Athlete of the Week: Tiffany Schoning

Portland State women’s golf standout Tiffany Schoning is starting her junior season strong. The Bend native leads the Vikings with a 74.76 scoring average through 13 rounds of the fall season and is on pace to break the school’s scoring record.

 Earlier this month, Schoning won medalist honors at the Turtle Bay Collegiate Invitational Kahuku, Hawaii, with a career-best 218 strokes over three rounds. That accomplishment earned her the Big Sky Conference Golfer of the Week honor and placed her in a tie for the third-best 54-hole score in school history.

 This week, Schoning took a few moments to tell us a little about herself.

Vanguard: Why did you come to Portland State?

Tiffany Schoning:I came to Portland State because I was offered the opportunity to play golf again and be somewhere new. I thought it would be neat to live in a big city and be right in the heart of downtown.

V: What is your best moment on the course?

TS:My best moment would have to be when I holed out for eagle from 140 yards on the first hole of the Turtle Bay Collegiate. You always think that a shot looks good but very rarely do they go in, so actually having that happen was pretty cool.  

V: If you could change one rule in golf, what would it be?

TS:I guess it’s not really a rule changer, but a mulligan in every round would be nice. You can have a really good round going and then one bad kick or one bad shot and it’s done. A mulligan would keep that going.

V: What’s your greatest strength?

TS:My greatest strength on the golf course is probably my length. I hit the ball farther than most, which makes it possible to reach par fives in two shots and have much shorter irons into greens. My greatest strength in life is my work ethic. If there is something that I want, I will do whatever it takes to achieve it and I always keep my dreams in sight.

V: What is your favorite place to eat around campus?

TS: I would definitely have to go with Hot Lips. I love pizza and eat it way too often, but how can you pass it up?

V: What is your favorite thing to do around Portland?

TS: I enjoy just walking around downtown and shopping at Pioneer Place.  It’s fun seeing all the different shops that Portland has to offer.

V: What is the first item that you would buy if you won the lottery?

TS:A black 600 SL Mercedes. It’s gorgeous. I am in love with that car and would match my dad if I had one.

V: What is your most embarrassing moment on the course?

TS:I can’t think of a specific on-course moment, but something that really stands out was working out with the team last year. We were doing lunge twists in the hallway of the Stott Center and I did a lunge, but as I twisted, I just fell over for no apparent reason. It’s something I get a lot of crap for, but it was pretty funny/embarrassing.

V: Do you have any hidden talents?

TS:I can do a headstand for five minutes and I can do the splits.

V: What is the last thing you cooked?

TS:The last thing I made was beef stroganoff. It’s one of my favorites.

V: Do you have any nicknames?

TS:Tiffers has been a nickname for many years starting in high school golf, but when I came to Portland State it turned into Tifferson.

V: If you could attend one concert or sporting event anywhere, what would it be?

TS: I would love to go to The Masters someday. It’s such a special event. I mean, the slogan is “a tradition like no other.” Just watching it on TV you know how special it is. I would also love to see Augusta National, where The Masters is played.

V: What has been your favorite class at Portland State?

TS: I think my favorite class material-wise was definitely “How 2 B Funny.” We learned to be comedians and it was always really fun. However, I took Family Studies last year with Rebecca Hyman. Her teaching styles were different than most and she really made us think for ourselves. I was always excited to go to that class because she made it entertaining and was just a great professor.

V: What is on your iPod right now?

TS: You name it, it’s on there. I’ve got everything, but my two favorite groups or artists are Eminem and Simon & Garfunkel. I also listen to a lot of top-20 stuff.

V: If you could have dinner with three people from history—alive, dead or fictional—who would they be?

TS: I would have to choose Annika Sorenstam, House and Channing Tatum.

 Annika has been my idol since I was really young. She has done a lot for the game of golf and she just seems like a great person. House is one of my favorite TV shows and I think his character is awesome. He is highly entertaining and whether he’s a jerk or not, I love him. Who wouldn’t want Channing Tatum at their dinner table?

V: If you had your choice of anywhere in the world, where would you like to vacation?

TS:I want to go to Scotland. It’s the place where golf originated and the place that holds all the history. I would love to wake up to bagpipes in the morning and a layer of fog. To see St. Andrews would just be unreal.

V: Why did you choose golf?

TS: My dad started me out playing golf because it was one of his favorite things to do. I grew up on a golf course and immediately loved the sport. As I grew older I realized how special and different golf actually was from any other sport and it made me love the game even more.

V: What is your favorite movie?

TS:It’s a tie between “Gone in 60 Seconds” and “Cool Runnings.” “Gone in 60 Seconds” is my favorite movie to watch with my dad and I love the excitement and action in it. The chase scene with Eleanor is my favorite. “Cool Runnings” is just an awesome movie. It doesn’t matter how many times I watch it, I still laugh hysterically every time.

V: Do you read the Vanguard, and if so, how often?

TS:I try to read it weekly. It’s always good to know what’s going on around campus.

V: If you couldn’t play golf, what would you do?

TS: I love skiing. It’s my favorite thing to do outside of golf.

I think skiing professionally would be really cool.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.