Rachel Johnson saw a vision in her conversations with Chicago State women’s golf coach Alyssa Gaudio. And Johnson, a senior at Yorktown, saw a place for herself in Gaudio’s vision for the Cougars’ program. So Johnson signed a letter of intent to play for Chicago State on Monday.
Gaudio is in her second season coaching at Chicago State, and Johnson said she had a sense Gaudio is building a strong program.
The program has no seniors, and Johnson said she got the sense from her conversations with Gaudio that there was a distinct possibility for her to break into the lineup. Chicago State has six current players, two in each of the three non-senior classes, and Johnson said she is one of two members of the 2015 recruiting class.
“That was my basic goal, to play college golf,” Johnson said. “Also, I would want to be on a good team, but I would also want to play, because that’s what I want to do.”
Johnson said she began corresponding with Gaudio in the summer, then attended the Cougars’ home tournament this fall.
Johnson was a member of the Tigers’ 2012 state championship team during her sophomore year, and she also helped the Tigers reach the state tournament during her freshman and junior years.
She finished in a tie for ninth in the individual standings at state as a junior. Johnson finished her senior year at the highly-competitive New Castle Regional. She shot a 78 there, when several players who shot 77 played off for the last spot at state.
She said she plans to study business management at Chicago State, and said she hopes to pursue a career in golf following her time in college, possibly as a playing or teaching professional. She cited the ample opportunities for internships and jobs in Chicago as a positive for the school.
“I’m going to see (where) my college career takes me in golf,” Johnson said. “But if that turns out like I plan it to, win a few tournaments and be successful, I wouldn’t mind trying to get a Tour card. But that’s pretty big shoes to fill. So I don’t know if I want to be a professional golfer or just a pro that teaches golf, and to maybe be a pro at a golf course, rather than playing professionally on TV.”
Contact prep sports reporter Sam Wilson at (765) 213-5807. Follow him on Twitter @SamWilsonTSP.