Success is not always linear. Just ask redshirt sophomore Patience Rhodes, who is off to a roaring start to the new season with three top-10 finishes in three consecutive tournaments.
Rhodes' play has led ASU women's golf to top-five finishes in all three tournaments this season including fourth place at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate, fifth at the Mason Rudolph Championship and first at the Windy City Collegiate Classic. She led ASU in all three tournaments and finished sixth, and then fifth in the next two tournaments.
Last year, Rhodes only had one top-10 finish all season. Rhodes said the difference this year has been her irons and her mentality. She is trying to take the pressure off herself by thinking more about the process rather than the outcome.
Rhodes also helped Great Britain and Ireland win the Curtis Cup last month while furthering personal growth.
"After playing the Curtis Cup, which is a huge deal, I feel like now playing in college tournaments I've calmed down a bit because I was quite nervous my first year," Rhodes said.
Rhodes picked up a point during the Sunday singles event in the Curtis Cup and she carried that momentum into the collegiate season.
"Being part of the Curtis Cup team I think was huge and she had a big part in their win," head coach Missy Farr-Kaye said. "I think it's just her confidence and belief are kind of catching up with her abilities, which is a wonderful thing."
READ MORE: Meet the golfer: How Patience Rhodes' resilience paved her return from injury
Rhodes' success stems from the troubles she experienced during her freshman year. Multiple injuries forced her to redshirt but that did not discourage Rhodes, it motivated her to get better.
"My first year was a big struggle because I got injured three times, it was both my wrists and my back and it was a really rough journey," Rhodes said. "It was really lonely because everyone was traveling. I learned a lot about myself and I realized 'Okay now you really need to start pushing.'"
Despite the challenges and setbacks she faced, Rhodes found ways to get better with help from her coaches and teammates.
"Practicing with each other, competing one-on-one, doing chipping contests — I feel like that really helps us and it drives us to be better people and better players," Rhodes said.
Rhodes also said competition-style practices and working with her teammates has created a strong bond. The team's tight-knit nature has made it easier for Rhodes to play better and feel free on the golf course.
"Her game's gotten a lot better over the years, but I would say her as a person has probably grown the most," senior Grace Summerhayes said. "I feel like she's matured a lot in many ways, and I actually live with her this year. So to kind of see that growth has been really cool."
The fruits of Rhodes' labor are now showing in the consistency of her play. Her three top-10 finishes this season helped rank her 58th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. Now, the challenge is maintaining that consistency throughout the season.
"She started off so strong that she'll probably have a bump in the road and have a bad week and that's normal because I keep telling (the team) they're human beings, they're not robots," Farr-Kaye said. "So how she handles the bumps in the road going forward will be really imperative to how prepared she is to play on tour."
Edited by Jack Barron, Abigail Beck and Madeline Schmitke.
Reach the reporter at jmjanes1@asu.edu and follow @JackJanes_ on X.
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Jack is a masters student studying sports journalism. This is his first semester with The State Press. He has also worked at Walter Cronkite Sports Network and The Sporting Tribune.
