Spring Break
Golfer featured on reality TV program
NICK PARKER
Issue date: 10/8/08 Section: Sports
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Silva, a freshman sensation on the women's golf team, stars on the Golf Channel's reality series, "School of Golf-Hilton Head Island." The show follows 16 students at Hank Haney's International Junior Golf Academy as they balance school and competitive junior golf. But, Silva has never watched her own show.
"I honestly haven't even seen it. We don't have The Golf Channel in the dorms so I haven't ever seen it," said Silva. "So many of my friends are like I watch you on TV, and I'm just like, 'Yeah, I'm on TV.' People even add me on Facebook because they've seen the show."
Haney, who is Silva's personal swing coach, said he is not surprised at her lack of interest in the show.
"Marta is very low key and doesn't like to make a big deal out of anything involving herself," Haney said.
She said she was hesitant be filmed.
"I really didn't want to be part of it at the beginning because I didn't want the cameras following me and stuff. It was OK at the end though," Silva said.
Silva, originally from Santiago de Compostela, Spain, moved to the U.S. at the beginning of her junior year in high school to enroll in the Academy to work with Haney - who also coaches golfer Tiger Woods.
"I didn't realize how working with Hank Haney was going to be until I worked with him. I didn't know of him because I was from Spain, but then when I heard [about him], I was like 'Wow, he's Tiger's coach,'" said Silva.
Silva said she has enjoyed her time in the US but misses home.
"I miss the food from home," Silva said. "I really just miss the life I had there with all my friends and family. It's just very different from here."
Her time at the Academy is paying off, as Silva has already posted a 26th place finish and 3rd place finish in just her first two collegiate starts, much to the delight of women's golf coach Kelley Hester.
"We knew she was going to be incredibly good coming in, but she has far surpassed our expectations," Hester said.
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