Golfer Lucy Owen back for fundraising tournament at Waipawa Golf Club

Lucy Owen and the ball with which she scored her hole-in-one at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She is back in CHB and will host her annual fundraising event on Monday. Photo / Warren Buckland

United States-based golfer Lucy Owen returned home to Central Hawke's Bay last week jet-lagged, but still buoyant after ticking off a major milestone in any golfer's life - that elusive hole-in-one.

After completing the third year of her golfing scholarship at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the 22-year-old returned home last Wednesday for her end-of-academic-year break, during which time she will host the fourth annual Lucy Owen Fundraising Golf Tournament at her home course at Waipawa Golf Club this Monday, June 4.

Owen had to battle injury as well as the death of her beloved grandfather, Monty, during her second year playing US college golf, but was pleased to report her third year had gone a lot better.

"I had a lot better results on course this year. I had two top-20 finishes the semester just been, I made a hole-in-one, my first ever, and I had my best tournament round, a one-under in Tampa - the same tournament I hit my hole-in-one," said Owen, who scored six birdies in her round, but admitted she scored her ace in the practice round.

"So it didn't really count for anything. But it was still pretty cool."

Although her individual results were pleasing, Lucy said collectively, she and her university teammates struggled in their National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Level 1 Sun Belt conference.

"We didn't do very well overall as a team this year. I think we came second-last but we had a girl quit in the fall so we got pushed back to only five players, and you can't travel to tournaments with fewer than five players. So there was a lot of pressure on us."

Off the course, Owen had a successful year, selected as president of her university's Student Athlete Advisory Committee, as well as being selected as a Sun Belt Ambassador, all while maintaining her grades.

"My cumulative grade point average for the whole three years I've been at Little Rock is 3.57, which is still above average."

She has just one more year of study and is set to graduate next May with a major in psychology and a minor in health and exercise science.

"I hope to go and do my masters in sports psychology afterwards. But where, I have no idea."

Which means that her US$23,000 ($32,448) scholarship, which covers her tuition costs, has only one year left to run. That makes her fundraising tournament next week on the Monday of Queen's Birthday weekend that much more important.

Due to visa restrictions, she cannot work in the US and has to raise $12,000 for her travel, accommodation and living expenses for the year ahead before she returns in August.

• Entry to the tournament, which tees off at 9am, is $30 and includes dinner. There are spot prizes and raffles, with two rounds of golf at Cape Kidnappers to be won. To sponsor a hole or play phone 027 360 4406 or (06) 858 8248.