Do you ever wonder what’s inside the head of a Division 1 Athlete?
Good news for you, now you don’t have to!
This weeks alumni spotlight, Kristen Gillman comes to us from Austin, Texas. Most of us are familiar with the name as she has had an outstanding athletic career throughout high school and college. It’s going to take us a while to go through all of her achievements!
During her time on the TJGT she competed in 12 tournaments. Out of those 12 tournaments she won 5 of them and finished runner-up in 2. Her 5 tournament victories came at the Traditions Fall Invitational, Greyrock Championship, 4A Region III Shootout, Holiday Classic at Barton Creek, and the Thanksgiving Junior Classic at Horseshoe Bay!
Prior to her collegiate career at Alabama she competed in four professional events while still in high school. She was a member of 3 state-championship teams at Lake Travis and was also the 6A State Individual Champion as a senior in 2016. And she also won the U.S. Women’s Amateur as a 16-year-old in 2014, defeating the No. 2, 4, 7, and 10-ranked amateurs in match play to win the title.
Here’s a look at Gillman’s Collegiate bests:
- UA Debut: 2016 Mason Rudolph Championship
- Low 18: 64- 2017 Schooner Fall Classic (3rd)
- Low 18 vs. Par: -7 – 2017 Schooner Fall Classic (3rd)
- Low 54: 200 – 2017 Schooner Fall Classic
- Low 54 vs. Par: -13 – 2017 Schooner Fall Classic
- Career Rounds Par or Lower: 52 (70 rounds played)
- Career Rounds in 60s: 21 (70 rounds played)
- Victories: 2, last 2017 Schooner Fall Classic
- Career Top-Five Finishes: 7, last 2017 Landfall Tradition
- Tournaments Under Par: 16, last 2018 Schooner Fall Classic
Here’s a few more of her collegiate accolades at Alabama:
- School record holder, season rounds par or better (22)
- U.S. Women’s Amateur champion (2018)
- United States World Team Amateur Championships Team (2018)
- United States Curtis Cup Team (2018)
- United States Palmer Cup Team (2018)
- First Team WGCA All-American (2017-18)
- First Team All-SEC (2017-18)
- First Team WGCA All-American (2016-17)
- First Team Golfweek All-American (2016-17)
- SEC Freshman of the Year (2016-17)
- First Team All-SEC (2016-17)
- SEC All-Freshman Team (2016-17)
- CoSIDA Academic All-American (2018)
- WGCA All-America Scholar (2017, 2018)
- SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll (2018)
- SEC First Year Academic Honor Roll (2016-17)
Here’s a little more about Kristen:
Name: Kristen Gillman
Age: 21
Hometown: Austin, Texas
High School: Lake Travis, Class of 2016
College: University of Alabama
Favorite Golf Course: Sage Valley (Graniteville, SC)
Favorite Golfer: Annika Sorenstam
Biggest Golf Accomplishment:
Winning the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2014 & 2018; becoming the 6th person in history to win it more than one time.
What part of your game are you always working on?
“Putting! I feel that you can always improve your putting!
What advice would you give to junior golfers?
“Just enjoy every moment. It goes by quickly and just enjoy all the good and bad moments. Use the bad moments as motivation to become a better player.
What’s your favorite TJGT memory?
“My favorite TJGT memory was playing in the Red River Challenge because it was one of the first bigger TJGT’s I was able to play. And I love team tournaments!”