Oklahoma State University Athletics
Making It Count: Marta Silchenko Finding Her Groove in Stillwater
November 28, 2023 | Cowgirl Golf
By: Ben Creider, Athletics Communications
Ten years ago, you could have counted the number of golf courses in Latvia on one hand. You also could have counted the number of junior Latvian golfers on your fingers.
Marta Silchenko was one of them.
Raised in Riga, Latvia, Silchenko grew up in the country's most populous city of over 700,000 people. In a region dominated by ice hockey, basketball and soccer – Silchenko initially found her passion in sports with a tennis racket.
Competing in tournaments at an early age, Silchenko was immersed in Latvia's tennis scene. After watching her parents casually pick up golf, she first stepped onto a golf course at age 8.
"I started because of my dad," Silchenko said. "My dad started playing, then my mom started playing. Then, one time my mom was like 'Hey, you want to try golf?' I was playing tennis at that time. I was pretty good; I loved it.
"At eight years old, I tried golf. I don't remember if I liked it or not, but I just continued to go to trainings and everything."
Silchenko was a natural. While balancing tennis with her newfound sport, it took a mere six months for her to notch her first golf tournament win at age 9.
"I think that's when everyone realized I had a talent in golf as well," Silchenko said. "In tennis, I kind of struggled winning a tournament, like it was a big struggle – emotionally especially – but golf just went kinda easy. I was going with the flow and everything was nice."
By age 12, she had swapped out her set of rackets for clubs – aspiring to pursue a golf career.
While the game has since developed in the region, golfing in Latvia was especially a rarity at that time. With the country's first golf course opening in 1998 and a base of 900 registered golfers, per the International Golf Federation, it's a tight-knit community.
Silchenko was hard to miss.
Playing as one of six children at her Latvian Junior Academy, the group bounced between two courses in the country under the tutelage of one coach.
"There were like six [players in the academy.]" Silchenko said. "We were like the only children ever playing good golf. It was insane."
Up For The Challenge
At age 15, Silchenko had surged onto the international stage. With prior wins at the Latvian Junior Open Championship and Russian Junior Championship, she missed six months with a knee injury. Following a full recovery, she returned to a high level of play.
Entering her final year of high school, Silchenko was given a new opportunity. With her mother opening a dance school in Dubai, she was given a choice: remain in Latvia – or head to Dubai.
She booked a plane ticket.
"I don't regret it; it was awesome, but I was kinda scared for my school stuff," Silchenko said. "I was a very good student, I could pass my exams very well and Dubai was a lot to take at that time.
"I think it taught me to adapt more quickly to more different countries and environments. I think it helped me become more independent as an individual."
As Silchenko built upon her list of accolades in Dubai, she navigated the college recruitment process thousands of miles away.
With COVID restrictions prohibiting on-campus recruitment, Silchenko operated off an email inbox and Zoom links.
Even with the distance, she felt at home in Stillwater.Â
"The coaches and facilities, I liked it here," Silchenko said. "The facilities and the different weather I can practice in, especially the wind [were also factors.]
"It was more of a challenge for me because I knew that, 'Okay, if I want to become a professional golfer, I would need to be in a very good school where it's very difficult to see if I could take it.'"
Tournaments, Teaching Moments and Train Terminals
Through her first fall season with the Cowgirls, Silchenko has experienced tournaments, teaching moments and train terminals.
Starting or playing individually in each of the team's four fall tournaments, Silchenko made her mark before her first tee time.
In the Cowgirls' practice rounds at Pebble Beach, Silchenko sank a hole-in-one on The Hay, a nine-hole course designed by Tiger Woods. In the first round of play, she drilled three birdies on her first four holes.
"Not going to lie, I loved it," Silchenko said. "Even though we had to wake up at 4 a.m. – it was worth it. We had an amazing caddie. He was really nice, we really bonded after like three rounds together. We had a nice hotel. It was awesome."
Throughout the season, she displayed some strong play, stamped by 4-under 68 rounds in the final pair of fall tournaments. She saved her best outing for last, carding 3-under 213 at the Jim West Challenge to close the fall.
"This last tournament [in San Marcos], we didn't have Maddy with us," Silchenko said. "I knew I had to play good. I knew I had to perform well."
As her low rounds have shined on the course, so has her personality. While her vibrant playstyle has seen her cash in three eagles this fall – she's also picked up some teaching moments.
"I like trouble sometimes," Silchenko said. "But, on the course, it's not going to work. We don't like trouble on the course, we like boring golf. My personality is not boring golf, so I have to fit into this boring golf thing and be like 'Oh well, okay I'm just going to go fairway, green, two putt.'
