Tag: Emilia Migliaccio

Emilia Migliaccio and her mother set to make history at Augusta National on Saturday

Emilia Migliaccio and her mom Ulrika will make a memorable mother-daughter caddie duo at Augusta National.

AUGUSTA, Georgia – Emilia Migliaccio’s mother was getting fitted for a white caddie jumpsuit on Friday afternoon at Augusta National. Ulrika Migliaccio must surely be the first mom to ever caddie for her child in a competitive round at Augusta National.

Emilia, a first-team All-American at Wake Forest, will mostly rely on mom for yardages and club selection in Saturday’s final round at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Ulrika played collegiate golf alongside LPGA Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam at the University of Arizona, where she earned All-American honors.

“My mom has been my inspiration in everything,” said Emilia.

Ulrika asked her daughter if she wanted to take a local caddie for the final round, where Emilia trails leaders Rose Zhang and Ingrid Lindblad by four strokes. Rachel Heck, a freshman at Stanford who sits three shots back, made arrangements long before this week that her father, Robert, wouldn’t be on the bag for the final round.

For Emilia, however, it was a clear choice.

“I think it would just be really special for us to be on the bag together,” said Emilia. “I think it will be a moment that we couldn’t replicate anywhere else.”

LPGA: U.S. Women's Open - Second Round
Emilia Migliaccio (left) and her mom and caddie walk up to 1st tee box during the second round of the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament at Champions Golf Club. Photo credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

Ulrika has caddied for her daughter from the start at small junior events. They frequently went out as a family and played a par-3 course near North Carolina State’s Lonnie Poole Golf Course in Raleigh. As Emilia grew and the stakes got higher, Ulrika remained at her daughter’s side. When Emilia won gold at the 2019 Pan American Games, her mom was her caddie.

Now, as Emilia prepares to wind down her golf career, choosing to spend the summer on Golf Channel’s editorial staff rather than working her way through LPGA Q-School, this once-in-a-lifetime round at Augusta is particularly poignant.

That being said, Migliaccio isn’t likely to get too caught up in sentimentality on Saturday.

“I just want to give it everything I have,” she said, “absolutely everything at having a chance to win the title. It would mean so much.”

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A freer Emilia Migliaccio is teeing it up at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur after a pivot away from pro golf aspirations

Emilia Migliaccio is feeling freer at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur after making a big decision about her future.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Emilia Migliaccio first knew something was off at the North & South Women’s Amateur last summer. She birdied her final three holes to shoot even and felt nothing.

“I didn’t feel that feeling of triumph,” said Migliaccio, “and I was like, that’s weird.”

Migliaccio, a 21-year-old senior at Wake Forest, has long been a favorite in women’s amateur golf. She won the ACC individual title in 2019 and won the gold medal at the Pan-American Games a few months later. She made the quarterfinals at the North & South Women’s Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur over the summer

For a few months now, however, Migliaccio has known she won’t pursue golf at the professional level. Instead, she’ll pursue a passion for writing she has had since she was a kid. Migliaccio, who published a novel in 2018, will spend the summer on Golf Channel’s editorial staff before heading back to graduate school at Wake Forest. She’ll complete a two-year program for her master’s in communication, which will include part-time work as a teacher’s assistant.

Migliaccio, a smiley presence in from of a microphone, thinks she could offer college students some advice in that area.

“One of the classes that a lot of TA’s teach is public speaking,” she said. “I feel like I could help a lot of people with that, because everyone is really scared of it and there’s no need to be scared.”

In the past eight months, Migliaccio played the U.S. Women’s Open and ANA Inspiration, LPGA majors, as well as the Carolina Golf Classic on the Symetra Tour, where she finished fourth.

After the start of 2021, Migliaccio finished 33rd at the Sally Amateur, a tournament she’d won in 2018, and fired uncharacteristic rounds in the high 70s in her first college start, the UCF Challenge.

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“I was like, I need to make this decision not because I wasn’t playing well but because I was putting so much pressure on myself that I needed to take a step back and say, I need to rethink this decision just so I can play a little freer,” she said.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen down the road, but right now I need to make this decision for me.”

When Migliaccio would play a bad round, it felt like her world was ending. Now she’s looking forward to a new chapter and new opportunities. It’s a hard pivot after working so long toward professional golf. She played her first tournament as a 9-year-old, amid a period of wanting to play professional soccer. Until she was 12, she wanted to play the World Cup and be the next Hope Solo.

