Jan. 24, 2023

If There’s a Will, There’s a Way! | Veronica Joels

If There’s a Will, There’s a Way! | Veronica Joels

Joels recommends practicing with someone who drives you—whether they’re your parents or guardians or whether they’re your coach. According to the young golfer, you should make sure you work with someone who knows your swing and who “drives you a little bit further and pushes you.” Joels’ father, Douglas Joels, has been a huge influence in her life and golf journey. Joels said she practices best with her father, and obtains more focus and sees more improvements with him, too. 

Joels never let anything get in the way of your sport and your passion for it. For example, she didn’t allow a global pandemic to get in the way of her practicing and playing tournaments. Instead, she took a not-so-great situation and used it to better her game. 

About the Guest:

Veronica Joels

2021-22 (Senior): Saved her best Rebel season for her last ... Earned Mountain West All-Conference Second Team honors for a second straight years ... Played in 11 tournaments totaling 33 rounds - a career high ... Also set career-highs for birdies with 94 and 13 rounds at par or better, which ranked second on the team ... Her 108 career rounds rank 12th all-time in program history, while her 259 birdies rank seventh all-time ... Was one of five Rebels to play in the NCAA Stockton Regional, finishing as the highest Rebels on the leaderboard in a tie for 25th after a final round of 3-under 68 ... Won her first collegiate tournament after taking medalist honors at The Clash at Boulder Creek in October, shooting a 70-69-72 211 to finish at 5-under, the lowest tournament score of her career ... Also recorded the lowest single-round score of career a 5-under 67 in the first round of the Mountain View Collegiate ... Had four total top-13 finishes (1st at The Clash, T13th at The Show, T13th at Trinity Forest, T12th at Mountain West Championship) ... Sank a career-high 15 birdies at the Mountain View Invitational and had 10 or more birdies in four different events.

2020-21 (Junior): Earned Mountain West All-Conference Second Team … Played in eight tournaments totaling 24 rounds … Tied the team’s best rounds at par or better with eight … Finished with a scoring average of 74.33 … Sank 59 birdies which was second best on the team … Finished the season with three straight top 20 finishes, including a season-best tie for seventh place at Mountain West Championship … Carded her best single-round score of 3-under 69 twice – First time was in the third round of the Silverado Showdown, second time was in the opening round of the Mountain West Championship … Top score came at Dick McGuire/Branch Law Firm invite, where she carded a 3-over 219 to tie for 18th … One of three rebels to play all 24 rounds in the season.

2019-20 (Sophomore): Played in 21 rounds in seven tournaments before season was cut short due to Covid-19 Pandemic in March 2020 ... In seven tournaments sanke 53 birdies ... Recorded a career-best 74.23 scoring average and four rounds at par or better ... Tallied pair of top-20 finishes, tied for 11th at Betsy Rawls in October and tied for 20th at Wildcat Invitational in March to end the season ... Her even score at Betsy Rawls was a career-best for 54 holes ... Tied for third at Battle at Boulder Creek for her best leaderboard finish of the year ... Twice recorded season-low single round score of 70, first was second round at the Betsy Rawls Invite and second was the third round of the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown in October ... Earned a second straight WGCA All-American Scholar honor.

2018-19 (Freshman): In first collegiate season, played in 10 tournaments totaling 30 rounds ... Tallied a 76.9 scoring average, 53 birdies and five rounds at par or better ... Best single round score of 3-under 69 came in round two of the Battle at Boulder Creek ... Twice recorded a season-best 54-hole score of 3-over 219 in New Mexico in the fall and at the Mountain View Invitational in the spring ... Three top-25 finishes, including best finish of third place (5-over 221) at the Battle at Boulder Creek ... Finished tied for 23rd (+3 219) in New Mexico and tied for 25th (+20 236) at the Mountain West Championships ... Earned WGCA All-American Scholar award.

HIGH SCHOOL: Won over 120 junior golf titles during her prep career which included many local, regional, national and world championships ... Most recently won the 2018 2A Nevada Boys High School State Golf Championship ... Won the 2018 Women's Nevada State Amateur Championship ... Took first in the 2017 AJGA ASU Karsten Championship ... Took first in the 2016 IJGA World Championship ... Won the 2016 SCPGA Toyota Tour Cup College Showcase ... Prep career schedule included 30 AJGA events, several invitationals including the Rolex, Polo, Yani Tseng, Shanshan Feng, Stacey Lewis and the AJGA Girls Championship ... Annually played the Arizona Silverbelle, IJGA World Championship, Doral-Publix Orange Bowl, and the Teen World Championship.  


PERSONAL: Veronica Lauren Joels was born in Troy Michigan ... Joels is the daughter of Douglas and Michala Joels ... Father played hockey for Dayton Flyers ... Joels volunteers as a coach at junior golf clinics at TPC Summerlin.


 

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