Rosewood's Burton signs NLI to play golf at University of Mount Olive

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on November 18, 2015 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

Each time she pulled out her golf clubs and headed to the Lane Tree Golf Club pro shop, Lindsey Burton looked toward either the practice green or driving range and saw the University of Mount Olive women's team getting prepared for practice.

Burton would engage Trojan head coach Chip Spiron in "small talk."

Spiron would head toward his team, while Burton began her regimen to tackle 18 holes for another afternoon.

Next season, Burton will return once again to Lane Tree to practice -- this time as a member of the Trojan women's golf team. The Rosewood High senior signed a national letter-of-intent with UMO on Tuesday morning.

"We just talk about if I want to play in college, but we really can't talk too much," Burton said. "I just say 'hey.' I think he's really nice and friendly, and I think I'll be able to learn a lot from him. I'm excited about it because I like competitiveness and I really like to be challenged, so I feel like he'll push me to be better.

"I have to practice a lot more so I challenge myself and challenge the other girls, too, because I know they are really good."

Burton is already in that category.

She claimed the N.C. High School Athletic Association Classes 1-A/2-A eastern regional individual crown -- at LTGC -- a little more than a month ago. She shared fifth place in the season-ending, two-day state championship tournament the following week.

Nearly two months earlier, Burton emerged as the women's club champion at -- you guessed it -- Lane Tree.

"It's going to be a great opportunity for her to travel to a lot of the courses that she probably wouldn't get to go to at some of the other schools," Rosewood head coach Shay Campbell said. "With the international students they have at Mount Olive, it's going to be a good fit for her to grow as a player as well as a student."

Burton's best asset throughout her prep career has been her mentality. She always finds a way to overcome a bad shot, which has -- in turn -- helped develop her course management.

Compared to last season, Burton set herself up with better shots this past fall and didn't leave herself in too many bad spots. A good, solid hitter off the tee box, she was more selective with her club choice on the fairways and greens.

But there is room for improvement.

"I need to make some changes to my golf swing ... just try to improve so I can be the best I can be," said Burton, who won the Wayne County Junior Amateur female titles in 2003 and 2005, and is a four-time regional and state qualifier.

"I think it will be fine since I have been practicing course management and when I go (to tournaments), it shouldn't be a problem. I know it's a longer distance, but it's the same, you just have to play smart."

Burton, who plans to pursue a degree in business, also has to adjust to playing a short fall season and then a longer spring season.

UMO placed fifth in the 2015 Conference Carolinas tournament after three consecutive runner-up efforts from 2012-14. The program has produced just two conference players-of-the-year -- Virginia Lane and Valentina Urquiola -- during its 13-year existence.