Texas A&M Women's Golf
Quiet Confidence: Marijosse Navarro's results speak for themselves
The majority of college kids shy away from the question, “What do you want to do?”
It’s the age-old topic that most students have no answer to, especially in their sophomore year.
Marijosse Navarro is not like most people.
Since Navarro was first drawn to the driving range near her house in Mexico City at the age of five, she knew she didn’t want to just play golf, she wanted to dominate it.
She did so almost immediately, first solely in her home country and then in the United States after she turned eight.
At that age, girls tend to spend their time playing with Barbie’s or adoring Disney princesses.
When asked whom she idolized in her early years, the second year Aggie didn’t hesitate.
“Tiger”
Following in the footsteps of her hero, Navarro began to stack the shelves with trophies.
She won the Mexican Amateur in 2010, 2012 and 2013, but her success carried across the border as well. She decimated the fields in the Valero Texas Open Junior Shootout three consecutive times between 2010 and 2012.
“Her game was just, “Whoa.” It was awesome,” McCombs said of the then 12 year old Marijosse. “She was one of those kids that you watch and you just know it is something special.”
Usually, if a junior golfer is that talented at an early age, they’ve spent their time at an academy under the constant eye of coaches. Navarro spent most of her time practicing alone and if anyone joined her it would be her mother/coach.
Her mom, a gifted golfer in her own right, must have liked what she saw.
When Marijosse was eight, her family moved to San Antonio for the sole purpose of giving their daughter the competition that she needed.
“In Mexico, there aren’t many golfers.” Navarro said. “They just aren’t interested.”
If she was intimidated with the competition she found, which included current world number one Lydia Ko, Navarro didn’t show it.
“From the age of 10 to 13 or 14, she was one of the best in the country,” McCombs said of the young talent. “She was dominating. She was beating kids older than her. Quite a bit older than her.”
Just a few years later, Navarro had her pick of colleges, but ultimately found her way to College Station.
“The great golf facilities, the school, the academics,” She said when asked of what drew her to Texas A&M. “And the team. They were like a family.”
Soon after donning the maroon and white for the first time, she had a chance to win at the Gator Invite. After leading through two rounds, she would ultimately finish a shot back after a final day 75.
While it was not the experience she wanted, it turned out to be one she needed.
Later in the year, she was named to the All-SEC freshman team on her way to tying a school best at the NCAA’s with a sixth place finish.
The momentum continued to roll as she returned for her second year and it all culminated in back to back wins at the UC-Irvine Invitational and the Thompson Invitational. The first of which brought an LPGA exemption, something Navarro was well aware of.
“I told coach the second day that I was going for the exemption. She said, “Do it, but not in a playoff” (in reference to teammate Bianca Fabrizio’s playoff win a week earlier)
She would stay true to her word, but did so in a five-hole playoff. A playoff she got into with a birdie on the final hole.
While she missed the cut in her LPGA start, after this season is over, she knows she will try to make it through Q-School and gain a full time spot on the tour.
“It will be my first time, so it will be to learn, but hopefully if I make it, I’ll go on.”
As Navarro and the Aggies get ready to compete in the postseason, she knows it will be a tough road after as she attempts to make it on tour. She would have no problem coming back to A&M if she does not make it through.
But, in her words, she has to try.
It’s the age-old topic that most students have no answer to, especially in their sophomore year.
Marijosse Navarro is not like most people.
Since Navarro was first drawn to the driving range near her house in Mexico City at the age of five, she knew she didn’t want to just play golf, she wanted to dominate it.
She did so almost immediately, first solely in her home country and then in the United States after she turned eight.
At that age, girls tend to spend their time playing with Barbie’s or adoring Disney princesses.
When asked whom she idolized in her early years, the second year Aggie didn’t hesitate.
“Tiger”
Following in the footsteps of her hero, Navarro began to stack the shelves with trophies.
She won the Mexican Amateur in 2010, 2012 and 2013, but her success carried across the border as well. She decimated the fields in the Valero Texas Open Junior Shootout three consecutive times between 2010 and 2012.
She was one of those kids that you watch and you just know it is something special.
{"Module":"quote","Alignment":"right","Quote":" She was one of those kids that you watch and you just know it is something special.","Author":"Trelle McCombs"}
That’s where she caught the eye of her future A&M head coach Trelle McCombs.“Her game was just, “Whoa.” It was awesome,” McCombs said of the then 12 year old Marijosse. “She was one of those kids that you watch and you just know it is something special.”
Usually, if a junior golfer is that talented at an early age, they’ve spent their time at an academy under the constant eye of coaches. Navarro spent most of her time practicing alone and if anyone joined her it would be her mother/coach.
Her mom, a gifted golfer in her own right, must have liked what she saw.
When Marijosse was eight, her family moved to San Antonio for the sole purpose of giving their daughter the competition that she needed.
“In Mexico, there aren’t many golfers.” Navarro said. “They just aren’t interested.”
If she was intimidated with the competition she found, which included current world number one Lydia Ko, Navarro didn’t show it.
“From the age of 10 to 13 or 14, she was one of the best in the country,” McCombs said of the young talent. “She was dominating. She was beating kids older than her. Quite a bit older than her.”
Just a few years later, Navarro had her pick of colleges, but ultimately found her way to College Station.
“The great golf facilities, the school, the academics,” She said when asked of what drew her to Texas A&M. “And the team. They were like a family.”
Soon after donning the maroon and white for the first time, she had a chance to win at the Gator Invite. After leading through two rounds, she would ultimately finish a shot back after a final day 75.
While it was not the experience she wanted, it turned out to be one she needed.
She was dominating. She was beating kids older than her. Quite a bit older than her.
{"Module":"quote","Alignment":"left","Quote":" She was dominating. She was beating kids older than her. Quite a bit older than her.","Author":""}
“She just got really nervous in the final round.” Said McCombs. “But, you can see the progression from then to now. She’s probably still nervous, but she handles it differently.”Later in the year, she was named to the All-SEC freshman team on her way to tying a school best at the NCAA’s with a sixth place finish.
The momentum continued to roll as she returned for her second year and it all culminated in back to back wins at the UC-Irvine Invitational and the Thompson Invitational. The first of which brought an LPGA exemption, something Navarro was well aware of.
“I told coach the second day that I was going for the exemption. She said, “Do it, but not in a playoff” (in reference to teammate Bianca Fabrizio’s playoff win a week earlier)
She would stay true to her word, but did so in a five-hole playoff. A playoff she got into with a birdie on the final hole.
While she missed the cut in her LPGA start, after this season is over, she knows she will try to make it through Q-School and gain a full time spot on the tour.
“It will be my first time, so it will be to learn, but hopefully if I make it, I’ll go on.”
As Navarro and the Aggies get ready to compete in the postseason, she knows it will be a tough road after as she attempts to make it on tour. She would have no problem coming back to A&M if she does not make it through.
But, in her words, she has to try.
Never miss the latest news from TexAgs!
Join our free email list
