Like every other sport, golf requires attention to detail.
It needs a steady hand and an eagle eye. It demands consistency but also the ability to adapt.
Not an easy sport to master and one that takes constant practice. You would think.
An athlete like Sarah Kerbrat pays attention to all of those skills but there are times when it’s just not possible to get out on the links and play. Obviously she’s worked on those skills over the course of time. Just not in the last few months.
Kerbrat, at home from the veterinarian school she is attending in New Zealand, is a busy young woman. Currently she is doing a practicum at the Babine Animal Hospital as part of her fifth year requirements at the Massey College of the University of New Zealand.
Students can set up some of their practical weeks and Kerbrat combined that with some vacation time.
She started golfing while a youngster here and in the past has enjoyed attending tournaments with family members and friends. When the opportunity rose to attend the Prince Rupert Ladies Jubilee with her mother, she just wanted to take the chance to play for a bit and had no special goals in mind.
“I hadn’t played for about four months. I got really busy with things like exams,” she said.
Kerbrat went to the practice round to try to get used to the clubs she had borrowed from her sister and to figure out distances. The next day, she hit one of the lowest scores she had ever achieved.
She walked away as the winner of the contest.
Before heading to New Zealand, she studied biology at the University of Victoria. When considering options for veterinary study, the idea of going to Massey College arose and she applied and after some additional study, was accepted. There are around 20 international students out of her class of over 100.
She said that one of the most difficult things she had to deal with is the difference in seasons. They are at different times of the year compared to Canada so she had to double check on occasion when answering questions.
Kerbrat is enjoying her practical work at the Babine Hospital. One day last week she was able to do some work with bears.
“They need a vet there to sedate them so they can be tattooed. They tattoo them on the inside of the lip,” she said.
She says that she plays golf in New Zealand when she has time.
“It’s been really good there. You can play year-round but it gets really wet in the winter,” she said.
She says that while she played when she was younger, she did not play much in high school and only returned to the game several years ago when she was home and had a chance to play in the celebrity golf tournament.
While at University of Victoria, she said she would often work until the afternoon and then golf several times a week on a recreational basis.
“I decided to go to Prince Rupert because I really like playing in the tournaments. My mom and I go around to a lot of the ladies tournaments because we are partners,” she said.
Her advice to youngsters who are starting to play golf is to practise and have fun without putting too much pressure on themselves.
After graduation, she says she is planning to move back to Canada and try to find a job in BC.
And continue to play golf.