"I think it's more of a childhood part of me that's coming out like 'Okay, we can do this!' It motivates me and gets me excited and then something happens.
"Then, I have to turn on this mature Marta where I'm like 'Okay, are we really going to do this? Is this really the choice we're going to take?' I'm just thinking things through more which is good."
Outside of the course, Silchenko and the Cowgirls also picked up some teaching moments from train terminals. With quick turnarounds on flights and some complex airport terminals, the team not only tested their swing speed this fall – they tested their foot speed.
"The traveling part is so funny, just the way we search for the gate," Silchenko said. "Especially in the U.S., they have those trains in between the different terminals, that's so funny to me. We were always going in the wrong gate for some reason. We ended up at one gate just five minutes before it [took off.]"
Sights Set For The SpringÂ
As Silchenko prepares for the fall season, she hopes to hone in on chipping and wedge shots while maintaining her swing. With a routine in place, she also aims to increase her club speed.
"I think I'm going to be more concentrated on my chipping and my wedge shots, which was probably the most struggle this fall," Silchenko said. "So, I'm going to be working on that. I'm going to be maintaining my swing, going to the gym and having my club speed increase as well. So, I think I'll be hitting pretty far after this offseason and just mentally being ready for spring [are goals.]
"I think I can be much better. These are just peaks of what I can do. I needed to put my mind to consistent focus.Â
"First, 'Yeah I'm a freshman, it's a good excuse.' But, I think I can put my mind more in the right place, that's what I did for my last tournament. I was really focused the entire time and I think I really learned from my past tournaments and got into the [right] state.
"It's all about playing the best golf I can, honestly, and play well for the team. That's what I really want for now and to be as most beneficial as I can be."
When assessing Silchenko this fall, head coach Greg Robertson has seen positive growth from the freshman since stepping foot on campus. With an important break in store, she'll have the chance to make a major impact in the spring.
"What we need to see from her is to probably just put it into another gear in terms of her work and what she does, because if she does do the right things over the break, over the spring, she could turn out to be a really special player for us," Robertson said. "She's learning as she goes I'll say, and we've seen a lot of growth from her from the first day that she got here until now. So, we just need to continue to see that. Just little things, her discipline and her work ethic, I think are going to continue to evolve as we move forward, and when she kind of realizes that – what she needs to do to be a great player – is when I think she can turn into something special."
From playing with a junior academy group of six to starting in Stillwater – Marta Silchenko is making her time count with the Cowgirls.
Ten years ago, you could have counted the number of golf courses in Latvia on one hand. You also could have counted the number of junior Latvian golfers on your fingers.
Marta Silchenko was one of them.
Raised in Riga, Latvia, Silchenko grew up in the country's most populous city of over 700,000 people. In a region dominated by ice hockey, basketball and soccer – Silchenko initially found her passion in sports with a tennis racket.
Competing in tournaments at an early age, Silchenko was immersed in Latvia's tennis scene. After watching her parents casually pick up golf, she first stepped onto a golf course at age 8.
"I started because of my dad," Silchenko said. "My dad started playing, then my mom started playing. Then, one time my mom was like 'Hey, you want to try golf?' I was playing tennis at that time. I was pretty good; I loved it.
"At eight years old, I tried golf. I don't remember if I liked it or not, but I just continued to go to trainings and everything."
Silchenko was a natural. While balancing tennis with her newfound sport, it took a mere six months for her to notch her first golf tournament win at age 9.
"I think that's when everyone realized I had a talent in golf as well," Silchenko said. "In tennis, I kind of struggled winning a tournament, like it was a big struggle – emotionally especially – but golf just went kinda easy. I was going with the flow and everything was nice."
By age 12, she had swapped out her set of rackets for clubs – aspiring to pursue a golf career.
While the game has since developed in the region, golfing in Latvia was especially a rarity at that time. With the country's first golf course opening in 1998 and a base of 900 registered golfers, per the International Golf Federation, it's a tight-knit community.
Silchenko was hard to miss.
Playing as one of six children at her Latvian Junior Academy, the group bounced between two courses in the country under the tutelage of one coach.
"There were like six [players in the academy.]" Silchenko said. "We were like the only children ever playing good golf. It was insane."
Up For The Challenge
At age 15, Silchenko had surged onto the international stage. With prior wins at the Latvian Junior Open Championship and Russian Junior Championship, she missed six months with a knee injury. Following a full recovery, she returned to a high level of play.
Entering her final year of high school, Silchenko was given a new opportunity. With her mother opening a dance school in Dubai, she was given a choice: remain in Latvia – or head to Dubai.
She booked a plane ticket.
