By Todd Lindenmuth

Longwood University

A focus on self-improvement and finishing her collegiate career strong have gone a long way for Courtney Tolton of the Longwood University women’s golf team.

Tolton has elevated herself among Longwood’s all-time greats with a fantastic finish in the 2015-16 season that has carried through the fall of her final year in Farmville.

A product of Mitchell, Ontario, Tolton vaulted herself atop the Longwood lineup in the late portion of last spring, enjoying one of the best stretches in the history of the program.

That run began Oct. 20, 2015, when she surged to a 15th-place finish at the Terrier Intercollegiate, and it blossomed into a historic stretch that included two wins, four top-10 finishes and six top-25 performances over her next nine events. She has since climbed into sixth place on Longwood’s all-time list with a 77.67 scoring average, lofty company for a storied program that boasts three NGCA national championships and nearly two dozen All-Americans.

But while Tolton’s transition from productive to dominant happened as suddenly as the flick of a light switch, her evolution is a case study in focus and mental toughness. Both of her collegiate wins have been in come-from-behind fashion. She was able to erase a 5-shot deficit in the final round in her first career victory at last season’s Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate, before coming from behind again in Longwood’s second event this season with her second win in a span of four events at the Tignanelli Towson Invitational.

Tolton explains the most difficult part of winning a collegiate golf tournament is the fact that players don’t know how others on the golf course are playing until after the round.

“I personally don’t like to know how other people are doing, even within my team,” Tolton said. “There is no need to really worry about how other people are doing, because you can only control what you do. I just try to remain focused on myself.”

The win at Mimosa helped boost Tolton’s confidence and push her game to a new level. After that win, Tolton finished inside the top-20 in four of her next five events and posted a round of even-par or better in three of those tournaments.

According to Tolton, her biggest improvement during the stretch was in keeping a positive frame of mind on the course, as she credits her teammates for helping her with the mental side.

”The positive attitude on our team is definitely a huge help,” Tolton said. “We’re definitely enjoying our tournaments but staying positive throughout the round and knowing there are other opportunities out there if you lose a shot. You can still come back for that if you stay positive.”

Earlier this season, in the final round of the season-opening CSU Invitational, Tolton carded her first-ever competitive round in the 60s, posting a three-under par 69 to claim a spot inside the top-20. One week later, the senior followed that performance with her second career win in front of her parents at the Tignanelli Towson Invitational.

“Both were special for me,” Tolton said. “My round in the 60s was probably more special, because I had never done that before. I was hoping to get that under my belt. At the same time, it was nice to get a win with my parents with me.”

After rattling off three top-25 finishes throughout her final fall season, the senior remains focused to finish her career strong, as she looks to secure her spot among the all-time Longwood greats.