Don’t you like people who go that extra step in their jobs? Jeff Darby, Senior Associate Athletic Director/Communications and University Relations at UTEP, has one of the most difficult jobs at the school what with keeping up with all the sports, but he always gives a little extra. Like calling former UTEP golf sensation Gerina Mendoza Spiller for a question and answer article. Gerina not only won a Conference USA championship but has earned more than $1 million on the LPGA Tour and made the putt that won the Solheim Cup for the United States last month. She spoke of that winning putt.
I asked Jeff if I could use his article. He said yes .I cut some of it to fit this space. If you’d like to read it in total, go to utepathletics.com.
You probably improved as much as any player in the history of UTEP golf from your freshman year to your final college tournament. What was the key? I was pretty new to the game [when I got to UTEP], so I had lots to learn. I just picked coach’s brain because he had so much information.
What is the biggest difference between the college and pro game? By the time you’re a senior in college, you’re like a big fish in a small pond and when you go to the Futures Tour you’re a small fish in a big pond.
What were the biggest things that you realized you needed to improve on to qualify for the tour? I think the big thing was developing consistency and really figuring out what was best for my game.
What has been the highlight of your pro career to this point? Well, it just happened at Solheim, making the (9-foot) putt on the last hole to basically keep our hopes and dreams alive. I’ve always been very patriotic and I love my country.
Take us through the experience at the Solheim Cup in Germany, making that putt. I had been playing well all week and I had been putting well. I just had an errant iron shot on 17, kind of a similar putt, and I missed it for bogey. (On 18) I left my iron shot a little right and tipped it up there. Getting the full point on Sunday in singles is huge. And so for me, that was my goal starting the day. Just take care of business, get your point and that’s all you can control. I glanced at the video board and saw 13 and a half. And I was like, `Oh my gosh.’ Clearly I’m a math major and I know that they need half a point, and this is for half a point. This is kind of what you prepare for [in practice]. Before you go home, you say `I’m just going to get one last putt. This is a putt to win the U.S. Open or to win the Solheim Cup.’ As much as you can practice for it or prepare for it, I don’t think it’s ever the same. But you have put yourself in those situations (in practice). I really just tried to go back to my routine and focus on the process and not the results. I read it and looked over it, and the only thing you can do is make a good stroke. `How good can I hit the shot?’ I was asking myself, `How good can you roll this putt on this line?’ And to hit that putt and see it come off the putter exactly how I envisioned it and go straight into the hole, it was awesome.
You are married to Martin Piller, another professional golfer. How have you managed to balance each other’s careers? We don’t try to avoid golf, but we definitely don’t make it who we are. We are basically our own boss and make our own schedules. So it has actually been pretty cool and he understands when I go through tough times or great times. I think that’s probably why we were so emotional after I made that putt, because we both understand.
What advice would you give to the members of this year’s UTEP team? If you have the dedication and work ethic, you can make it. If you want to get really technical, I would not let them go to the driving range. I would make them chip and putt until they are blue in the face. I can’t stress enough with professional golfers how important it is to be able to chip and putt and get up and down.
