REBEL CHECK-IN

VERONICA JOELS
UNLV WOMEN'S GOLF
HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT MAJOR

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - When UNLV women's golfer Veronica Joels' sophomore season came to an abrupt end in March, the Las Vegas native started thinking of ways she could turn the quarantine into a positive. Joels decided to push herself outside her comfort zone and head to Phoenix, Arizona, where golf courses remained open and the Catcus Tour continued. Over the last two months, Joels finished her spring classes online and has been competing on the professional tour as an amateur, keeping her golf game sharp and gaining a wealth of experience she can bring back to UNLV for her junior campaign next year.

UNLVRebels.com had a chance this week to check in with rising junior and Las Vegas native on what life on the road has been like.

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UNLVRebels.com: How have you been spending your time during quarantine?

Veronica: Since school had been moved online and the 2019-2020 Women's Golf Season at UNLV had been canceled, I have been playing on The Cactus Tour in Phoenix, Arizona. I am currently playing my eighth event in Arizona this week at Troon North Golf Club. So, I have spent the majority of my time on the road, playing in mini tour professional tournaments (as an amateur), and gaining lots of experience.

UNLVRebels.com: How did you handle the adjustment to online classes and the season coming abruptly to an end?

Veronica: I made the decision once school was officially online and season became canceled to do something proactive and that was expanding my experience and pushing myself out of my own comfort zone by being on the road every week. Being on the road and learning to play golf and compete is a different lifestyle and is something I never thought I would experience and I am so glad I have gotten this opportunity to play so much and work on myself along with that.

UNLVRebels.com: How has the tour helped keep your golf game sharp?

Veronica: I have been playing lots of golf and competing almost every week on The Cactus Tour. That means for me I have played at least four to five rounds of golf in a row every week and practicing on the other days. Even while the golf courses in Nevada were shut down during the month of May, being in Arizona has been a great advantage in order to practice and play more than I ever have.

UNLVRebels.com: You are a Las Vegas native, what has it been like to see the city shut down during quarantine? 

Veronica: It is a devastating thing for the city of Las Vegas and all of the hotels to be forced to be shut for so long. I have never seen something like this occur and hope it never happens again. Many people depend on working within the hospitality industry in order to make a living and have been stripped of their work with the possibility that they will never return. The new protocols are going to be very restrictive on the casino industry and make it tough on reopening, but I hope the industry can bounce back.

UNLVRebels.com: What are your plans for the summer?

Veronica: My plans for the summer do include as much golf as I can. Because of the situation, I would usually work over the summer for my degree within an internship as I am a Hospitality Management major. Because of the major shutdowns within the city my internship requirement has been moved online which will allow me to play more golf this summer.

UNLVRebels.com: Cooked anything during quarantine?

Veronica: For Mother's Day, my mom wanted pesto pasta as her celebratory Mother's Day dinner. While this was still during a time where you could not go out and eat in a restaurant, I decided to cook this dish for her. I ended up making a great pesto sauce along with angel hair pasta that turned out amazing!