After four grueling days, the women’s golf team were crowned ACC Tournament Champions. However, the team has little time to celebrate as the team moves closer to their next goal, the NCAA tournament, which begins May 9th. I sat down for a chat with redshirt newcomer Georgia Ruffolo in the middle of the ACC tournament on Saturday.
The Tampa, FL native is an addition to Wake Forest’s already impressive golf team. In high school, Ruffolo was a semifinalist in the 2019 Florida Women’s Amateur Championship, finishing 7th of 132 points in stroke play. She also won the 2019 IMG season opener and ranked in the top-25 in the FSGA Female Player of the Year points list that same year. As the intensity of the season increases, Ruffolo is grateful for the support her teammates, coaches and family members have had in her collegiate golf career thus far.
Christina DeNovio: When did you start playing golf?
Georgia Ruffolo: I started a bit late – I was 10. I had played tennis before, but golf was something I really enjoyed because I got to do it with my dad. My father and I are very close. My dad didn’t play tennis so I couldn’t really hang out and play with him when I played tennis.
So I really started golf for my dad and stuck with it. I know 10 is a bit later than most girls on the team or just college golfers in general. The special thing about golf is that you can learn and play it at any age. That’s another thing I really liked about golf – it’s very flexible.
CD: Do you have an inspiration or a mentor?
GR: Definitely my father. My father was my greatest coach and role model. He’s been my biggest fan for as long as I can remember. Being able to do this with him was the most rewarding part of this whole experience. Even now, when people ask who I play for at home, I have my whole family, but I always point my father out. He’s definitely a motivating, driving force behind everything I do here.
CD: Why did you choose Wake Forest?
GR: I loved everything about it. As soon as I stepped onto this campus, I knew I wanted to come here. I love the size – how small it is – because I went to a really small high school. I love being close to home – I’m only an hour’s flight away. The drive really isn’t bad either. The weather is great. I love having seasons – we don’t have seasons in Florida.
Wearing a jacket outside is really nice. The academics are great.
A really big goal for my study path, independent of sport, is a good education and a good degree. I think a Wake Forest degree is one of the strongest you can get in the United States, especially as a student athlete, so it was really a no-brainer for me. I absolutely love it here. To be honest I can’t believe I’m here sometimes because golf is almost sacred here. It’s a really, really cool thing to be a part of. Being able to contribute and be a part of this story is something I will cherish for the rest of my life.
CD: Can you describe the transition from high school to college golf?
GR: The best way I can describe it is that at home I was this big fish in a small pond. Now I’m a big fish in an ocean. It was definitely a learning experience, but it actually made me a much better golfer, a much better person, and a much better student. The level of competition is now up and I had to keep up. It was a bit difficult at first, but now I’ve started to adapt to my environment and use the resources that are available around me. It was a great experience.
CD: What’s your favorite part about being here on the golf team?
GR: I would say the team dynamics. Being a part of our team dynamic is very special and really hard to find. We are all each other’s support systems. You don’t always find that – girls often have problems with each other or there are problems with the coaches. I’m very happy to say that each of these girls on my team has my back and I have their back. Being able to have that family and sisterly dynamic is something special and something I wouldn’t trade for the world.
CD: What did you learn in your freshman year becoming a redshirt?
GR: It sort of kindled a fire under me. It really made me realize that I need to get in shape. When I entered college, I didn’t know I was going to be a redshirt, so this year was an opportunity to build my game and who I am as a person. It was the best blessing in disguise I could have asked for. Who I went to college and who I am now are two completely different people. If I hadn’t had this year to build, focus and get better overall, I would have been disadvantaged compared to where I am now.
CD: Have you faced difficulties as a golfer? how did you overcome it
GR: I would say my adversity is my space and my own thoughts. I’m very hard on myself. It’s funny because I’m really not a perfectionist in other aspects of my life than golf. I came to college super hard on myself and my coaches were like, ‘What are you doing? You are doing yourself a disservice by telling yourself negative things.”
I think it was really hard to rebuild my mental space, which is a super important part of golf. It was very rewarding because since I started thinking differently on the pitch and about myself, my game has improved drastically. It was cool to see how taking things apart and building them up can actually do a lot more good than you think.
CD: What do you think makes the Wake Forest program so successful?
GR: Our coaches are incredible. The way they approach coaching is more of a mentorship than a business. They are very good at keeping things light-hearted while still lighting the fire as a mentor. I’m never afraid to show up for practice or to see my trainer about anything. for [Wake Forest Head Coach Kim Lewellen] Creating that comfortable dynamic between her and her players shows method for her madness. Having that really close connection with your coach is something I know a lot of players in other schools don’t have.
Her ability to coach younger women as a woman herself is amazing. She’s really great and I don’t really see her as a typical trainer but more like a second mother to be honest.
CD: Can you describe the team’s preparation for the upcoming NCAA tournament?
GR: Last year we lost to Florida State in the ACC tournament. And this year we’re in the same boat again, playing Florida State, again with that opportunity to come out on top. It’s super big. And if we manage to win the ACC tournament, I think we’re going to come out of the gates very, very strong for the rest of the postseason. We have a really good team this year. For the next couple of years it looks like we’re going to have a really good setup as well. I’m really hopeful about how we’re doing now, everyone together, there’s a lot of things that need fixing over the next few days, but who doesn’t? All of our girls are super good at getting things done, especially when this season is over. Last year’s NCAA tournament didn’t go how we thought it would – we got cut pretty early. I think that’s definitely a motivation to do really well this postseason and everyone knows that whether they’re playing or not. How we were last year compared to where we are now definitely drives us to do our best.
CD: Would you like to play professional golf? Do you know what you want to do after your golf career?
GR: That’s something I thought about at one point, but I think I always knew in my heart that I didn’t want to play professionally. And I really realized that when I was here in college. I’m a double major in English and History. I am currently in law school and plan to go to law school straight out of college. And I’m honestly super happy and confident in this decision. I realized that golf was meant for me for a certain part of my life and when that part of my life ends it will be an easier transition now that I’ve really thought about that decision. I honor golf as a very big part of my life. But I always knew I didn’t want to play professionally. Golf will always be special to me no matter what my plan.
