Growing up an ocean away from the mainland USA, Hawaii native Malia Nam did not follow the conventional path to the LPGA. Without access to major events like the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA), it wasn’t until Nam qualified for the USGA Women’s Amateur at 14 that she had the opportunity to play travel tournaments nationally. Playing these competitive tournaments got her noticed by college recruiters, and she eventually committed to play golf at USC.
After playing golf as an individual sport for so many years, USC was a chance for Nam to play for something bigger than herself. However, she struggled with a lasting hip injury that set back her progress towards professional golf. Despite the physical and mental challenges of this injury, Nam persevered and eventually earned a spot on the LPGA Tour.
To learn more about Malia Nam and her journey to the LPGA, watch our podcast at https://www.fairwayforgirls.com/podcast?wix-vod-video-id=d87b0b11c6494fd0b6aae3307cb1ca14&wix-vod-comp-id=comp-ls0juen6.