Colorado University Athletics
CU's Fan Aims To Lead Buffs Back To NCAA Championships
April 19, 2018 | Women's Golf
BOULDER — Two years in a row, the Colorado women's golf team has missed qualifying for the NCAA Championships by a single stroke.
This year, CU senior Brittany Fan is determined to help carry the Buffs to their first NCAA berth since 2012.
The last time the Buffs made it to the NCAA Championships, Fan was 17 years old and placed in the top 20 of the Callaway Junior World Championships.
Now, as the only senior on CU's team, she has been an outspoken leader throughout this season's journey of ups and downs.
"I can't say enough about Brittany's leadership with this young team," head coach Anne Kelly said. "She is such an enthusiastic, outgoing, positive person. You can't ask for more to have that on the team and have that energy. That's just her; she has always been so outgoing and positive. That leadership is going to be a huge loss for us."
Fan grew up in Hawaii and as a youngster, enjoyed the physical arts, such as singing and dancing. That all changed one day when she went to pick up her brother from golf practice. While she was waiting for him, she decided to hit some balls on the driving range; it was then that she fell in love with golf and has never looked back.
After high school, she attended KMR School of Golf and competed in amateur competitions. After a year at KMR, she finished with the fifth-best overall average in the Interscholastic League of Hawaii and was named a second-team Honolulu Star-Advertiser All-Star.
She then transitioned to collegiate golf and chose Colorado because of CU's coaching staff.
"I had a lot of options to choose from for going to college, and it came down to the coaches," Fan said. "When I came on the visit, we connected really well, and I knew this was where I wanted to attend school."
Since her commitment to Colorado, Fan has become a centerpiece of the women's golf program over the past four seasons. She is currently second in Colorado history in top-20 finishes with 27.
"Her game has improved a lot since she got here with her swing and ball striking," Kelly said. "She has worked really hard to get here, and I think the biggest improvement is in her short game, chipping and pitching around the greens, and her decision making. Also, her attitude has changed: she has worked hard on the mental part of it becoming more positive and confident about her game."
The 2017-2018 season has been Fan's best yet, with a 73.48 stroke average and 10 top- 20 finishes. She is also currently ranked 48th in individual college rankings and 153rd in the world. She hopes to advance to greater heights before the end of the season.
"My goal is to be top 100 in the world by the end of the season and top 30 in college," Fan said.
This year, the Buffs have put themselves in good position for an NCAA Championships bid. Next on their agenda is the April 22-24 Pac-12 championships in Seattle.
"We have a very talented team this year, we just haven't all quite come together yet at the same time," Kelly said. "I'm really hoping we peak at the right time this year. We have missed the national championship by one shot the past two years in a row, so that's heartbreaking. I think they are determined to make it to the finals this year."
Despite Fan's prestigious individual accolades, the team's advancement to finals would prove more valuable than any past accomplishment.
"As far as my best college experience goes, I feel like we're going to make it to nationals this year so hopefully that will be my most memorable experience of all," Fan said.
Currently ranked No. 25 in the country by Golfstat, the Buffs are hoping for a strong showing at the conference championship to build momentum for what will almost certainly be an NCAA regional bid and the hoped-for NCAA Championships appearance.
After graduation, Fan will use her positive experiences at Colorado to bolster her professional career. She plans to move to Arizona to train and compete professionally.
"I attribute most of my success to the coaching staff at Colorado and myself," Fan said. "The coaching staff here has been so unbelievable and has truly shaped me into the player that I am today."
Players Mentioned
