INNISFAIL – Bradie Ouellette-Pillman knows what it takes to be the best.
Her hard work and dedication to golf put her at the top this year.
The 19-year-old Innisfail golfer and Red Deer College student recently won the 2018 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Women’s Golf National Championships in Medicine Hat from Oct. 14 to 19.
“It definitely hasn’t come easy. In the past couple of years I’ve just been trying to work harder at it,” said Ouellette-Pillman, “I struggled quite a bit last year with it but I got a lot of help from my coaches at Red Deer College and also from Jim Boomer and Chris Herkel (assistant pro) at the Innisfail Golf Club. They helped me out a lot too,” she added.
Ouellette-Pillman and her teammates, Chloe Sies and Shaye Leidenius, won at regionals earlier this year, then finished in second place at the provincial championships in Red Deer in September. That qualified them to compete at nationals, against some of the top female golfers in Canada.
“We had two practice runs so it was six straight days of golf,” said Ouellette-Pillman of her first national golf tournament. “I never thought I’d be able to accomplish (competing) at a national championship.
“It feels so good when you play good,” she added.
The Innisfail teen began playing golf at the age of seven and grew up with the sport. She currently works at the Innisfail Golf Club, and was a member of the Innisfail High School golf team for several years.
She just wrapped up her second year with the Red Deer College golf team.
In addition, Ouellette-Pillman won the Innisfail Golf Club’s Women's Club Championship this year as well.
She credits her college coaches Scott Bergdahl and Jeff Wilmer, along with her time and dedication to the sport for her success in golf this year.
“It was definitely a shorter season so that made it a bit difficult, but I have a really big passion for golf so I spent every waking moment at the golf club this past year,” said Ouellette-Pillman.
