VICTORIA – From Vancouver Island fairways to the national spotlight, Cindy Koira's rise in golf has been anything but accidental. Koira picked up a golf club for the first time at age two and quickly fell in love with the game while following her father around the course. Recognizing her potential and natural aptitude, her parents—both engineers—made a bold move from Calgary to Victoria a year later so she could pursue golf year-round.

Imagine taking a chance on a three year old to follow through with her dreams?

Well, that's exactly what they did and the decision paid off, as Koira, a Stelly's Secondary School graduate, has consistently proven herself among the country's top up-and-coming talents.

A prodigy in the making

At just six years old, Koira began playing in local tournaments with Little Vikes (now Junior Golf Victoria) before joining the junior tour at age 10. By 12, she was playing in competitive tournaments on the mainland, later representing Team Canada at the Junior World Championships and the European Championships. In 2019, she finished runner-up at the BC Junior Girls Golf Championship, which earned her a spot on the three-member team that went on to win the Canadian junior national championship.

While her father coached her most of her life, professional golf legend Jack Nicklaus served as her virtual mentor. Studying old VHS tapes of Nicklaus and spending thousands of hours perfecting her stroke earned her the nickname "the short game wizard."

"I found an old video cassette from Greater Victoria Public Library. This instructional video by legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus was perfect for beginners and intermediate golfers. I watched it every day after school for years. My dad would help break down swing techniques and teach them to me," said Koira.

Now, as a more experienced golfer, Koira looks to female role models like Nelly Korda and Brooke Henderson as inspiration and role models in the sport.
 

Staying local

Koira's success at the junior level earned her scholarship offers to both Canadian and Division I schools across the border, but ultimately, she decided to stay close to home and attend UVic, where she is currently working towards a degree in physics with hopes to study quantum physics eventually. Despite the many options, Koira is happy with her decision to rep the Vikes uniform.

"After joining the UVic golf team, I started seeing rapid improvement in my game, thanks to access to the practice facilities at Uplands Golf Club and the gym at CARSA. That progress has really helped restore my confidence. Our coaches, Dave and Justin are very accommodating and always ready to help me succeed on and off the golf course. Looking back, choosing UVic was one of the best decisions I've made," said Koira.

"I'm very confident that my golf performance will continue to improve since I feel my best is yet to come. In the next couple of years, after graduation, I plan to turn professional. I am also strongly interested in pursuing a master's degree in theoretical/quantum physics."

Before working towards uncovering the universe's secrets, she has a few goals to achieve on the golf course.

Koira is looking to continue a banner season. She has already won the Continental Athletic Conference (CAC) Championship and earned CAC Player of the Year. This was followed by a trip to represent UVic as the only Vikes women's golfer at the NAIA Women's Golf Championship, where she placed 44th overall and earned third-team All-American status. She also took third place at the Canada West Championship in the fall and was named a Canada West First-Team All-Star.

Just last week, Koira successfully defended her 2024 title at the South Island/Zone 5 Women's Amateur Golf Championship at Bear Mountain, earning a spot in the BC Women's Amateur Championship at Victoria Golf Club from June 23 to 26.
 

Next stop: Kamloops

Before that, she has one final stop with the Vikes this season: the Canadian University Golf Championship. The tournament kicks off tomorrow, June 3 and runs to June 6 at Rivershore Golf Club in Kamloops, BC. The UVic women's team is looking  to improve upon their fourth-place finish last year, when Koira led the team and took home fifth place. Koira is confident the team is poised to do well and is hoping to break her personal best score.

According to Vikes golf program lead Justin Clews, Koira has both the tangible and intangible skills to make it happen.

"I would attribute Cindy's recent successes to her dedication and commitment to practice and play, specifically as it relates to her preparation and mindset when in training and pre-competition. She's thorough and possesses a sound routine at all times. The way she goes through her pre-round/competition routines is always consistent from event to event," said Clews.

While Koira is best know for her sound mechanics, focus and discipline, it's likely her actions beyond the course that separate her from the pack. 

"Golf is a tough, deliberate individual sport that requires a lot of time and mental energy. The mind can be your best friend or your worst enemy, directly impacting your game. To help manage this, I practice yoga and meditation regularly to calm my mind and maintain focus. I also do karate as cross-training, which helps build both physical strength and mental discipline," she said.

Koira may be studying the mechanics of the universe, but her golf game is already running on its own kind of physics, a perfect blend of precision and patience.

And as the Vikes tee off in Kamloops, she's not just playing for a title — she's testing the limits of what's next.