“What year are you?” is an easy question any college student can answer with ease, but for 18-year-old golfer Grace Na, it is actually quite complicated.
Na graduated from Almaeda High School in December 2010 and enrolled at Pepperdine in January 2011 for the spring semester.
As a result, Pepperdine labels her as a sophomore even though this is her first full year of school and her first full year competing on the golf team.
“When I first started I wasn’t even a legal adult,” Na said.
In the process Na lost a year of NCAA golf eligibility, but apparently it has not fazed her. She has dominated thus far in her golf career.
On Oct. 24, Na tied the NCAA record with a 9-under 63 in the first round of the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown at the Boulder Creek Golf Club.
The women’s golf team ended up grasping second in the tournament, and Na stole first place with a career-best 7-under 209 — her second collegiate first-place finish.
Last season, in her first semester playing for the school, Na managed to snag the Player and Freshman of the Year Awards in addition to being named to the All-WCC first team.
Na’s impressive track record does not seem as surprising, considering she picked up a club at the age of 7.
“My dad was a big golfer,” Na said. “It was really a coincidence that he loves golf, and I happened to pick it up as a sport.”
Since then, Na has put in solid hours to improve, often logging in eight to ten hours of practice a day at home.
During the season the team travels often. This season alone they have already been to four different states: Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Texas. None of the traveling is easy to handle.
“Golf travels the most out of any sport, with most tournaments spanning over the course of five school days,” Na said. “Doing homework on the road is stressful, but it teaches time management.
“I think it makes us [players] more well-rounded people, and I get a lot out of it.”
Not only was Na greeted with the tough reality of balancing life as a student-athlete at Pepperdine, but, on a lighter note, she reunited with longtime friend, Danielle Kang, whom she had met previously in junior tournaments.
Kang left Pepperdine after two years to pursue a professional golf career.
When asked if she would follow in the footsteps of her friend, Na replied, “Definitely not. I want to get my degree. I want to graduate, and I want to have the full college experience. There is no reason for me to rush.
“I would like to mature, make friends and develop my game more with my coaches. I want to grow up before I go on tour.”
“She has to listen to Christian music before she tees off,” said teammate and best friend senior Kaitlin Drolson. “She likes to have a specific breakfast, she has to talk with her mom before she tees off, and she has to have a cross on her somewhere.”
Along with her routines, Na’s favorite golfers also reflect her personality. She contemplated for a while, but eventually chose Phil Mickelson and Korean golf prodigy Nayeon Choi.
“They have great composures and work hard,” Na said. “They always keep smiles on their faces, and that’s how I want to play.”
Drolson affirmed her teammate’s upbeat charisma.
“Grace is a one-of-a-kind with a fun and outgoing personality,” Drolson said. “She is such a loving person and friend. She is so positive and always has a smile on her face, which is really helpful in a team.”
The Lady Waves play next in the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, a local tournament held in Palos Verdes in February.
