North Carolina State University Athletics
Where They Are Now – Brittany Marchand
1/30/2019 11:44:00 AM | Women's Golf
GoPack.com recently caught up with Wolfpack alumna Brittany Marchand as she prepares for her fourth season as a professional golfer and her first season with full LPGA status. She is the first player from NC State to earn full professional status.
After graduating in May of 2015 with a chemical engineering degree, she played on the Symetra Tour for two seasons.
In her first attempt at qualifying for the LPGA in 2015, she missed out on advancing to the final stage by one stroke. Thanks to a strong performance at LPGA Q-School in 2017, the Orangeville, Ontario, native earned conditional status for the 2018 season.
After consistently making the cut and earning money in professional tournaments throughout the 2018 season, Marchand managed to earn a rank among the top 100 on the money list through a "reshuffle" and earned full status towards the end of that year. She finished 89th on the money list and will have to remain among the top 100 in order to retain status for 2019.
Marchand was a standout for the Wolfpack from 2010-14, as she compiled a 74.96 career stroke average and owns the school records for most rounds played (119) and career wins (3). She was a member of the 2012 and '14 squads that qualified for the NCAA Championship, and her individual honors from her career include:
-Four-time All-ACC Academic Team honoree
-Three-time All-ACC recipient (2012-14)
-WGCA All-America Scholar (2012)
-WGCA Honorable Mention All-American (2014)
-ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2014)
-Won the Kay Yow Award in 2015 (given to the female student-athlete who best exemplifies outstanding academic achievement, athletic achievement, community service, and a true spirit of teamwork)
Currently residing in Apex, N.C., Marchand's first tournament of the 2019 season will be the Vic Open Feb. 7-10 in Australia.
Q: Now that you're entering your fourth year as a professional and will have full LPGA status, what has the full experience been like?
A: "It's definitely been a grind. I wanted it (playing on the LPGA) to happen faster like anyone would have wanted, to just graduate college and go straight to the LPGA. Playing on the Symetra Tour was a really good learning experience for me though. It taught me how to travel, play for money and do everything on my own. As much as I hated not making as much money right away, I think I needed it. It made me more ready for when I earned LPGA status, because I was more prepared and comfortable for what was to come.
"As much as I hated missing the final stage in 2016 by one shot, I think it was a blessing in disguise because playing on the Symetra Tour was the right thing for me."
Q: When you first started on the Symetra Tour, was it what you thought it would be?
A: "The traveling part I was pretty used to with college golf being two seasons. Also, when I was in school I was on the Canadian National Team, so during my winter and summer breaks I was usually traveling to training camps or representing Canada at international tournaments.
"The hardest part was learning to do everything on my own and manage my time. I didn't realize how much time it would take up planning and booking all of my trips. Everything else was kind of what I expected. I just thought that I would have so much time to golf during the day. There's so many other things you have to figure out when you're on your own though that consume your time and mental space."
Q: Now that you're living in the area, how has it been to be able to practice and play out at Lonnie Poole in preparation for the season?
A: "It's been a big positive. I've been super grateful that the team and Chip (Watson, general manager) have let me play out at Lonnie Poole. I love the course and facilities, and the short game area is phenomenal. I'm pretty lucky to have access to all of it, and it's been nice to be in a familiar setting even though I'm playing professionally. I have so much support here, which is nice."
Q: How do you think your collegiate experience and previous successes have helped you to get to this point?
A: "My college career played a huge part in my success. I loved my college golf experience. I was lucky to have a great coach and team to enjoy the experience with. We were invited to the best tournaments around the country and the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) is a really strong conference, so we always played against the best competition.
"All of the best girls from college typically end up playing professionally, so it was a familiar setting starting out on the Symetra Tour. Knowing that I could compete against those girls in college gave me confidence when I turned pro. I knew I could play out there too."
Q: You're one of several in recent years that have graduated from NC State and turned pro, and the first ever to play with full status on the LPGA. What testament does that make to the program with helping players to achieve their goals?
A: "I think NC State is definitely a place that you can achieve your goals. I've been really lucky to have a great relationship with Page (Marsh, head coach). She was super supportive of me through college, allowing me to major in chemical engineering and play golf at the same time. Even though I've graduated and turned pro, she still supports me. She's always thinking about your future, not just your college years, so it's a really good environment to be around.
