University of North Carolina Athletics
Q&A With Women's Golfer Sydney Crane
May 6, 2008 | Women's Golf
May 6, 2008
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Junior Sydney Crane, a Jamestown, N.C. native, recently sat down with TarHeelBlue to talk about the women's golf team's bid to the NCAA Regionals in Lincoln, Calif., how the team is preparing and balancing life as a student and an athlete during finals.
TarHeelBlue: Congratulations on your bid to NCAA Regionals! What was your reaction?
Sydney Crane: We pretty much knew we were going to go, we just didn't know where. We're excited we're going to the west coast. We played out there earlier this year. We're really excited.
THB: You all did well in the ACC Tournament, placing fifth. How do you all think you did?
Crane: As a team, we were a little disappointed with our finish. We finished strong the last day [with a 298] so hopefully that will give us a good start in the regionals.
THB: What has the team been doing to prepare and revamp for regionals?
Crane: We're just trying to regroup, get through finals, practice as much as we can. It's always hard during finals. You always want to play golf but you really have to focus on finals, too.
THB: Finals are almost over, though. What do you have left?
Crane: EXSS 101: Foundations of Exercise and Sports Science. I have my exam at 8 a.m. on Tuesday morning and our flight leaves at 7:50 a.m. to Sacramento. I'm not allowed to take it early so I have to take the exam on the plane and fax it in when we land in California.
THB: Are you feeling a lot of pressure to do well on finals and play well?
Crane: Not pressure, just sleep deprived. I've gotten more than I was expecting. The first couple of days I didn't get much but this week I got more sleep. My first exam was on Monday, two Tuesday and one Thursday. So I had a couple days' break.
THB: Well, best of luck with your last final! Once you're finished with that, what expectations do you have for your team's appearance in Sacramento?
Crane: We would love to win it! Our goal is just to play our best and continue on to nationals. They are in New Mexico [Albuquerque].
THB: I noticed that UNC is the only ACC school competing in the West Regional. Does it make you uncomfortable playing such unfamiliar teams?
Crane: We don't just play against ACC schools so it will be just like a normal tournament. We play against Michigan State frequently. We don't know many of the schools out there and we haven't played with them a lot. So we don't know how they play except for how they're ranked. We're just going to go out there and prove that we are supposed to be there.
THB: In order to be invited to Nationals, how must the Lady Tar Heels place in the West Regional?
Crane: There will be 21 schools and we have to finish top 8 to go to Nationals. We went to Nationals last year. We had so much fun last year. We lost senior Katie Miller as she graduated. There are four of us that went to Nationals last year and we want to go back.
THB: What has the team been working on to prepare for a great showing?
Crane: We've been focusing on our short game a lot, especially short putts and bunker shots. We've been struggling a lot with bunker shots and putting is always really important.
THB: What have you personally been working on to improve your game?
Crane: I've been working on my putting a lot. I have a few drills that I do every day to make sure my stroke stays consistent. I put a penny two or three feet in front of my ball and it helps me make sure that I can get my putt started on line. I also put two tees down on either side of my putter so that I can make sure I stroke squarely through the ball and make solid contact. And I've also been working on my swing. For my swing I have two driveway reflectors that I put down five or six inches apart. I put my ball in the middle of them and it helps my alignment and the path of my golf swing.
THB: Do your teammates use the same drills?
Crane: Everyone has their own depending on what they need to work on and what helps them most.
THB: Do you do any drills together?
Crane: We play games to help us. I'll ask one of my teammates if they want to play 21. It's a chipping game point system for the player who gets closest to the hole.
THB: Sounds very competitive. Who do you play with the most?
Crane: Lauren Hunt, she's the other junior. I'd have to say she wins more frequently. It challenges me a lot. Freshman year, I would lose 21-2 or 21-5 but now it's getting a lot better. I win occasionally and the games are much closer.
THB: Do you have any superstitions or rituals that you perform before each tournament?
Crane: I use the same coin to mark my ball. It says, "No cash value." It's a token from an arcade. Somebody gave it to me when I was in high school. I've been using it since 10th or 11th grade. It just worked for a couple tournaments so I just have to have it.
THB: What is the team like when you are not playing golf? What do you do to take your minds off the game and relax?
Crane: We quote a lot of funny YouTube videos. Last year we played Kemps a lot - it's a card game. It seems like all we do at golf tournaments is eat, they feed us a lot. And, also, we visit with other teams because we have a lot of friends on other teams. Just from playing in North Carolina, you just get to know so many girls because we play in the same tournaments and we play with the same schools over and over again. So we get to know each other.
THB: Anything you'd like to share with your supporters following the team on TarHeelBlue?
Crane: Thanks so much for following us. I have friends that facebook me and call me after they see me on TarHeelBlue.com. We just really appreciate all the support.
Junior Sydney Crane came back strong this spring from a wrist injury, and was recently selected to the 2008 All-ACC team. She tied for fifth-place in two tournaments - the SJSU Spartan Invitational and the Bryan National Collegiate. She posted two additional top 25 finishes - a tie for ninth at the ACC Championship and a tie for 21st at the SunTrust Lady Gator Invitational.
The NCAA West Regional will take place May 8th through May 10th. The 54-hole event will be played at Lincoln Hills Golf Club in Lincoln, Calif.
![Images from the first round of the 2026 Gators Invitational on Friday, March 6, 2026 at Mark Bostick Golf Course at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. [Photo by Matt Pendleton Photography for North Carolina Tar Heels Athletics]](https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Func.sidearmsports.com%2Fimages%2F2026%2F3%2F7%2F260306-NCAAWGOLF-UNC-GatorsInvitational-0828-MattPendleton_copy.jpg&height=340&type=webp)
