Megan Yang closed out her sophomore season at UC Irvine on a high note at the Big West Championships last month at Yorba Linda Country Club. Yang carded a school-record 65 in the first round of the tournament and maintained her position for a second place finish overall, posting a team-leading 54-hole score of 215 (65-73-77). She finishes her second season as an Anteater with a 76.92 scoring average across 12 rounds.

In the latest Q&A installment, we caught up with the San Jose native to talk about her recent accomplishments on the course and her career interests as she moves forward at UC Irvine.


Q: What were the keys to your strong performance at the Big West Championships, and how can you build off of your success as you look ahead to next season?
A: During that round I wasn't worrying about how the other competitors were doing and focused on scoring as low as I could to help my team. I am excited for next season. I think that this tournament allowed me to see my potential, and experience playing up to that level. Now it's a matter of repetition.

Q: When did you first get into the sport of golf? At what point did you decide you wanted to play at the collegiate level?
A: Since 8th grade I've been aiming to play collegiately. Growing up, I would always play golf with my dad, who is a huge golf fan. Eventually, I found a love for the sport and wanted to challenge myself further.

Q: What would you say is the strongest aspect of your game?
A: I believe the strongest aspect of my game is my length off the tee and my accuracy with my long irons. My distance along with the accuracy from longer distances allows me to go for holes that most people would have more difficulty with.

Q: Do you have a set routine that you typically follow on competition days?
A: Yes, I usually get to the course about an hour and 15 minutes before I tee off. I take as much time as I feel is necessary on the range to completely warm up and use the rest of the hour to get the speed of the greens and chips.

Q: What advice would you give to golfers just picking up the sport?
A: Golf is a sport that requires a lot of mental discipline and patience. So, it's important to stay positive even when the round isn't going your way.

Q: Which club in the bag do you feel most comfortable with?
A: I am most comfortable with my 7 iron. I usually have more confidence when I have that club in my hand.

Q: If you could get a lesson from any professional golfer, who would it be and why?
A: Lydia Ko. I've watched her a couple times when she played the professional event at Lake Merced in San Francisco. She keeps such a level head when she plays and I would love to ask her how she manages her mental game.

Q: Did you play any sports other than golf as you were growing up?
A: I did gymnastics from kindergarten to 6th grade. I even made it to States a couple of times. Eventually, I stopped after getting serious about golf.

Q: What are you studying at UC Irvine? How did you first become interested in your field of study?
A: I am currently studying mechanical engineering. It's a pretty broad field of study with many practical applications. I want to be able to work in the more technical side of film production, however, I am open to the possibilities that this major can take me.

Q: What do you think is the most challenging aspect of being a student-athlete?
A: Everything is about balance, even more so when you are a student-athlete. Student-athletes have to balance school workload, health, social life, and of course the time it takes to practice their sport. Trying to balance these aspects of our life within a 24-hour window is no easy task. I spent my first year really struggling to find balance in these tasks. I still struggle from time to time, however finding balance has really helped me feel more mentally at ease.

Q: Which class that you have taken to this point at UC Irvine have you enjoyed the most or felt was the most beneficial to your academic development?
A: Anthro25A was the one class that really opened my eyes to the detrimental impact humans have on the environment. I learned to be more conscious about how my actions affect the world we live in.

Q: What is your dream career?
A: Anything that allows my schedule to be flexible and spend time with my family.