The fairways are looking as wide as the Pacific Ocean to Julie Shutler these days.

She is just weeks removed from graduating college, and weeks away from competing in the biggest golf tournament of her career.

Yes, life is full of many possibilities for the 21-year-old Mantecan.

“I’m excited about what the future is going to bring,” said Shutler, a 2008 graduate of Sierra High. “I’m ready.”

Her hard work, both in the classroom and on the links, was rewarded in recent months.

Shutler was named 2012 Big Sky Conference Women’s Golf Player of the Year on April 30. She earned conference Golfer of the Week honors four times during her senior campaign and on seven occasions over her four-year career. Her single-season stroke average of 75.12 and career average of 77.44 are both school records. She is also the owner of five of the program’s top 10 single-round scores.

Though she didn’t win a tournament this past year, she posted four top-five finishes and was the Hornets’ low scorer for six out of nine tournaments.

“(Earning Big Sky Player of the Year) was kind of a goal I set for myself after taking second in the conference my sophomore year,” Shutler said. “I was a little bit disappointed, and I since had my eye on accomplishing that before I was done. I really improved over my four years at Sac State, so getting it my senior year was icing on the cake for me.”

Then on May 3, Shutler was crowned Sac State’s Female Senior Student-Athlete of the Year in the year-end Green and Golden Globes Awards.

“That was definitely a huge surprise to me,” she said. “Every coach at Sac State got to nominate a senior from their team, and I knew my coach would nominate me because I was the only senior, I just didn’t expect to get that. It’s a huge honor because it was voted on by the faculty, the athletic director and other big wigs in the athletic department.”

And, of course, she graduated on May 19 with a degree in business marketing. That she did it in four years despite her year-round commitments to the golf team makes it all the more impressive.

“I always planned on finishing school no matter what,” Shutler said. “I know a lot of girls turn pro early, but education was important to me.”

Shutler isn’t done with golf. Far from it, she hopes.

Now, the fun begins.

For the first time, she qualified for the prestigious U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship which takes place June 18-23 at Neshanic Valley Golf Course in Neshanic Station, N.J. Shutler said she has tried but failed every year since she was a junior at Sierra High.

Shutler earned her U.S. Women’s Amateur berth in a qualifying tournament at The Reserve at Spanos Park May 31. She finished in a three-way tie for fourth with a 1-over 73. Pepperdine sophomore Grace Na won with a 70.

The seven lowest scorers advance. Oakdale High’s standout freshman, Mabel Wong, lost a playoff for an alternate spot.

“I’ve been an alternate, I’ve lost playoffs to be an alternate, I’ve missed by a lot of different margins but usually close,” Shutler said. “It’s very exciting to break through and jump that hurdle. It’s a great opportunity for me.”

The U.S. Women’s Amateur begins with two rounds of stroke play. From there, the top 64 out of 156 entrants advance to the match-play round.

In preparation for the event, she will enter herself, as an amateur, in a CN Canadian Women’s Tour tournament at Beloeil Golf Club in Quebec next week.

A week following the U.S. Women’s Amateur, Shutler plans on turning pro and will compete in another Canadian Tour tourney at the Legends on the Niagra’s Battle Course in Ontario.

Exemptions to the Canadian Women’s Open and LPGA Futures Tour tournaments are at stake in Canadian Tour events.

“My schedule for June is crazy,” Shutler said. “By the end of the month I’ll be taking my first step into professional golf. I’m looking forward to moving into that next level.”