Ranked No. 19 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, Arizona State senior Olivia Mehaffey has had a dominant collegiate career. During her 2018-2019 season, she racked up three wins including an individual title at the Pac-12 Championship and the NCAA Norman Regional. She then posted two top-10 finishes in her last three tournaments played in 2019-20 before the NCAA collegiate season was cancelled.
Olivia caught up with us recently and answered some questions about her collegiate career, her path to becoming a Sun Devil and some personal favorites.
What is your favorite movie?
Safe Haven
What is your favorite song?
Beautiful day- U2
What’s your go to TV show to watch?
Love Island
What is your favorite food to snack on?
Fruit
Who is your favorite golfer and why?
Rory McIlroy, love his swing, attitude, honesty and he is from my home country
How do you spend your free time outside of golf?
At the gym, with my friends or shopping
Who is your biggest role model and why?
My biggest role model is my mum from seeing her overcome so many things and never complaining.
What is one thing that no one knows about you?
I never single sneeze.
It is heartbreaking to hear that your senior golf season has been cut short. Can you tell me your initial thoughts when you first heard the news? What feelings or emotions did you go through?
My heart was broken; we were in Hawaii at an event when we found out and I cried with my team. Being a senior and knowing you played your last college round is gutting. Especially as we had such a great team and we were hosting Nationals at Grayhawk, which is one of my favorite courses. It took a couple of days to process everything.
What is your greatest memory of the past 4 years spent as a Sun Devil?
My greatest memory is winning the national championship with my team as a freshman. The memories both on and off the course are so special.
You’ve had a very impressive career during your time at Arizona State, winning the Pac-12 Championship and NCAA Regionals last year. Looking back on your time as a Sun Devil, can you describe what it was like and what it taught you both on and off the golf course?
As I look back on my time as a Sun Devil it has been amazing. I have met the most amazing people and I am grateful for everyone in the Sun Devil family. I have learned so much while being at ASU both on and off the course. I have grown a lot as a person away from golf and matured. I feel the past 4 years have prepared me for professional golf.
How did you make your decision to play golf at Arizona State?
It was an easy decision for me. Coming from bad weather at home, Arizona was very appealing. Along with that, the program history is amazing and I knew any program that produced that many players on tour was where I wanted to be. The facilities, coaches and having fellow Europeans on the team were important for me.
Do you have any encouraging words to share to other fellow seniors who are no longer going to be able to finish their final seasons as a collegiate athlete?
I think it is tough for every single senior, but I look at it with gratitude and fond memories. I feel very lucky to have been able to experience what I have in college.
Do you have any advice to share with aspiring female golfers who are just starting to play the game?
Just keep having fun. It is a game for life with many benefits along the way, but the most important thing is to enjoy.
What are some tips that helped you balance a student athlete lifestyle?
Planning my days in advance and prioritizing what is important to me. I think the structure allowed me to get everything done I wanted to.
What are your plans for after graduation?
My plans are to turn professional and play on the LPGA.
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