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cavalier sports 6 CAVALIER CORNER five questions with Fourth-Year Golfer Beth Lillie Lillie is a two-time All-ACC selection and has nine career top-10 finishes. PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA F ourth-year women's golfer Beth Lillie earned All-ACC accolades each of her first two years on Grounds and has compiled nine career top-10 finishes. She and her teammates had their 2019-20 campaign cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. She discussed with Cavalier Corner how the pandemic has impacted her game, her decision to take advantage of the extra year of eligibility offered by the NCAA and more. Cavalier Corner: How did COVID-19 impact your golf game? Lillie: "The first few months of the pandemic, California was on lock- down and all the golf courses around me were shut down. For two months, all I could do was hit into a net that my dad put up in our yard. "By the time my home course opened up for play in May, I was so ready to get out on an actual course. I played 18 holes nearly every day and never went to the driving range because it was closed. As a result, I changed my whole approach to practicing — play as much as possible and avoid the range. "For the rest of the summer, I did this and felt so freed up on the golf course. Even with ranges open now, I try to spend most of my time playing golf and creating shots, trying to replicate scenarios that I face in a tournament." Cavalier Corner: You've been accepted to graduate school at UVA and will return for an extra year of eligibility. What will you pursue? Lillie: "I was accepted into the Curry Graduate School of Education and Human Development, and will be getting my master's degree in student affairs practice in higher education. The higher ed program is accelerated [one year and a summer], making it possible for me to finish golf and academics next May. "I was interested in the program because it centers around educating future college administrators, professors and coaches. Knowing the lasting impact my professors, coaches and advisors have had on me here at UVA, I am eager to learn more about higher education so someday I can help others in the same influential way." Cavalier Corner: What are your thoughts on the newly redesigned Birdwood Golf Course? Lillie: "I love the new Birdwood design and it's definitely my favorite course in the Charlottesville area. Having played old Birdwood my first and second years, it amazes me how the same land could be transformed into such a different track. "My favorite hole is the par-5 12th. It's one of the most scenic holes being on top of a hill and is a perfect risk-reward hole." Cavalier Corner: What has been your most memorable UVA golf moment? Lillie: "It was when our team won the IJGA Collegiate Invitational, a tournament that we hosted in Guadalajara, Mexico. It was so fun to host a tournament and play against 14 of the best teams in the country. "We came from behind on the last day, making up nine shots with just nine holes to play to beat LSU by two. It was such a team effort that week, and everyone played with a lot of energy and competitiveness." Cavalier Corner: What has been your most memorable UVA moment away from golf? Lillie: "It was watching the basketball team win the national champion- ship my second year. We were at a tournament in Clemson, but were stay- ing at a host house that had an in-house movie theater where we watched the game in recliner seats on a giant screen. "I've never been more nervous or yelled louder in my entire life than watching that game." — Jim Daves