Manila, Philippines
Pacifi c
By Way of Ria
AFTER TAKING OREGON TO NEW HEIGHTS, RIA QUIAZON SCOTT ACCEPTS A NEW CHALLENGE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA // by LISA D. MICKEY
t figures that an American
I studies major at the University of California-Berkeley might find her way to Charlottesville in the land of American statesman Thomas Jefferson.
On the other hand, a life pilgrimage that has traversed from the Philippines to San Francisco to Virginia was one that Ria Quiazon Scott had no way of anticipating when she moved her family to the Commonwealth this summer to become the new women’ s golf coach at the University of Virginia.
“ I love the history of the town and the university and those were things I didn’ t know from living on the west coast until I visited here,” said Scott, a native of the Phillippines who spent most of her life in the Bay area.“ Then to see the effort the university has poured into supporting the golf program with its facility and future renovation plans, and to see the great energy from the coaches and staff— it all just felt right to me.”
THE RIGHT PEDIGREE After nine seasons as the head women’ s golf coach at the University of Oregon,
Scott takes over for former Virginia coach Kim
Lewellen. Scott guided the Ducks to
NCAA postseason play in each of her nine years, with consecutive NCAA Championship appearances in 2016-2017.
“ Ria brings with her an excellent coaching resume, playing background and appreciation for academic excellence that makes her a great fit for our program,” Virginia athletics director Carla Williams said.
In fact, as a college player, she was on the first Cal team to qualify for the NCAA Championship in 2001. She was also on the squad of super-fit athletes who arrived at that event in Florida that included current Stanford University women’ s golf coach Anne Walker, Ladies European Tour player Vikki Laing and 2004 NCAA individual champion Sarah Huarte. Cal showcased a fitness standard that year that has become a new norm in women’ s college golf.
“ Our national championship is eight rounds over seven days if you make it to the last day,” said Scott.“ So you have to be both physically and mentally fit.”
She also qualified for the 2004 U. S. Women’ s Open and competed in the 2006 Women’ s World Cup in South Africa.
Scott later tested her hand on pro tours around the world, including the Futures Tour( now Symetra Tour), Canadian Women’ s Tour, West Coast Ladies Tour, Orient Masters China Tour and Ladies Asian Golf Tour. She also became the first woman to compete in an Asian PGA event at the 2004 DHL Philippine Open.
“ The last tournament I played was a China Women’ s Open and I remember getting paid in cash,” Scott laughed.“ It felt really sketchy, but that’ s the way they did it at the time.”
MOMENT OF CLARITY With herniated discs in her back, the weary pro took time off from competition and helped coach at Stanford’ s summer golf camp. That experience became a career-changer after excited juniors she had worked with introduced“ Coach Ria” to their parents as the coach who had added new shots to their games.
“ That was a moment of satisfaction that I hadn’ t had in a while,” she said.“ Professional golf can be very lonely and seeing someone else reach their goals was really gratifying for me.”
Scott became the head coach for two years at the University of San Francisco before moving to Oregon in 2009. Her team’ s tie for fifth at the 2016 NCAA Championship was Oregon’ s best-ever postseason finish.
Married to former Rice University men’ s golf coach Drew Scott, and now mother of two sons, Walker, 6, and Grant, 4, she believes her own experience at an academically demanding school will translate well at Virginia, where high standards are required.
“ I want players to come here to study what they are passionate about and to graduate,” she said.“ Yes, I want to win
“ When they come to college, we want them to know they will be prepared to take on the next steps of their lives, whether they become a professional in business or a professional in golf.” – Ria Quiazon Scott
30 V IRGINIA G OLFER | S EPTEMBER / O CTOBER 2018 vsga. org