By Craig Degel
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Whatever you do, don't call her "Jim's little sister."
That's because freshman golfer Kathy Zadvorny is coming into her own as a member of Arizona women's program Ä and she shouldn't have to play in the shadow of her brother Jim, who is a junior on the UA men's golf team.
"There's really no sibling rivalry," she said. "I just try to show him that I can do really well, and that I belong here."
Born in Canada, Zadvorny attended William Aberhardt High School in Calgary before graduating from Xavier Prep in Phoenix.
"Competition wasn't as intense in Canada," Zadvorny said. "It was much more relaxed."
While the level of intensity may not have been high, Zadvorny's level of play remained top-notch. In 1993, she placed fourth at the Alberta Jr. Girls Provincials
and then fifth at the Canadian Jr. Ladies Championships.
After transferring to Xavier, one of the nation's premier prep golf programs, Zadvorny experienced continued success on the links, placing fourth in the Arizona High School Regionals and then eighth at the state tournament.
So far this year, Zadvorny has competed in one tournament, the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational. Her performance at the tournament was indicative of the swing problems she was having during the tournament, as she finished well back in the pack with a three-round total of 274.
"Even a small error in a swing leads to big errors," Zadvorny said. "It's easy to get errors in a swing, but I've worked on it and it's gone now."
Not surprisingly, UA coach Kim Haddow is pleased to have a player of Zadvorny's caliber.
"Kathy came highly recommended," Haddow said. "She has great potential and she's a fierce competitor. We'll give her the best opportunity to improve her game."
In her short time in Tucson, Zadvorny has developed a new, more aggressive style of golf, a style in stark contrast to her conservative approach to the green.
"Watching my teammates has made me into a more aggressive golfer," Zadvorny said. "The way they attack the greens has turned my style around."
Zadvorny is looking to develop more consistency in her short game to help compliment her already solid tee-game.
Today, Zadvorny will compete in an exhibition match against an Austrailian team at Randolph Park.
The men's and the women's teams will send four players each to the stroke- play tournament, which has become an annual event since its inception in 1992.
Zadvorny, Heather Graff, Christina Tolerton and Erin Maney will compete for the women, Haddow said.
Said Zadvorny: "Playing against international competition, that should be pretty fun."
Men's coach Rick LaRose and his lineup were unavailable for comment.