As a child growing up in Spain, ASU sophomore All-American Azahara Munoz wasn't big on golf.
Back then, she was more interested in running around a golf course than plotting her way around one.
But all that changed, once she joined a school for aspiring athletes in her hometown.
Munoz began playing golf at the school, and right away she knew the game was for her.
"The first six months, I was grinding it out," Munoz said. "But after that, I started playing really well."
It was a good thing for the Sun Devils that she kept with it.
Munoz is one of two All-Americans on the No. 2 ASU women's golf team.
While her start in golf may be considered somewhat uncommon, it landed her at one of the top golf schools in the country.
Not only did Munoz find her way across the Atlantic to the Southwest U.S., but her friend of more than 10 years is a member of the rival UA golf team.
The two will meet up this weekend when the Sun Devils travel to Tucson for a two-day event against the Wildcats.
"Last year it was my favorite tournament because we won," Munoz said.
Looking to repeat the results is one thing, but Munoz and her team know that even though it's golf, the rivalry is still a part of the game.
In order to be 100 percent ready for competition, Munoz has been hard at work refining her short game.
"I changed the way I've been practicing," Munoz said. "Before, I used to hit balls first. Now I start with my putting."
Munoz hopes to see results on the green where she has found herself giving strokes back to the field during the last couple of tournaments.
During her last tournament last week, she tied for second at the Northrop Grumman Challenge.
While she is aware she is close to winning her first tournament of the year, Munoz said it will all come down to making big putts.
"I'm not working on my technique - I'm just putting more," she said.
Her goal has been to putt more at practice and to putt less in tournament rounds.
"If my short game works, I'm fine," she said. "Before I would hit most of the greens, but I struggled with my putter."
Besides working on her game for UA, Munoz has been preparing for a chance to qualify for an LPGA event.
On Friday, Munoz and teammate freshman Anna Nordqvist will be playing in the LPGA tournament qualifier in hopes of playing at a local LPGA event with some of the best players in the country.
If Munoz is able to make the field, she said it will be one of her "best days ever."
That says a lot, considering Munoz has already participated in some of the largest junior golf tournaments in the world.
Munoz said she knows that her game is solid, but recognizes what has been hindering her from succeeding the way she wants to.
"I'm practicing more to get my confidence higher," she said.
If Munoz can find that confidence, it could be only a matter of time before she captures her first tournament victory.
Reach the reporter at: edward.price@asu.edu.
