‘It’s like Disneyland for Europeans’: Natalie Saint Germain hopes to punch ticket to NCAA Championship

Senior Natalie Saint Germain, a native of the Czech Republic, always knew she wanted to play golf in the U.S.

“It’s like Disneyland for Europeans to go to the USA,” Saint Germain said. “I was hooked.”

That dream has translated to success on the course, as No. 30 Houston is set to compete in the regionals for a spot in the NCAA Championship, coming off a second-place finish in the Big 12 Championship.

“We were disappointed that we didn’t win,” Saint Germain said of the Big 12 Tournament, where she tied for fifth individually with a score of 1-under 215.

Despite finishing second, Saint Germain still saw Houston’s finish as a positive for the program. 

“It was the best finish for the UH women’s golf team, the only sport after basketball that finished top 2,” Saint Germain said. “We were pretty excited about it.”

Growing up in the Czech Republic, Saint Germain knew that she wanted a scholarship and a ticket to the U.S., and competed in high-profile tournaments with the hope of getting more recognition from coaches abroad.

When she was a member of the Czech Republic National Team, she caught the attention of coach Lydia Lasprilla, who Saint Germain described as “so human.”

Lasprilla knew from the second they met on FaceTime that she wanted to coach her and welcome her as part of her first recruiting class as Houston’s coach. 

“She stood out, and she is a phenomenal person,” Lasprilla said.

Over the past two seasons, Saint Germain earned back-to-back All-Big 12 Second Team selections and conference All-Tournament selections. 

This season, Saint Germain won the first individual title of her career at the Jim West Challenge in October, becoming the only Cougar with a tournament victory. While the team does not have designated captains, Lasprill has taken notice of Saint Germain’s leadership.

“Everyone loves her because she treats everyone the same,” Lasprilla said. “She’s not afraid to hold someone accountable.”

Saint Germain is reminding herself and teammates to enter the regional on May 11 with the same focus that has brought them success thus far.

“We shouldn’t make it a bigger tournament in our heads because it is the most important event of our season,” Saint Germain said.

Now, she hopes to lead the No. 5-seeded Cougars to secure a ticket to compete at the NCAA Championship, with a top-five finish in the 12-team field.