As Leigh Crosby perused over the columns of Golfweek magazine last spring, she couldn’t believe what she was reading.

With a number of players graduating or transferring, the Georgia women’s golf team was in desperate need for players for the upcoming season. Crosby, a homesick Athens native who played her first two golf seasons at the Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., was already planning to move back home to explore other collegiate golf possibilities closer to this area.

“I had read articles and at the end of the semester, I talked to my parents and I really wanted to move,” Crosby said. “I loved Orlando, but knew I wanted a change.” She is now a junior at the University.

After requesting her release from Central Florida, she eagerly initiated contact with women’s golf coach Kelley Hester to explore the possibility of playing for her dream school.

“It was the end of the semester, and I called Kelley and asked her if she was interested and from there it was perfect,” Crosby said. “It was not much work by either of us since I was already planning on moving home, and I live five minutes from home, so it was an easy move.”

And her coach couldn’t be anymore pleased with the way it has turned out.

“Well, I think, since Leigh is from Athens, she obviously loves the University and Athens,” Hester said. “We have one other Georgia [native] player [named]Tess Fordham, but she’s a freshman. So I think in recruiting and being around other girls, it’s great to have someone that has such a great appreciation for Athens and UGA.”

For Crosby, who didn’t start playing golf until the late age of 14, it’s been a long journey. But she couldn’t be more excited to finally be playing for the hometown school as the spring season approaches. “The fall season didn’t go as well as I would have liked, but I think that it was more nerves than anything because I put a lot of pressure on myself, which I shouldn’t have,” Crosby said. “But this semester will be awesome.”

She credits her brother, Taylor Crosby, who played for the men’s team for two years before transferring to N.C. State, and her father for helping inspire her to never give up on her dream of one day playing at Georgia.

“My brother played at UGA, so he’s big into golf and always told me to work hard and if it’s supposed to happen, it will,” Crosby said. “I pushed myself a lot and practiced all the time so I could get the chance to play here one day.”

With Krystle Caithness, Georgia’s top player from last year, returning home to Scotland to pursue a professional career in the middle of the fall season, Georgia will be heavily counting on Crosby to make an impression this spring.

“I think Leigh could definitely improve on her consistency,” Hester said, “but one of the things she did at UCF was shoot a low number, so we brought her here hoping she could do the same and contribute a good round or two at each tournament.”

Along with being more consistent, Crosby said she also needs to improve on the mental aspect of her game.

“Consistency would definitely be what I need to work on the most,” she said. “I struggled with that last semester. I shot a couple mid 70s rounds, but I definitely need to keep it mid 70s or par every round. I’m working really hard on my mental game, and they always say golf is just between the ears. So, consistency, just keep practicing and keep playing and don’t get behind.”

But no matter what happens during the approaching spring season, realizing her dream of playing golf for Georgia is something Crosby will always remember.

“I’m a Bulldog. I’m really proud of that, I want to tell people,” she said. “I don’t know if I’d go to school and not be proud, but I think it’s a lot to say you’re a Georgia athlete. I know we’re a smaller sport, but there are still a lot of people that look up to you and want to hear about playing golf at Georgia. It’s really cool hearing little girls say they want to play golf at Georgia, too.”