University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
Off the Course: Joanne Free
1/18/2019 3:08:00 PM | Women's Golf
With the spring season kicking off February 2, Gopher Sports will be featuring Q&As with each Minnesota women's golfer. Next up is sophomore Joanne Free. Free is one of three international students on the women's golf team, and she calls Gullane, Scotland home. Free competed in each of the team's four fall tournaments, and closed the slate out at the Las Vegas Showdown, where she set new career highs in round (69), tournament score (219) and tournament score to par (+3). She played in every tournament as a freshman and was third on the team in scoring average (76.58). In her high school years, she competed for Scottish national team from 2014-2016 and was also an accomplished netball player.
Gopher Sports: What has the transition been like from your freshman year to your sophomore year?
Joanne Free: Sophomore year is very different to freshman year, I now know what to expect from my classes, coaches, practices, and my schedule. Freshman year is definitely a year I had to learn a lot in such a short period of time and ask a lot of, what seemed to me, to be stupid questions, but the answers I got helped me a lot throughout my freshman year. Now in my sophomore year, I have experiences that I can continue to draw on and move forward during my time in Minnesota.
GS: You closed out the fall season in Vegas with some new personal bests, how did that feel?
JF: It felt great. I had been struggling earlier in the fall to really put my game altogether for a score but to finish with a personal best was a great feeling and really exciting to be able to see all my hard work pay off in the last tournament of the fall season.
GS: What are the biggest lessons you learned in fall season that you'll take over to the spring?
JF: The most important lesson I learned from the fall season is to stick to my routine on the course and during practice by just seeing and doing, rather than thinking about too much with my swing technique.
GS: As an international student, tell us a bit about that process. What has the adjustment been like, what are the things about home you miss the most, how have you been able to share that with your teammates?
JF: There is definitely a big difference between home back in Scotland and here in Minnesota, it was hard to adjust during my freshman year as everything happens so fast, so you have to learn quickly. Some of the things I miss most about home is the scenery, there aren't many mountains in Minnesota, but that is made up in the beautiful trees changing color during the fall here. And I also miss having English Breakfast Tea with biscuits (known as cookies here)! I have had some of my teammates try this type of tea and biscuits and they seem to like it!
GS: What ultimately made you come to the University of Minnesota and what have been some of the best parts so far?
JF: Coach Redman was a huge factor in my decision to come to the University of Minnesota, her playing experience is like no other and a valuable source for our team to learn from. She has already had a huge impact on my game during my time here. Some of the best parts for me personally have been traveling to different places across the United States and getting to play great golf courses across the country.
GS: What is one thing that you'd like Gopher fans to know about you?
JF: I am a huge soccer fan, I actually played soccer before I played golf. I support Liverpool FC and sometimes get up at ridiculously early times like 5 am to just watch them play on TV due to the 6 hour time difference in the United Kingdom.
Gopher Sports: What has the transition been like from your freshman year to your sophomore year?
Joanne Free: Sophomore year is very different to freshman year, I now know what to expect from my classes, coaches, practices, and my schedule. Freshman year is definitely a year I had to learn a lot in such a short period of time and ask a lot of, what seemed to me, to be stupid questions, but the answers I got helped me a lot throughout my freshman year. Now in my sophomore year, I have experiences that I can continue to draw on and move forward during my time in Minnesota.
GS: You closed out the fall season in Vegas with some new personal bests, how did that feel?
JF: It felt great. I had been struggling earlier in the fall to really put my game altogether for a score but to finish with a personal best was a great feeling and really exciting to be able to see all my hard work pay off in the last tournament of the fall season.
GS: What are the biggest lessons you learned in fall season that you'll take over to the spring?
JF: The most important lesson I learned from the fall season is to stick to my routine on the course and during practice by just seeing and doing, rather than thinking about too much with my swing technique.
GS: As an international student, tell us a bit about that process. What has the adjustment been like, what are the things about home you miss the most, how have you been able to share that with your teammates?
JF: There is definitely a big difference between home back in Scotland and here in Minnesota, it was hard to adjust during my freshman year as everything happens so fast, so you have to learn quickly. Some of the things I miss most about home is the scenery, there aren't many mountains in Minnesota, but that is made up in the beautiful trees changing color during the fall here. And I also miss having English Breakfast Tea with biscuits (known as cookies here)! I have had some of my teammates try this type of tea and biscuits and they seem to like it!
GS: What ultimately made you come to the University of Minnesota and what have been some of the best parts so far?
JF: Coach Redman was a huge factor in my decision to come to the University of Minnesota, her playing experience is like no other and a valuable source for our team to learn from. She has already had a huge impact on my game during my time here. Some of the best parts for me personally have been traveling to different places across the United States and getting to play great golf courses across the country.
GS: What is one thing that you'd like Gopher fans to know about you?
JF: I am a huge soccer fan, I actually played soccer before I played golf. I support Liverpool FC and sometimes get up at ridiculously early times like 5 am to just watch them play on TV due to the 6 hour time difference in the United Kingdom.
Reese McCauley Hole in One
Tuesday, September 16
Alum Emma Carpenter Makes BTN Debut
Monday, September 08
Isabella & Reese McCauley - Gopher Women's Golf - Minnesota Made
Friday, May 09
Teeing Off - ANNIKA Intercollegiate
Monday, September 09