Women's Golf | 05.13.2019

LINCOLN PARK, Okla. – Marissa Louder had finished one final and had three to go as she wrapped up her Lewis-Clark State career.
 
So, during this final Finals Week of her Warrior career, where would one expect to find the native of Fillmore, Utah? On the putting green at the Lewiston Golf and Country Club, of course. The reason? Her final test begins Tuesday morning in the NAIA Women's Golf Championship over the Lincoln Park Golf Course at Oklahoma City. (Live scoring is available here.)
 
While she's honed the physical components of her game, it's belief in herself that made the difference this year and enabled her to come from behind in the Frontier Conference Championship and win the league title with one playoff hole.
 
"I just want to have everything going smoothly so I have confidence going into Nationals," said Louder as she took a break from a two-hour putting practice session. "The main thing is being more confident with everything.
 
"I used to not have the best confidence. Now I'm more and more confident. I tell myself I can hit a shot. If it works out, great. If not, I just go on to the next shot."
 
She credits her emergence to first-year coach Kyla Lien, who staged numerous qualifiers for the team and drilled the players on their short games. And, the constant reminders to focus or to leave a bad shot behind immediately and go on to the next.
 
Lien said Louder's confidence has grown to the extent that it now is one of the assets of her game.
 
"As far as going into Nationals," Lien said, "her confidence and her length are her biggest assets.
 
"I have seen her grow into her role as a captain and as someone who many look to for guidance. I feel quite blessed to have the opportunity to mentor her and give her a season that she definitely deserved."
 
Louder all but grew up on the golf course where the game was a family activity for her with her parents Mike and Audrey and brother Michael.
 
"I've always loved golf," said Louder, who remembers first playing at the age of four with her dad. "I just like playing with my family and being outside. It's what we would do to all be together."
 
It was because of Michael that she ended up at LC. He played for then-Frontier member Westminster and talked frequently of golf tournaments at Lewiston where, when the rest of the Northwest was covered in snow, greenery thrived during late winter in the valley. While that didn't hold to be true during Louder's years at Lewis-Clark State when Lewiston had two of the harshest winters in recent history, she still loved her Warrior experience.
 
Her collegiate memories will be of cherished friendships, quality instruction from committed instructors, and, naturally, the valley's golf opportunities.
 
But, she isn't leaving Lewiston behind after her venture to Oklahoma City. Louder plans to spend the summer at her home course in Utah before returning to Lewiston to work as a graduate assistant for Lien.
 
"I love golf and I want to stick with it," she said. "I didn't know what I'd do with it for a while but I've decided I want to teach and coach."