"I don't regret it; it was awesome, but I was kinda scared for my school stuff," Silchenko said. "I was a very good student, I could pass my exams very well and Dubai was a lot to take at that time.
"I think it taught me to adapt more quickly to more different countries and environments. I think it helped me become more independent as an individual."
As Silchenko built upon her list of accolades in Dubai, she navigated the college recruitment process thousands of miles away.
With COVID restrictions prohibiting on-campus recruitment, Silchenko operated off an email inbox and Zoom links.
Even with the distance, she felt at home in Stillwater.Â
"The coaches and facilities, I liked it here," Silchenko said. "The facilities and the different weather I can practice in, especially the wind [were also factors.]
"It was more of a challenge for me because I knew that, 'Okay, if I want to become a professional golfer, I would need to be in a very good school where it's very difficult to see if I could take it.'"
Tournaments, Teaching Moments and Train Terminals
Through her first fall season with the Cowgirls, Silchenko has experienced tournaments, teaching moments and train terminals.
Starting or playing individually in each of the team's four fall tournaments, Silchenko made her mark before her first tee time.
In the Cowgirls' practice rounds at Pebble Beach, Silchenko sank a hole-in-one on The Hay, a nine-hole course designed by Tiger Woods. In the first round of play, she drilled three birdies on her first four holes.
"Not going to lie, I loved it," Silchenko said. "Even though we had to wake up at 4 a.m. – it was worth it. We had an amazing caddie. He was really nice, we really bonded after like three rounds together. We had a nice hotel. It was awesome."
Throughout the season, she displayed some strong play, stamped by 4-under 68 rounds in the final pair of fall tournaments. She saved her best outing for last, carding 3-under 213 at the Jim West Challenge to close the fall.
"This last tournament [in San Marcos], we didn't have Maddy with us," Silchenko said. "I knew I had to play good. I knew I had to perform well."
As her low rounds have shined on the course, so has her personality. While her vibrant playstyle has seen her cash in three eagles this fall – she's also picked up some teaching moments.
"I like trouble sometimes," Silchenko said. "But, on the course, it's not going to work. We don't like trouble on the course, we like boring golf. My personality is not boring golf, so I have to fit into this boring golf thing and be like 'Oh well, okay I'm just going to go fairway, green, two putt.'
"I think it's more of a childhood part of me that's coming out like 'Okay, we can do this!' It motivates me and gets me excited and then something happens.
"Then, I have to turn on this mature Marta where I'm like 'Okay, are we really going to do this? Is this really the choice we're going to take?' I'm just thinking things through more which is good."
Outside of the course, Silchenko and the Cowgirls also picked up some teaching moments from train terminals. With quick turnarounds on flights and some complex airport terminals, the team not only tested their swing speed this fall – they tested their foot speed.
"The traveling part is so funny, just the way we search for the gate," Silchenko said. "Especially in the U.S., they have those trains in between the different terminals, that's so funny to me. We were always going in the wrong gate for some reason. We ended up at one gate just five minutes before it [took off.]"
Sights Set For The SpringÂ
As Silchenko prepares for the fall season, she hopes to hone in on chipping and wedge shots while maintaining her swing. With a routine in place, she also aims to increase her club speed.
"I think I'm going to be more concentrated on my chipping and my wedge shots, which was probably the most struggle this fall," Silchenko said. "So, I'm going to be working on that. I'm going to be maintaining my swing, going to the gym and having my club speed increase as well. So, I think I'll be hitting pretty far after this offseason and just mentally being ready for spring [are goals.]
"I think I can be much better. These are just peaks of what I can do. I needed to put my mind to consistent focus.Â
"First, 'Yeah I'm a freshman, it's a good excuse.' But, I think I can put my mind more in the right place, that's what I did for my last tournament. I was really focused the entire time and I think I really learned from my past tournaments and got into the [right] state.
"It's all about playing the best golf I can, honestly, and play well for the team. That's what I really want for now and to be as most beneficial as I can be."
When assessing Silchenko this fall, head coach Greg Robertson has seen positive growth from the freshman since stepping foot on campus. With an important break in store, she'll have the chance to make a major impact in the spring.
"What we need to see from her is to probably just put it into another gear in terms of her work and what she does, because if she does do the right things over the break, over the spring, she could turn out to be a really special player for us," Robertson said. "She's learning as she goes I'll say, and we've seen a lot of growth from her from the first day that she got here until now. So, we just need to continue to see that. Just little things, her discipline and her work ethic, I think are going to continue to evolve as we move forward, and when she kind of realizes that – what she needs to do to be a great player – is when I think she can turn into something special."
From playing with a junior academy group of six to starting in Stillwater – Marta Silchenko is making her time count with the Cowgirls.
Players Mentioned
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