.
It was the moment every golfer dreams of- a hole-in-one.
Abby More shot her only hole-in-one two years ago, one day before her 20th birthday, while she was practicing with The University of Memphis women’s golf team.
“She went nuts,” said Jennifer Jasek, More’s roommate and teammate. “The entire city of Memphis heard her yelling.”
Now a senior who will graduate a semester early, More is golfing her way through her final year at The U of M.
Women’s golf coach Sheryl Maize said More contributes much to the team.
“She is outgoing, talkative, friendly and a great ambassador for The U of M,” Maize said. “Being from England she brings a unique vocabulary that we all enjoy.”
Jumpers and trainers, which are more commonly referred to as sweatshirts and tennis shoes in the States, are part of More’s British vocabulary.
More’s contributions to the golf team are easily understood by her teammates even if her language isn’t. Jasek said More does all in her ability to chip in.
“Abby plays with a lot of heart and doesn’t let anything get her down,” Jasek said. “She gives 100 percent with everything, as she does not give out but grinds it out.”
Expectations are high for the team, which began the season ranked 36th in the nation.
The Tigers have already placed first in the Memphis Women’s Intercollegiate Challenge at North Creek golf course, where More tied for ninth place.
“We should win our conference and get to nationals this year,” More said. “We missed nationals by four strokes last year, and we have the talent this year to do it.”
Of the 25.4 million golfers in the United States, 25 percent are women, according to the National Golf Foundation. Four years ago women accounted for 21.8 percent, according to the Women’s Golf Association.
“The increased interest in women’s golf can only be good,” More said. “It helps gain more publicity for the game, as well as increased funds for both the LPGA and the European women’s tours.”
While the reasons for women’s joining the sport vary, More’s golf pursuit began as a way for her to spend time with her father.
More’s parents divorced when she was five. After the divorce, More said she and her older sister visited her father every other weekend. When with her dad, More joined him on the golf course so that he would not have to give up the game he loved.
“It turned out that I was good at it,” More said. “Watching me play is one of the things that has given my dad more pleasure than anything else.”
As a teenager, More’s golf career drove forward as she won the Individual Junior County Championship in 1998 with St. Mary’s Covenant School. The victory took her to the national finals.
“My proudest moment was seeing her play in the county finals when she was only a junior,” said Ben More, Abby’s father. “She performed like an old pro.”
More’s life would soon take on a new swing when she decided to attend an American university on a golf scholarship.
“My wife and I visited three universities in the States, and Memphis was the best,” Ben More said.
Abby’s father and his wife liked the no-nonsense approach on and off the course of former coach Debby King.
Today, More, a public relations major, maintains a 3.75 GPA and practices golf 20 hours each week. She also participates in 10 tournaments per year.
“She balances life, being a student and an athlete extremely well,” Maize said. “Too bad every team doesn’t have an ‘Abby.’”
More said she wants to stay involved in golf after graduation, but in a different way. She hopes to work in media relations for LPGA rather than golfing professionally.
“I love the social aspect of the sport,” More said. “I have already met so many people from all over the world.”
Memphis comprises golfers from Norway, Sweden, Canada, Vermont, Las Vegas and England.
But More said she misses her family and the fish n’ chip shops and her family misses her charismatic personality.
“We miss her constant chatter, her ability to make us laugh and her expert opinion on every subject,” her father said. “But we admire what she has achieved and know that greater things await her.”
