Of the many intriguing storylines at this week’s US Women’s Open, the one surrounding amateur Emilia Migliaccio is certainly one of the most fascinating.
The American tees off 1.18pm (PDT), but how she plays Pebble Beach is not her sole focus, for as well as competing in a Major Championship, the 24-year-old Wake Forest graduate is spending the week doing on-course reporting for NBC.
Migliaccio, who has also recently just got married and enjoyed a honeymoon of sorts playing Monterrey Peninsula Country Club, Spyglass Hill and Cypress Point, says she’s “ready to embrace it and see how it goes”.
Time will tell whether she’s taken on too much, but Migliaccio is determined to soak up as much experience on and off the golf course in what promises to be an enthralling tournament, one that now boasts the biggest prize pot in the women’s game.
Asked how she balances doing her preparation work for broadcasting versus gearing up for a Major, the reigning NCAA women’s golf champion said: “I would say leading up until today, before was probably 80 per cent or even 90 per cent focused on golf. There's not much you can prepare for until you get player bios.
“Obviously I've been in touch with the golf news and kind of keeping up to date with those things, but not until today where maybe it's a little more 60/40. I feel like I'm pretty good at compartmentalising, so when I'm out on the broadcast I'm just going to be really excited to get to call golf and see how they play.”
Despite her obvious talent on the course, the former Curtis Cup star – who also finished runner-up finish at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in 2021 – is making plans for a career in journalism.
Migliaccio enjoyed an internship at the Golf Channel where she clearly impressed, and the opportunities to cover live golf have come flooding in ever since.
“Once I started working on camera, which was the US Girls' Junior in 2021, I really haven't looked at a broadcast the same,” said Migliaccio. “I'm always listening to people on air, how they're describing certain situations, how they're heightening someone's golf shot, and maybe some things where I'd probably say that a little differently.
“You want to admire and look up to the best in the game in any industry, but you also want to pave your own path in ways that you like to tell the narrative. That's just been really great.
“I love listening to the broadcast. I would say really just putting yourself out there, that's the only way you get better, getting your reps in.
“That's really my goal now as a broadcaster, trying to get my reps in, do as much golf as I can, and eventually get to the main telecast and kind of the highest tournaments, biggest tournaments in golf.”
Of her chances this week, Migliaccio added: “I feel I'm as prepared as I can be. One thing I like to tell myself is if I've done everything under my control to prepare and play my best golf, then that's all I can do.”
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