As a golfer, Migliaccio always wanted to be World No. 1 – and got close, landing at a career-best No. 3 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings for a while – but that’s been her approach to everything.

“When I was a kid, if I was going to do something, I was going to try and be the best,” she said. “I was going to try and master whatever skill. If I’m studying for a test, I’m not studying to get a B+, I’m studying to get 100 percent, to get every question right.”

A freer Migliaccio could make plenty of headlines with her game at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and also as the college-golf postseason progresses. In 2019, when Wake Forest was the NCAA runner-up, Migliaccio won all three of her matches at the national championship to help carry the Demon Deacons.

For the ANWA, she’ll have mom Ulrika on her bag, as usual. Ulrika, a former member of the Swedish national team and the University of Arizona women’s golf team, often walks every step of the way with her daughter. Should Migliaccio make the cut to play at Augusta National in the final round on Saturday, the plan won’t change. Familiarity is still an advantage.

And as for what Migliaccio’s golf future holds? Still expect to see her play amateur golf, just not less of it – particularly as she completes her master’s degree. Mother and daughter might even switch roles, Migliaccio joked, so that she can pick up the bag and return the favor for mom.

“I’m not thinking too far ahead,” Migliaccio said.

That’s the beauty of having options.

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U.S. Women’s Amateur: Gabriela Ruffels-Emilia Migliaccio quarterfinal match lives up to billing

The star-studded quarterfinal match of Gabriela Ruffels-Emilia Migliaccio lived up to its billing on Saturday at the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

ROCKVILLE, Md. — In every match play event there’s always one match on the bracket that arrives too soon in the competition.

At this year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur, it was the quarterfinal match between defending champion Gabriela Ruffels and Wake Forest’s Emilia Migliaccio.

The match had the feel and intensity of a final. Migliaccio, known for her match play prowess in the amateur golf world, was the better player on the front nine, holding a 2-up lead through the 8th hole.

Walking to the 9th tee, a testy 396-yard par-4, Migliaccio was entering Ruffel’s world. Woodmont Country Club should name the hole “Gabi” after what the USC senior has been able to accomplish this week. In all four matches, she’s won the 9th with a par (and made par in both stroke-play rounds, as well). Ruffels has trailed in all four match play rounds standing on the 9th tee and has gone on to win every match by cruising through the more-difficult back nine.

U.S. Women’s Amateur: Scores | Gallery

On Saturday morning Ruffels also won the 10th to tie the match, then went 1 down again on No. 15 after a clutch birdie from Migliaccio. Ruffels flagged her tee shot on the par-3 16th, making birdie to tie the match once again.

On the 18th green, Migliaccio almost produced some late heroics for the second day in a row. In Friday’s Round of 16 match, she made a 15-plus footer for birdie to force a playoff. On Saturday morning, from around 35 feet, her putt caught the lip and just missed.

Ruffels flagged her approach to around 10 feet, and in true champion fashion put the match to bed with a birdie. She now faces Michigan State’s Valery Plata in this afternoon’s semifinals, last season’s B1G Ten golfer of the year and this week’s most consistent player. In match play, Plata has led for 51 holes. She’s trailed for just four holes, all on the front nine of her quarterfinal win Saturday morning.

There’s a potential all-Trojan final on hand with Alyaa Abdulghany on the other side of the bracket squaring off against 2021 Stanford commit and the world’s No. 9-ranked amateur Rose Zhang.

The semifinals begin at 12:45 p.m. ET, with live coverage on Golf Channel from 1-4 p.m. ET.

U.S. Women’s Amateur: Round of 16 ends in wild playoff, sets up must-watch quarterfinals

Emilia Migliaccio is known for her match play prowess, and she showed it off with some clutch putts Friday at the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

ROCKVILLE, Md. – Emilia Migliaccio was born for match play.

All tied on the 18th hole in the Round of 16 at the 120th U.S. Women’s Amateur at Woodmont Country Club outside of Washington, D.C., both Migliaccio and opponent Megan Schofill were in the fairway, with Schofill first to play. The rising sophomore at Auburn almost ended the match on the spot, flagging her approach to just inches after her ball took a 360-degree spin around the cup. The birdie was conceded, leaving Migliaccio outside of 15 feet to extend the match.

“Yeah, I heard her reaction, but I saw the ball. I knew it wasn’t in the hole. I knew it was probably two inches, and I was going to give it to her,” said Migliaccio. “I just hit a great 7-iron. It didn’t go like at the pin, but it was really good … So I was just trying to focus on the present as much as I could on exactly what I needed to do without trying to force anything.”

