Photo Courtesy of Pepperdine Athletics
Senior golfer Grace Na is gearing up to take her last strokes of collegiate golf before beginning a promising professional career after graduation. The three time All-American and three time winner of the WCC Player of the Year Award has completed her senior season on a high note with low marks.
“Senior season has been a blessing for me. I had some ups and downs but overall, I had a great season with the team and I’m excited for postseason,” said Na.
Na is ranked first at Pepperdine for her career stroke average of 73.31 and ranks eighth for top-10 tournament finishes. This six-time WCC Player of the Month digs deeper into the sport than most, and mentions that golf is not only an occupational decision for her, but a form of self-betterment and discipline.
“… golf can be the precise technique and fundamentals, but another aspect people don’t really know about is that golf is an emotional fight with yourself,” Na said. “I learned about myself a lot through the game, my mentality, personality and character, so when you come across a negative characteristic about yourself it’s tough to accept it, but you always find a way to better yourself.”
Na came to Pepperdine in the spring of 2010 after graduating early from high school to pursue her collegiate career. The young Temple, Texas native broke out into D1 women’s golf, promising to be a formidable force on the field by placing 18th at NCAA West Regional with four sub-par rounds and tying for Pepperdine’s best-ever 18-hole score at WCC Championships. Na continued to rise in ranking and stature on the green as a sophomore, tying for 77th at the NCAA Championships and earning WCC Player of the Year for the second year in a row. She finished her 2012-2013 season ranked eighth by Golfstat and ninth in Golfweek’s national rankings.
With a long list of accolades and triumphs, Na’s team is the achievement she cherishes the most. This is a unique response in such an individualistic sport.
“I can list the wins or awards I’ve received throughout my career, but I know ultimately that’s overrated. It’s always nice and you feel good after a successful win or an award, but I realized there is so much more than that. It’s hard for golfers to adapt to a team dynamic because we have always grown up thinking about ourselves because this is an individual sport. I can confidently say that I think my biggest accomplishment was developing as a person through the team,” Na said.
In her final season, Na continues to set the green ablaze, adding a second consecutive victory at the Anuenue Spring Break Classic on March 26 in Hawaii. The senior will finish her graduation requirements this fall while playing in Q-school (a qualifier to receive one’s professional tour card) starting in August.
Golf is a game of tenacity and internal battle alongside the external rigor of the game. Na draws on her faith to persevere when the competition gets thick.
“My one favorite inspirational quote is Phillipians 4:13 — ‘I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.’ I have this verse on my putter because there are a lot of hardships and ups and downs and times where you just want to stop because the process seems so endless. So I love this go-to bible verse because it’s always uplifting to know that I have Christ in my heart and with Him, I can do all things,” Na said.
When Na finds free time from golf and academics, she enjoys spending time with friends, drawing, running and swimming. To an outside eye, the senior may appear to be a regular college student. However, Na’s fierce passion for the sport was embedded in roots that run as deep as family.
“I started to play because of my dad’s passion for this sport and just to spend some father-daughter time,” Na said. “I love the never-ending challenge in this game, and there is always room to improve. No such thing as perfection.”
Na is approaching the end of her final season as a Wave and amateur golfer as she gears up for a professional career, an achievement very few can boast of. She credits Pepperdine for getting her to the “final hole” on the college green.
“As a golfer, Pepperdine just has a tremendous, supportive community. The athletic department really cares for their student athletes and as a golfer, I’ve received much support from the community as a whole. I’ve grown a lot as an individual over the four years. Being in the community, my spiritual life enriched greatly, which I am most thankful for. Also, you just learn a lot being in a team with your teammates and coaches. They have a lot of positive [lessons] to teach me and I think I took great advantage of that during my time here,” Na said.
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