Libby and Taryn practicing at Desert Blume Golf Course

By Lisa Parent

Rattlers golfers secure spots at National Championships in Quebec City

Oct 5, 2023 | 1:55 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Rattlers Golf has one of the shortest ACAC seasons out there, at only a couple months long. However, that means we’re already seeing results of how those golfers have been doing. Three Rattlers golfers have qualified for the National Championships hosted in Quebec City.

On the women’s side, Libby Bourassa was named to the women’s All-Conference team after placing top three in all golf events this season. To qualify for Nationals in Quebec, Bourassa had to place top six at Conference Championships (provincials) in Red Deer, but actually notched a few higher than that at second place.

“I really tried not to look at the big picture. I was just like, ‘take whatever shot you have in front of you, just one shot at a time,’” says Bourassa, about her mindset at Conference Championships.

However, what really exemplified Bourassa’s skills was not where she placed, but how quickly she got there.

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“So funny story, I didn’t actually start playing until last August,” explains Bourassa. “My first year at the college, my mom’s like, ‘well, maybe you should start golfing.’ And I’m like, ‘well, might as well try it out,’ and then I was just hooked ever since.”

Now, Bourassa will head to Nationals for her second year in a row and her mom and dad will be there cheering her on.

“They actually booked their tickets before I actually qualified.” Bourassa says, laughing.

Bourassa’s teammate Taryn Sanderson will be at Nationals too. Sanderson was named the ACAC Female Golf Rookie of the year, finishing top six at every event this season.

“I didn’t play as great as I wanted to in the last three tournaments, but I played super consistent and I’ve been working really hard on like developing my short game to make my game better for Nationals,” Sanderson mentions.

Head coach Dillon Batsel emphasizes that the practice sessions leading up to Quebec will prioritize chipping and putting. However, Batsel aims to keep things straightforward, especially given that it’s Sanderson’s first appearance at Nationals.

“It’s no different than any other tournament that they would play in,” Batsel says. “There might be an opening ceremony, there might be more people there, players might be better, but at the end of the day it’s just a golf tournament. We’ll try to keep it at that.”

Both Sanderson and Bourassa hope to use Nationals as a learning opportunity.

“I’m looking forward to just going out, having fun, seeing a new place, a new course and seeing how well that I can perform individually,” says Sanderson.

Bourassa adds, “I’m just kind of there for the experience and just excited to try something new. I’ve never been to Quebec City, so it’s just a new place and a fun adventure.”

Bourassa and Sanderson will compete both individually, and on ACAC teams #1 and #2. They head to Quebec City in about ten days, along with Michael Valk on the men’s side. Valk also won ACAC athlete of the week this week.