U.S. Women’s Amateur: Scores | Gallery

Migliaccio, a rising senior at Wake Forest, let out a “YEAH!” so loud it could be heard on Capitol Hill. She buried the putt as if it was a tap-in, pushing the match to a playoff.

The match went 22 holes, ending on the fourth, a testy 338-yard par 4 that requires accuracy off the tee and precision to the green. Migliaccio lipped out for the win from five feet on the previous hole, and wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice.

“On this hole I was in the same spot this afternoon against Megan, and I three-putted because I hit it four feet short,” remembered Migliaccio. “So I was like, ‘OK, you know it’s not that fast,’ and I actually thought I hit it too high, but then it rolled in on the very back, so that was nice, especially after I thought I made that putt (on the previous hole).”

“I was just trying not to focus on, ‘Oh, that was my chance to win on the last hole.'”

Migliaccio’s mother, Ricki, a former All-American at Arizona and teammate of Annika Sorenstam, was the one to let out a yell this time after her daughter’s win. The two have a very close relationship. Ricki is at every college event, walking step-by-step with her daughter. This week she’s on the bag as her caddie.

“It’s just really special,” said Emilia of her mother, who also caddied for her when she won the gold medal at last year’s Pan-Am Games. “She knows what to say. She knows my golf game. She has a really good golf IQ, so I know I can just rely on her to tell me what the slope is and what number I need to play, which is good when you’re kind of just in the moment and you need someone else to kind of help you out.”

“So yeah, she’s incredible. I’m so lucky to have a mom like her.”

How will she prepare for her quarterfinal match against defending champion Gabriela Ruffels? Schoolwork, obviously. Emilia has a final project due for a sports business summer class she’s taking online. The life of a student-athlete doesn’t take a break for a USGA championship.

In the opening two matches of the Round of 16, two surprise losses shook up the bracket. Top-seed Rachel Heck, an incoming freshman at Stanford, lost to 2021 Stanford commit Rose Zhang, marking the 29th consecutive year the No. 1 seed won’t win the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

In the second match, Rachel Kuehn lost, 2 and 1, to Auburn’s Kaleigh Telfer. Kuehn entered this week on a two-event hot streak after winning both the North & South Amateur and LNGA Amateur.

The only other match to go to a playoff came in the middle of the round where Virginia’s Riley Smyth took down Notre Dame’s Lauren Beaudreau in 21 holes. All three of Smythe’s matches have gone to at least the 18th hole. With potentially 36 holes to play tomorrow, the Cary, North Carolina, native (which Migliaccio also calls home) has played 57 holes of match play the past two days (93 in the past five days counting stroke play).

Ole Miss’ Kennedy Swann defeated Oklahoma State’s Isabella Fierro, 2 and 1, leading to a special moment with her father just off the 17th green. Swann had her dad on the bag for the two rounds of stroke play, but switched to her assistant coach Zack Byrd for match play. Seeing tears in her dad’s eyes, Swann said with a laugh, “Don’t cry! We still have three matches to go.”

Quarterfinal matches

Rose Zhang vs. Kaleigh Telfer, 7 a.m. ET

Alyaa Abdulghany vs. Riley Smyth, 7:10 a.m. ET

Valery Plata vs. Kennedy Swann, 7:20 a.m. ET

Emilia Migliaccio vs. Gabriela Ruffels, 7:30 a.m. ET

How to Watch

Saturday, Aug. 8

Quarterfinal, semifinal matches: 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Golf Channel

Sunday, Aug. 9

Championship match (afternoon 18): 1-4 p.m., Golf Channel

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North & South Women’s Amateur preview: Players to watch at Pinehurst

There will be no title defense this year without Gabriela Ruffels in the field, but here are a few players to watch instead.

Finding time to groove a swing change can be difficult as a top amateur. Emilia Migliaccio, at No. 5 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, has used this pandemic-forced break in competition to finally do that. Migliaccio, a rising Wake Forest senior, has worked hard with coach Kim Lewellen (also her college coach) to tighten things up in this unexpected off-season.

“Not big changes,” she said, “but they’ve been really good changes that I’ve never been able to implement because there’s never really been so much time to implement and have time to practice a swing change.”

Migliaccio lives just 65 miles up the road from Pinehurst Resort, site of this week’s North & South Women’s Amateur. The Cary, North Carolina, native advanced all the way to the semifinals at this event last year. She fell to eventual champion Gabriela Ruffels on the 18th hole of their match.