"The facilities are also amazing to help prepare yourself for a professional career. Lonnie Poole is a challenging course and the short game area is incredible. If you're looking to turn professional, this is definitely a good school to help you transition into that phase."
After graduating in May of 2015 with a chemical engineering degree, she played on the Symetra Tour for two seasons.
In her first attempt at qualifying for the LPGA in 2015, she missed out on advancing to the final stage by one stroke. Thanks to a strong performance at LPGA Q-School in 2017, the Orangeville, Ontario, native earned conditional status for the 2018 season.
After consistently making the cut and earning money in professional tournaments throughout the 2018 season, Marchand managed to earn a rank among the top 100 on the money list through a "reshuffle" and earned full status towards the end of that year. She finished 89th on the money list and will have to remain among the top 100 in order to retain status for 2019.
Marchand was a standout for the Wolfpack from 2010-14, as she compiled a 74.96 career stroke average and owns the school records for most rounds played (119) and career wins (3). She was a member of the 2012 and '14 squads that qualified for the NCAA Championship, and her individual honors from her career include:
-Four-time All-ACC Academic Team honoree
-Three-time All-ACC recipient (2012-14)
-WGCA All-America Scholar (2012)
-WGCA Honorable Mention All-American (2014)
-ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2014)
-Won the Kay Yow Award in 2015 (given to the female student-athlete who best exemplifies outstanding academic achievement, athletic achievement, community service, and a true spirit of teamwork)
Currently residing in Apex, N.C., Marchand's first tournament of the 2019 season will be the Vic Open Feb. 7-10 in Australia.
Q: Now that you're entering your fourth year as a professional and will have full LPGA status, what has the full experience been like?
A: "It's definitely been a grind. I wanted it (playing on the LPGA) to happen faster like anyone would have wanted, to just graduate college and go straight to the LPGA. Playing on the Symetra Tour was a really good learning experience for me though. It taught me how to travel, play for money and do everything on my own. As much as I hated not making as much money right away, I think I needed it. It made me more ready for when I earned LPGA status, because I was more prepared and comfortable for what was to come.
"As much as I hated missing the final stage in 2016 by one shot, I think it was a blessing in disguise because playing on the Symetra Tour was the right thing for me."
Q: When you first started on the Symetra Tour, was it what you thought it would be?
A: "The traveling part I was pretty used to with college golf being two seasons. Also, when I was in school I was on the Canadian National Team, so during my winter and summer breaks I was usually traveling to training camps or representing Canada at international tournaments.
"The hardest part was learning to do everything on my own and manage my time. I didn't realize how much time it would take up planning and booking all of my trips. Everything else was kind of what I expected. I just thought that I would have so much time to golf during the day. There's so many other things you have to figure out when you're on your own though that consume your time and mental space."
Q: Now that you're living in the area, how has it been to be able to practice and play out at Lonnie Poole in preparation for the season?
A: "It's been a big positive. I've been super grateful that the team and Chip (Watson, general manager) have let me play out at Lonnie Poole. I love the course and facilities, and the short game area is phenomenal. I'm pretty lucky to have access to all of it, and it's been nice to be in a familiar setting even though I'm playing professionally. I have so much support here, which is nice."
Q: How do you think your collegiate experience and previous successes have helped you to get to this point?
A: "My college career played a huge part in my success. I loved my college golf experience. I was lucky to have a great coach and team to enjoy the experience with. We were invited to the best tournaments around the country and the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) is a really strong conference, so we always played against the best competition.
"All of the best girls from college typically end up playing professionally, so it was a familiar setting starting out on the Symetra Tour. Knowing that I could compete against those girls in college gave me confidence when I turned pro. I knew I could play out there too."
Q: You're one of several in recent years that have graduated from NC State and turned pro, and the first ever to play with full status on the LPGA. What testament does that make to the program with helping players to achieve their goals?
A: "I think NC State is definitely a place that you can achieve your goals. I've been really lucky to have a great relationship with Page (Marsh, head coach). She was super supportive of me through college, allowing me to major in chemical engineering and play golf at the same time. Even though I've graduated and turned pro, she still supports me. She's always thinking about your future, not just your college years, so it's a really good environment to be around.
"The facilities are also amazing to help prepare yourself for a professional career. Lonnie Poole is a challenging course and the short game area is incredible. If you're looking to turn professional, this is definitely a good school to help you transition into that phase."
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