University of West Florida

Bhavna Shetty was a highly-ranked junior golfer in India but was only going to pursue college golf in America on one condition… It had to be in Florida or California.
 
Lucky for UWF, Shetty and head coach Robin Dezarn hit it off and she was on her way to becoming an Argonaut.
 
After redshirting her first year at UWF, Shetty was eager to show off her talents on the course. She did just that, winning the Bubba Watson Invitational in the Fall of 2007.
 
"It was my freshman year and I'm starting off and nobody knows how I will perform," Shetty said. "I remember finishing on the 18th hole and coach came up to me and told me I won. I couldn't believe it. That was the year my dad passed away so it was a nice tribute for him. He was the reason I started golf."
 
Shetty went on to win two individual titles in college, while leading UWF to seven team crowns, including three Gulf South Conference championships. She compiled a 78.39 stroke average and was a 3-time GSC All-Tournament Team performer. She was named the GSC Player of the Year all four years and is still the only league player to accomplish that feat.
 
But for all of the on-course success she and her teammates enjoyed, the bonds formed in class and supporting the other student-athletes were just as memorable.
 
"It was always so fun to just hang out with our friends," Shetty remembered. "We talk about how we were spread so thin with class, school and what seemed like two-a-day workouts, but we always managed to have a good time. We had very hectic schedules but we stuck together, practiced together and went to class together.

"I've built lifelong relationships all because of UWF. It was perfect because it was a Florida school and close to the beach. It was just the right size. Campus was not too big. You felt like you were in a big pool but still got the hands-on attention and instruction from an academic standpoint."

She received her bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a Marketing Specialization before later earning her MBA. She worked for the Walt Disney Company for a couple of years and has been in Atlanta since 2014 working in marketing technology.