Migliaccio will debut her slightly revised swing this week as she makes her first real tournament start since winning the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate in March.

There will be no title defense this year without Ruffels in the field. The Australian went on to win the U.S. Women’s Amateur after last year’s North & South title. Besides Migliaccio, only Christine Wang, Kelly Sim and Allisen Corpuz return from last year’s quarterfinals.

Below are a few other names to keep an eye on as the tournament gets started on July 14. After two rounds of stroke-play qualifying, the field will be whittled to a 32-woman match-play bracket. The final match will be played July 18.

The veterans

Meghan Stasi, Ina Kim-Schaad, Ellen Port

These women own a collective 12 USGA titles, and all have won the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur. Kim-Schaad is the reigning champion, while Stasi and Port have each won four. All three have a killer instinct in match play. Port most recently made headlines when, at the age of 58, she advanced to the match-play bracket at the 2018 U.S. Women’s Amateur, losing to Dylan Kim in the first round.

The locals

Gina Kim, Nicole Adam

Nicole Adam, an 18-year-old coached by local Pinehurst legend Donna Andrews, took Ruffels all the way to the 17th hole in her first-round match against the eventual winner last year. It was a big confidence boost for Adam, whose game has been shaped greatly by growing up at Pinehurst.

As for Gina Kim, the Duke junior grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, just 65 miles north of Pinehurst. Kim, runner-up at this summer’s Carolinas Amateur, played a vital role in Duke’s 2019 NCAA title run as a freshman and weeks later, finished 12th at the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open.

The juniors

Alexa Pano, Paris Hilinski

The two teenagers never slowed down their competition even as the opportunities dwindled in the spring. Both teed it up at the Women’s All-Pro Tour event in Arkansas, and Pano, 15, finished runner-up to winner Maria Fassi. Pano also won the Kathy Whitworth Junior Invitational in March while Hilinski, 16, scored a third-place finish at the Annika Invitational in January. Both had earned invitations to play the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April.

The victors

Katherine Schuster, Amanda Sambach, Isabella Fierro

It takes a deft touch around the greens – and an ability to keep the ball in play – to succeed in Pinehurst. These three women have demonstrated that as past champions of the North & South Girls Junior. Amanda Sambach, a top-30 player in the world, is just five days removed from her title. Schuster, also the reining Women’s Dixie Amateur and Joanne Winter Silver Belle Amateur champion, won in 2019. Fierro burst onto the scene with her 2017 win and just completed her freshman year at Oklahoma State.

The state titleholders

Bentley Cotton, Megan Schofill, Erica Shepherd

Many amateurs have turned to their state amateurs for competitive reps, like these three women. Schofill, an Auburn sophomore, erased a 10-shot deficit to win the Florida Women’s Amateur on July 12 and Cotton, an incoming Texas freshman, is three days removed from a Texas Women’s Amateur win. Shepherd, a Duke sophomore, won the Indiana Women’s Amateur by four shots in June.

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Know their names: These top players will drive amateur golf in 2020

The following names are likely to appear in amateur golf headlines in 2020. Their path to the top of amateur golf is worth following.

In most cases, players have a limited window in which to make waves in amateur golf. Juniors and college players generally use amateur events – from the Western Amateur to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur to the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur – as a platform to launch them into long and successful professional careers.

Even if amateur golf is transient for the top players, there’s still time to develop a rooting interest for these men and women. The following names – some highlighted individually, and some highlighted in clusters – are likely to appear in headlines on the biggest stages in 2020. Their growth and their path to the top of amateur golf is worth following. Here’s the background.

Emilia Migliaccio, top-ranked U.S. female

Emilia Migliaccio during a Curtis Cup practice session in December. (Photo: USGA/Steven Gibbons)

Migliaccio’s last act before returning to Wake Forest for her junior season was to represent the U.S. at the Pan-American Games. The team won gold that week in Lima, Peru, and so did Migliaccio, which made her the first American, male or female, to win a gold medal in golf at either the Pan American Games or the Olympics since the event was reintroduced to the games in 2015.

It’s fitting that Migliaccio is the top-ranked American in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (at No. 7) entering 2020. It’s also fitting that it’s a Curtis Cup year. Someone like Migliaccio, who shines in a team setting, would be an excellent leader for a U.S. squad looking to win on foreign soil. Migliaccio stands to figure in to all conversations surrounding women’s golf in 2020, from college golf to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

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