Tauranga golfer Caitlin Maurice is living every golfer’s dream, studying and playing at the University of St Andrews in Scotland while preparing for a homecoming that could change her career.

The Bay of Plenty product, who grew up playing at Omokoroa Golf Club, is now hitting practice balls with views of the iconic 18th hole of the Old Course and the famous Old Course Hotel.

But her focus is firmly on February’s Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship at Royal Wellington Golf Club, where a strong performance could open doors to major championships around the world.

“It’s always special to represent your home country, and to have the tournament back home is very cool to be a part of,” Maurice said.

“I’m super excited to play against some of the best girls in the world.”

The stakes couldn’t be higher. The winner earns starts in major championships including the AIG Women’s Open and an invitation to Augusta National.

“It’s every golfer’s dream,” Maurice said.

“It’s a really massive reward for some amazing golf.”

After completing four years at Sacramento State University in the United States, Maurice chose St Andrews for her master’s degree, drawn by the home of golf and the opportunity to travel around Europe competing on the student tour series.

Caitlin Maurice is working closely with her coach to prepare for championships including the AIG Women’s Open and an invitation to Augusta National. Photo / Supplied

She’s played tournaments in Ireland, Sweden, and has upcoming events in Portugal and Spain.

“St Andrews is a very special place,” she said.

“Being a student here is very cool. It’s such a beautiful, cute town with an amazing student vibe.”

The transition from New Zealand’s parkland courses to Scottish links golf has been challenging but rewarding.

“Golf is all links here. We only have a couple of links courses back home, so it’s not very common,” she explained.

Maurice is working closely with her coach to prepare for the championship, focusing on her statistics and developing a practice plan. She’ll return home for six weeks over the New Zealand summer to train in competition conditions and spend time with family.

“It’ll be really nice to have all my family fly down and spend the week with me, walk around the golf course,” she said.

“They haven’t been able to do it as much while I’ve been playing in the US and Europe.”

With final exams complete, Maurice will fly home just before Christmas to spend time with family and begin her preparation in earnest, combining technical work with simulating tournament conditions as she chases her major championship dreams.

Tauranga golfer Caitlin Maurice is studying and playing at Scotland. Photo / Supplied

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