University of Tennessee Athletics
LADY VOL GOLF PROFILES: HOLLY CANTWELL
November 17, 2003 | Women's Golf
Nov. 17, 2003
Tennessee has a rich tradition of golfers hailing from the Volunteer state. 20 percent of the student-athletes on the program's all-time roster list Tennessee as their home state, while nearly a third of the Lady Vols' American-born players are homegrown products. The latest addition to the tradition is freshman and Morristown native Holly Cantwell.
Cantwell joined the Lady Vols after a distinguished career at Morristown West High School where she earned All-American status as a senior to go with her team and individual state championships. On top of it all, she was honored to accept a scholarship offer from the school she had admired all of her life.
"It means a lot because I have grown up being a Tennessee fan," Cantwell said. "I never really thought I'd be here, knowing the tradition that this school has. It is very important to me to play here as a local player."
Adding to the local connection was the Lady Vols' fall schedule. Just weeks into her first season at Tennessee, Cantwell got the opportunity to play in front of a home crowd at the Mercedes-Benz Women's Collegiate Championships.
"I was so excited," Cantwell said. "Two weeks before the tournament I started getting excited about it. All of my family and friends were able to come and watch."
Feeding off of the hometown excitement, Cantwell's team-low 75 in the third round led a Lady Volunteer charge on the tournament's final day against a field of collegiate golf's elite.
Not only was the Mercedes-Benz a chance to play at home, it was also an opportunity to fulfill the dreams of a young golfer.
"I can remember as a little girl coming and watching the Mercedes-Benz, I never thought I'd be playing in it one day."
Knowing the tradition of the program and its past history is merely a part of the pressures on the freshman. As one of only two Tennesseans on the current Lady Vol roster, Cantwell's teammates were eager to gain her insights on the area. At the very least, the melting pot of golfers from around the world just wanted to hear her talk.
"The first day I was on campus, the rest of the team just wanted to hear me talk so they could make fun of my accent," Cantwell said. "I told them 'I am from East Tennessee, I am supposed to talk like this.'"
Competing with golfers from all over the globe, Cantwell has had an opportunity to spread the East Tennessee accent to players from many different backgrounds. Meeting the other players in her group is one of the tricks Cantwell uses to focus on her game.
"I'm a talker on the course," she said. "I love to talk to the other players and they probably just want me to shut up, but I still love to talk. The more fun I have, the better I play, and then the more I talk.
One of those people she met on the course went on to become her teammate at Tennessee. Lady Vol junior team captain Jessica Shepley met Cantwell on the course and introduced her to an interesting snack that has become somewhat of a team tradition.
"A couple of years ago, I played for a Tennessee team at a junior tournament in Canada," Cantwell said. "Jessica was on Canada's team. She told me that I had to try the ketchup-flavored chips. Now when her dad comes down, he brings us all ketchup potato chips."
Despite the influences of competing all over the country, Cantwell chose to stay here in East Tennessee. Playing the sport she loves in her home state has quelled any doubts she had about playing collegiate golf elsewhere.
"I love this area," Cantwell said. "The more I'm here, the more I want to stay here."
