For Fresno State’s Brigitte Thibault, playing golf was never her dream, she even hated it at one point in her life.

But now her life revolves around it, and she has even been invited to play at one of the most prestigious courses in golf history.

Born in Montreal, the sophomore Bulldog golfer has two older sisters, but she is the only one currently playing at the collegiate level.

Thibault was always an athlete. She played several sports in her youth, like soccer and skiing, but what she really enjoyed was being a cheerleader. However, her constant injuries made it so that she was no longer having fun cheerleading, and so she decided to stop cheering and try out a new sport.

When her parents first introduced her to the sport, she didn’t really enjoy it, and even hated it for some time.

However, once she was no longer cheerleading she focused all of her abilities into the sport, she found it very exciting. She began competing at age 15, and coaches and other players started to notice her talents, which in turn led her to focus more on the sport and improve.

“I feel like my athletic background and abilities help me to grow fast in the sport of golf,” Thibault said.

Since she started late in the sport, it was difficult for her to get recruited. However, she knew one thing for sure: She wanted to go to school in California.

Thibault said she didn’t know what Fresno State was, but she still visited, and when she arrived she realized she had great chemistry with her coach and teammates. This made her feel comfortable during her visit, with a gut feeling that this was the place for her.

“I really like the chemistry of all the athletes here,” Thibault said. “I don’t know if it’s because the school is a little smaller or what, but I feel like that’s one thing I enjoy here.”

Thibault is pursuing a business major and is thinking of focusing on sports management but hasn’t made a final decision on her future.

Currently, Thibault is the No. 1 amateur female golfer in Canada and has been invited to participate in the first-ever Augusta National Women’s Amateur tournament.

“To be the first Canadian female to be invited there and be the first one in the books is pretty insane, so I’m just going to take it all in,” Thibault said.

Her participation in the tournament means that she will miss the Fresno State Classic tournament with her team, but she said that this is an opportunity she can’t miss.

Thibault enjoys spending her spare time with her friends and when she gets a chance she goes up to Canada and visits her family, even if it’s just for a weekend.  One of her main inspirations are her parents, she said.

“I’ve always looked up to my parents for how hard they worked, and how they build their own company, but also how they take time for their family,” Thibault said.

She added that one of her role models in the sport of golf is Tiger Woods. She said she admires how he prepares mentally for each game.

“I like being a student of the game and grow more and more every day, because my goal is to be the best version of myself,” Thibault said.