Name: Vinh-Hop Ngo
Hometown: Newton, MA
Major/Minors: Economics major, minor in Global Trade & Commerce Studies
The ins and outs of athletics at Wake always makes for a good read. Keep reading for the exclusive on the golf team from junior golfer Vinh-Hop Ngo, who adds in a unique perspective on healing from a difficult injury.
Her Campus (HC): Tell us a little bit about your experiences on the Wake Forest Golf team over the past couple of years!
Vinh-Hop Ngo (VN): Playing Division I golf has been my goal since I was a child. Between school, early morning workouts, afternoon practices, and traveling to tournaments, things get very stressful, but I think in the end it’s worth it. There is nothing better than being on a team and having seven or eight other girls and supportive coaches that have the same goals and aspirations as I do. We also always manage to find time to let loose outside of just playing golf and studying, which I think is great about this team. I consider myself very lucky to be a part of such a great golf tradition at Wake, and I truly can’t see myself anywhere else.
HC: What were your hopes and expectations coming into this season?
VN: I am injured, so I’m redshirting this year. I have a lumbar herniated disc that has been bothering me for over a year. Last year, I played in a couple tournaments, but then I hurt it during a tournament. Since then, I haven’t played any golf at all. It’s been six months since I last swung a club. So, I’m trying to rehab it, and I really hope to be back within the next year.
HC: How do you mentally prepare for tournaments?
VN: I always try to focus 100% on golf the night before a tournament round, so I find it hard to do any school work while at a tournament. I try to visualize the course and the kinds of shots I want to hit, especially on the tough holes that will get me in trouble without proper focus. Before a round, I write down a list of the things I did well the day before, so I can have a positive mindset going into the next round. Golf is very mental, so you really have to be mentally ready. If I slack off and don’t focus all on golf, it is obvious; it shows on the scoreboard. The morning before a round, I usually listen to slower music so that I can keep a calm demeanor for the day. I don’t listen to pump up music before a round; I’m nervous enough already.
HC: What do your daily or weekly scheduling commitments look like as a member of the golf team?
VN: We have 7am team workouts Tuesday and Thursday. Every weekday, we have team practices for about 3 hours. We usually play three 18-hole rounds of qualifying a week, which each take about 4 hours or more. Saturday and Sunday we don’t have mandatory team practice, so we all pretty much practice on our own time. And when we travel to tournaments, we always miss at least 2 days of class because a typical tournament is 4 days, plus at least half a day of travel. We play in both the fall and the spring; our offseason is only from November until winter break. We have four tournaments in the fall and five in the spring regular season, in addition to the ACC Championship and NCAAs, which makes it a total of eight tournaments in the spring—and a lot of missed classes!
HC: When did you start golfing and what inspired you to play at a collegiate level?
VN: I started playing golf when I was about seven years old. I actually played tennis before, but my Dad introduced me to golf because he thought I would have a better chance of making it in golf, given my height. Believe it or not, I hated golf in the beginning and begged to go back to playing tennis. But I think ever since I started seriously playing golf, there was no other goal in mind than to play at the Division I level, and I really worked my butt off throughout the years to achieve it.
HC: How has the team performed this season, and what’s next?
VN: The team has done incredibly well this fall. We have an amazing lineup of players that I unfortunately can’t be a part of this year. The girls won two tournaments as a team this season alone, and Jennifer, sophomore, individually won both tournaments. We are doing so much better than last year, so the goal is to keep going and winning more tournaments in the spring and hopefully win ACCs and the National Championship! I think with the team we have this year, it’s very possible.
HC: What are your hopes for your senior season of golf?
VN: I just hope I can play golf again. I just want to be able to swing a golf club and not be in pain.
HC: What are you most excited for during Thanksgiving break?
VN: Taking a break from school and relaxing for a few days, and of course the food!
HC: What’s your go-to meal at the Pit?
VN: An omelet or oatmeal in the morning and anything at the True Balance station for lunch or dinner.
HC: Favorite off-campus place to eat in Winston?
VN: Village Tavern.
HC: What are you most looking forward to as the semester comes to a close?
VN: Seeing my family again. I haven’t seen them since the end of the summer, because they are halfway across the world right now, in Vietnam. I can’t wait to join them in just a few short weeks!
Photos courtesy of Vinh-Hop Ngo