Women's Golf's Justine Fournand, Amanda Leslie Compete Ahead of Florida Gators Invitational

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Two weeks ago, the Florida Atlantic University women's golf team played a closest-to-the-pin contest to test the accuracy of players' tee shots.

Amanda Leslie and Justine Fournand clearly outshot their other teammates, but they couldn't determine a winner from where they stood. On the way to the hole, though, Leslie and Fournand squabbled like the result was clear: in their respective favors.

Once there Leslie realized she won and enjoyed a moment of satisfaction – moment being the operative word.

"It was nice to get the win over her," said Leslie, a senior whose 76.08 stroke average last season ranked sixth in FAU history, "But it was more of a competition between us than actually the shot itself."

That's a microcosm of Leslie and Fournand's relationship. Leslie "definitely sees sides of myself" in Fournand, specifically her competitiveness and work ethic, so she holds her to a higher standard. And Fournand embraces the challenge.

"It helps me get better and pushes me harder," said Fournand, the star freshman from Erstein, France, who's ranked 193rd nationally. "If she does 30 minutes of putting, then I do 31. I just want to do more than everyone else; this is, for me, how I built my model. Because if I do more than everyone, I will be better than everyone."

Outdoing Leslie is easier said than done, though. Fournand described Leslie as a "fighter" on the course and loves practicing with her because of it. Leslie's fighter mentality developed early, through sports and an "extremely competitive" relationship with her older brother and parents.

So, long before Leslie began battling Fournand she was doing so with her loved ones, no matter the situations or weight behind them.

"Even if we're going for fun to a mini-golf course, we're always counting each stroke and everything is serious," Leslie said. "There's no joking."

Fournand – who tied for 21st individually her last time out – and Leslie return to action this weekend at the Florida Gators Invitational, hoping to lead FAU to its first top-three finish of the spring. The 54-hole tournament is March 7-8 at the Mark Bostick Golf Course in Gainesville, Florida.

Leslie, as usual, will pause her friendly rivalry with Fournand at the tournament to focus on her own game. But its impact still resonates, not only with the two directly involved but the entire team.

"Everyone sees my relationship with Justine, and I definitely think that they look up to it, in a way," Leslie said. "So, if we're competing and we're competing to a higher standard, then other people will want to be at that as well.

Florida Gators Invitational
Tournament Details	Gainesville, Fla. \| Mark Bostick Saturday, March 7 – 36 holes Sunday, March 8 – 18 holes 6,700 yards (Par 70)
Follow	Live Scoring Twitter: @FAUWGolf
Florida Atlantic Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule
Participants	FAU, Campbell, Butler, Daytona State, FIU, No. 9 Florida, Kansas, No. 44 Michigan, No. 26 Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Penn State, No. 43 UCF, USF

Calendar

Upcoming Events