Feb. 8, 2005

By Meghan Walker, USC Sports Information

Junior Erica Battle would describe her first two years of golf at the University of South Carolina as an evolution. When she arrived at Carolina in the Fall of 2002, Battle looked forward to competing for the number one spot on he team. She envisioned dominating the competition as she had throughout high school.

Erica quickly learned that things were not going to be that easy. For the first time in her career, she began to doubt herself on the golf course. She began to feel a lot of pressure and her game suffered as a consequence. The adversity that Battle faced her freshman year was not a completely new experience for her. Battle’s father, Eddie Battle, died during her freshman year at Irmo High School in 1998. Erica’s father was her first golf coach and she credits him with being her biggest influence, not only in golf, but also in life.

“He got me started in the game and helped me until he passed away six years ago,” Battle said.

Battle realized that she would have to go elsewhere to receive the sort of help that her father had given her in the past. It was at that time that she met her boyfriend Gerald Pressley. Through Gerald, Erica became a much more religious person, she began attending church and Bible Study on a regular basis.

“Before meeting Gerald, I was more focused on Erica and Erica’s golf,” Battle said. “My friends always invited me to church and I never took them up on it.

“My spiritual growth has given me more confidence,” Battle said. “I know that I can play my sport for God. A lot of the pressure has been lifted off.” Battle credits her newly found spirituality with making her a much more relaxed golfer. Battle said that instead of focusing on her last shot, she is able to have peace of mind and focus on how she can improve on the next shot.

The peace of mind that Battle is experiencing has helped her overcome her freshman year challenges to become on of the top 100 collegiate golfers in the nation, according to GolfWeek’s latest ranking. The golf course is not the only place that Battle has excelled, as she has maintained a 3.8 cumulative grade-point average, double majoring in marketing and real estate. Battle considers her freshman year woes to be a positive learning experience. She vows to take golf and life one day at a time. Battle says that she is determined to stay focused on the present. Battle looks forward to the upcoming season. She is confident that she will perform well. She is not worried with whatever trials are ahead, whether they are in life or on the golf course.