Stevens: Manon Molle’ says She Loves Being a Lobo

February 23, 2015

New Mexico Lobos Women’s Golf

March 2-3: Lobos at Bruin Wave Invitational — Tarzana, Calif.

By Richard Stevens – Senior Writer/GoLobos.com

In golf, there is always that one shot. The ball jumps off your club with a dead-solid-perfect snap and that distinctive everything-is-right feel. It might be a shot as good as anything a pro might hit. It falls where you wanted it to fall.

It’s that shot that brings you back – and back and back.

New Mexico’s Manon Molle’ has such a shot. She was 8-years-old and big sis (16) said, “Let’s go hit some balls.”

“I was, ‘Oh, OK. I’ll go try it,’” said Molle’. “I knew about golf but that was about it. But when I hit my first ball, I was in love with the sport. I hit that first shot and it was, ‘Dang, that’s pretty cool.’ I hit it good. I felt it in my hands.” Manon Molle

From that day, Molle’ was hooked and her parents realized that their daughter’s gift could take her far. They might not have had Albuquerque, N.M., in mind, but there was never a destination so far away that it would become a barrier between Molle’ and success.

Molle’ said maybe the second hardest thing she ever did was to leave France and family to come to the University of New Mexico. She said the first hardest thing she did made the move to America a lot easier.

“The hardest one was when I moved to Paris,” said Molle’. “I was 14-years-old and came to Paris to be part of the French (National) team. I remember crying when I left.”

Molle’ lived in Bains sur Oust, France which is about four hours from Paris by car — to the Southwest toward the Bay of Biscay.

“It was hard when I first moved here (UNM), but Paris was harder because I was younger,” she said. “It was school in the morning and golf in the afternoon. But it was a good experience and necessary. It helped me grow up.”

It also helped Molle’ become a better golfer. Lobo Coach Jill Trujillo scouted Molle’ in a European event in Germany and was impressed, but with a few concerns.

“She didn’t play that well, but sometimes you see something in somebody,” said Trujillo. “She had a really good swing and a good short game, but her drive was all crazy that day.”

Molle’ got better and the driver got straighter. Trujillo eventually got a call from a contact in Europe who suggesting Trujillo take another look at this young French golfer. Trujillo liked what she saw and asked Molle’ to visit America’s Southwest.

“To come here, was the second biggest decision of my life,” said Molle’. “It took me a year to decide. My dad was like, ‘You should go. Make a choice. You are going to have so much fun. You should go… blah, blah.’

“Now, I think, “Thank you, dad, for kicking my butt and telling me to go.’ I love it here. I have no regrets. My teammates and my coaches are a second family. This is the most beautiful experience of my life. I’m playing golf every day and the weather is usually so nice. It’s amazing.

“And here, you play for your team and your teammates. In Paris, you were more on your own trying to beat each other.”

As a Lobo, the sophomore’s potential is more than encouraging. To put her freshman campaign and her 75.69 stroke average into quick perspective, consider this: ex-Lobo Manon De Roey had a 77.90 average as a Lobo rookie and Sammi Stevens had a 76.23 average – as a sophomore. Molle’ was the top UNM finishers in the 2014 Mountain West Championships – an event won by the Lobos.

“I didn’t realize I was doing so well at first, but then I saw an article on (GoLobo.com) and then I realized it,” she said. “I knew I was having a good year, but I was surprised when I found out how good it was. I knew I did good in the conference and had a chance to win it.

“My goal was just to come out and be relaxed my freshman year, go easy, just play golf, have fun and do what I could for the team.”

As a sophomore at UNM, Molle’ probably should have taken it easy going down stairs. She was coming out of her room and walking down a short flight of stairs with teammate, Eva Saulnier. They were going to class. Molle’ missed the last step and stumbled forward, falling to her knees.

“Eva was laughing so hard and we thought it was nothing,” said Molle’. “I was OK after a few seconds. I went to class and was sitting there and looked at my (left) foot. I said, ‘I can’t move my toes. Is that normal?’ Eva looked down and said, ‘No, and look at your foot.’

“It was turning purple and blue and I thought, ‘Oh, that’s not good.’”

No, the foot was not good. It was fractured. At first, Molle thought she might be out a month, but the month turned into two months and Molle missed all four fall tournaments.

“It was awful, awful. When I found out I broke it, I couldn’t believe it,” Molle’ said. “Then you see your friends playing and you look at the leaderboard that they need you and you are sitting on a chair with your boot and crutches and you can’t do anything for them.

“It was the worse feeling for me. All I could do was say, ‘Let’s go girls, Let’s go.’ That was all I could do. It was not fun.”

Molle’ did play in a 36-hole event held with Texas-El Paso on Feb. 7-8 and showed outstanding form in turning in a card of 71-67. She was the medalist in that dual match. Her goals are very similar for the 2015 season that begins March 2-3 in Tarzana, Calif.

She wants to win.

“I want to win a tournament this year, maybe two or three,” she said. “But I want that first one and I would maybe like to be one of the good players in the conference (All-Mountain West). That would be good.”

Molle’ might need to catch up on her reading again. She already is one of the “good” players in the Mountain West — really, one of the best.

New Mexico Lobos Women’s Golf — 2014-15 Roster

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