3's Company in Canada

As several Eastern golfers make their way through the golf course, it's easy to pick out where a few of them hail from. Canadian flags are displayed with pride on golf bags, Canadian socks stick out from golf spikes and Canadian club covers distinguish themselves from the others.

Chelsey Lollar, Marli Mikulecky and Kristina Gargaro are three of the Eastern women's golf team's top contributors. All three have come from up north to play collegiate golf in the United States; a place, they say, where opportunity and competition are more prevalent.

"The best part of playing golf in the United States is getting to travel and meet new people," said Mikulecky, a junior from Osoyoos, British Columbia. "Where I'm from, there are very few competitive tournaments."

Growing up in B.C., Lollar, Mikulecky and Gargaro all knew of each other and even played in several Canadian Junior Golf Association (CJGA) tournaments together. They each said the amount of Canadian female golfers in the junior program is scarce, which is why they know each other so easily.

Along with the lack of female golfers in the region comes the lack of competition as well, they said.

"There are a lot better players here in the States. It allows you to get a better feel for your game because there are more good players to compare yourself to," added Gargaro, a freshman from Port Moody, B.C.

Despite the lack of competition, the three Canadians make up the majority of the traveling golfers on the team. Mikulecky and Gargaro are second and third on the team in scoring average with 76.5 and 76.9 respectively. And with Lollar and Gargaro recently winning Big Sky Conference Golfer of the Week, all three Canadians have earned the honor this year. Gargaro was most recently selected as Golfer of the Week after setting the tournament single-round record with a 69 at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic in Chandler, Ariz.

"It's an ongoing joke between teammates," Lollar, a Rosedale, B.C. native, said of the team's nationalities. "It's sort of a team Canada versus team U.S."

The players said that even Head Coach Marc Hughes gets in on the fun. They even participate in a friendly, Ryder Cup-style match where the Canadians will play against the Americans.

Playing against the Americans on the team has not been the only form of international competition that the three have experienced. All three were invited to play on the Canadian national team, but due to a wrist injury, Mikulecky was unable to compete. Gargaro and Lollar, however, did compete and said it was a memorable experience.

"Traveling over to Scotland and being able to see where golf first started was an awesome experience," said Gargaro. Having three Canadians who played together prior to their careers at Eastern has certainly paid dividends in the success and unity of the team."We all played in the same tournaments when we were younger," said Gargaro. "When I came here, it was a good feeling knowing that there were players that I could relate to. It made it a lot easier; especially me as an incoming freshman."

"It's nice when you have that friendship already because when you put that in a team atmosphere, it makes the other people who didn't know us a lot more comfortable," added Lollar.

Being Canadian in the United States, stereotypes and misconceptions of Canadians often find their way to the players. "I think people should know that we don't say 'eh' all the time," said Mikulecky.

While more opportunity may exist for female golfers in the U.S., there are aspects of home that the players miss.

"I really like playing the courses at home. They are prettier," she added.

Another example, according to Mikulecky, is Molson Canadian beer.

As the season progresses and the end of Lollar's collegiate career approaches, one underlying theme exists: the United States has provided an opportunity for three Canadian golfers to play more competitive golf. But that, by no means, suggests that their love for their home country has faded.

"Playing in the U.S. has provided me the opportunity to play NCAA Division I-caliber golf and the experience of traveling around to different states," said Lollar.

And when asked how the American golfers feel about the three Canadians, Mikulecky responded with a laugh, "I think they're jealous that they're not Canadian."