Brittany Altomare has always excelled on the golf course, no matter the circumstances. Through what would seemingly be trying high school and college situations, and now on the Epson Tour, the Shrewsbury, Mass., native has adapted to the circumstances.
Altomare’s first adjustment occurred in high school when she played on the boys’ team at Shrewsbury High School because there wasn’t a girls’ team offered in the Massachusetts prep ranks. She felt awkward at first, but quickly adjusted.
“I was nervous at first because it was just a bunch of guys and me and I was a freshman,” Altomare said. “I came from a small, private school to high school. But it turned out to be such a great experience. We became best friends, and today, we’re still best friends.”
Altomare captained the team during her junior and senior seasons. That lofty status earned the attention of college coaches, most notably University of Virginia coach Kim Lewellen. The Cavaliers had just started a women’s golf program in 2003 and Lewellen moved from East Carolina to Charlottesville, Va., in 2008. Altomare was a big target to develop the fledgling program.
“Coach Lewellen really sold the program and the school to me,” Altomare said. ‘I visited and fell in love with the campus.”
Altomare excelled on many fronts at Thomas Jefferson’s university, earning a 2013 degree in Psychology. She also gained strength and distance and learned the AimPoint short-game technique from assistant coach Brian Bailie. She was a four-time All-American and All-ACC choice and the 2013 ACC Championship medalist and Player of the Year, the first UVa woman to earn that honor. Additionally, she was a Junior Ryder Cup team member and three-time U.S. Women’s Open participant.
Altomare hasn’t skipped a beat in her second season on the Epson Tour. Currently, she is ninth on the money list – the top 10 earn a 2015 LPGA card – and has recorded four top-10 finishes in 2014. The last two top-10s occurred over the past two tournaments, including a career-best fifth place last week in Greenwood, S.C., at the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Charity Classic.
Adjusting to life on the professional tour has been a transition from team-oriented performances to individual goals. But she shares much of her down time with friends Caroline Powers and Lindy Duncan, who graduated college last May and were rookies on the 2013 Epson Tour with Altomare.
“Not having school work to complete has been a great surprise,” Altomore said. “In college, the coaches and teammates were always traveling with you and providing support. Now, I feel like I’m more on my own. But I’m learning.”
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