For Eastern Michigan University senior and women’s golf team captain Alyssa Kwon, being part of the golf team has been exciting because of her teammates.
“The team is always together,” she said. “We go to the movies together a lot. We have that chemistry that you need to be a successful team. You don’t see that much with other teams at our tournaments.”
Kwon grew up in Seoul, South Korea, but she moved back and forth between there and Canada, before ending up in Canada, where she attended Richmond Hill High School in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
Last month, teammate and fellow captain Meredith Fairbairn fell ill. The team was forced to continue the rest of the season without her.
“Losing Meredith was rough for the team,” Kwon said. “I had to step up and be more responsible as a captain. Corey Crossan stepped up and helped me out a lot.
The team is very close: Five of them live together and four of them have the same major. Kwon and Fairbairn shared an apartment together across the hall from teammates Sarah Johnson, Crossan and Rushda Mallick. The open-door policy is much like that of the one you would see in the TV show “Friends”; they are in and out of each other’s apartments all the time.
Kwon, Crossan, Fairbairn and Karyn Lee Ping are all exercise science majors.
“Being so close to one another helps us play better,” Kwon said. “We don’t feel the need to compete with each other.”
Kwon has been awarded the Mid-American Conference Player of the Week award twice in her career at Eastern.
“It feels great to know that hard work pays off,” Kwon said. “[It’s] nice to be recognized before I graduate from Eastern.”
Johnson had positive things to say about her teammate.
“Alyssa is a great leader and captain, on and off the golf course,” Johnson said. “She does so many things that you can’t see on a scorecard. She is the first one to offer help and support in all situations. On the golf course she is a straight shooter and a steady Eddie …very consistent. I have never seen another person hit the ball as straight as her. Whenever I am playing behind her she is always on the fairway.”
When Kwon is not on the golf course, her biggest area of concentration is on school. She has good grades and enjoys being in class.
“Off the golf course, Alyssa is a great student,” Johnson said. “She has one of the highest grade point averages on our team and encourages teammates to do well in school.”
Kwon does not plan to have much of a pursuit of golf after college. She said she would like to stay amateur, but school seems to get preferential treatment from her.
This summer she has plans to return to Canada for an internship at a rehabilitation clinic.
After the internship she plans to go back to school at the University of Toronto, McMaster University or the University of Western Ontario to complete graduate school for a degree in physical therapy.
Before coming to EMU, she had already built up friendships with Fairbairn and Crossan; they played junior golf together in Canada.
Kwon loves golf, but said if she could, she would go back and choose another sport to play.
“I would have played a team sport like softball,” Kwon said.
Alyssa Kwon highlights:
School concentration: Exercise science and physical therapy
Favorite sport to watch, other than golf: “I love baseball,” she said. “[It’s] fun to watch. I don’t really have a favorite team, though.”
Interests: “Documentaries and crime investigation shows.”
Favorite Movie: “Pitch Perfect”
What’s in her bag:
Driver: R9 T9 model
3 Wood: RocketBallz Stage 2
Irons: Titleist A2’s
Wedges: Titleist Vokeys – 52, 56, and 60 degrees
Putter: Yes! putter
