DALLAS (SMU)--Women's golf sophomore June Song believes that everything happens for a reason.

It's not surprising that Song is a journalism major--she is extroverted and loves to make conversation with the strangers that she bumps into during her day-to-day life (they don't stay strangers for long.) She also believes that her departure from Iowa State's women's golf team after her freshman season in 2021 and subsequent plane trip back home to Sydney, Australia was necessary for her emotional development and improvement as a golfer. 

Ultimately, her return to Australian amateur golf paved the way for an accidental meeting with head coach Lauren Mason and a future commitment to compete for SMU.

While recruiting a couple of younger girls at the Adidas Golf Junior 6s tournament back in December, Mason's trip took a turn when Song was in the group ahead of them. Song quickly struck up a conversation with Mason. Song knew what a college coach looked like, figured Mason was one, and being the extroverted journalist she is, was interested in her story.

"We just had a really good conversation. We were being really honest with each other about my experiences," Song said. "I was able to tell her all the things that I had gone through, and she would tell me what her expectations are for a player who comes to SMU."

Mason's sales pitch? That SMU not only has access to great facilities and is near courses like Trinity Forest and Dallas National but has some of the best connections of any collegiate golf program in the United States. Most notable of those connections are with Outlyr, an event production company that helps operate The Ascendant LPGA. The company makes an intentional effort to include at least one SMU golfer in its field every year.

Nine months later, Song has qualified for the The Ascendant LPGA Benefiting Volunteers of America, her first LPGA Tour event. Life has a funny way of working out.

"I wanted to eventually get on the (LPGA) Tour, but I never really thought I would get to play in one as an amateur," Song said. "It's always been a dream of mine, but I just never thought it was possible."

Song, along with senior Ellie Szeryk and recent SMU graduate Lauren Miller have all qualified for The Ascendant as sponsor invitees. While Song won out in an earlier qualifying round, Szeryk and Miller were ready to tee off for the Monday qualifying when two spots opened up that morning. Due to Mason and SMU's relationship with Outlyr, and Szeryk and Miller's reputations as up-and-coming golfers based in Dallas, the girls got to skip out on a round of golf to prepare for Thursday.

"It's Monday morning, I'm teeing off at 1:10 in the afternoon, so I'm just kind of hanging out and eating breakfast going about my morning," Miller said. "And then next thing I know, I'm getting word from the sponsor saying, 'Hey, we got even better news for you: A couple of spots opened up and you're gonna go straight into the event.' I was just over the moon, I couldn't believe it!"

After calling her parents in Florida in hopes of them snagging a last-minute plane ticket to Dallas (not to worry, they're going to make it,) she called up her Dallas-based swing coach Mark Govier to caddy for her. She also connected with LPGA Tour's Ally Ewing, who she met while playing for Mississippi State, for an early half-round of golf on Tuesday.

Following her morning catching up with Ewing and talking with Govier, who is a seasoned vet playing on the Old American Golf Club, Miller feels excited that she can play her brand of golf while competing this weekend. Equipped with a stellar short game and an accurate drive off the tee, she feels that she can play to her strengths on the course, which sports narrow, firm fairways and awkwardly shaped greens.

"It kind of feeds into (my short game) where I'm not afraid to miss some greens and be forced to make some up and downs or be put in some tough spots," Miller said. "I know that I'm someone who can get the ball in the hole. I can make a lot of pars and wait for the birdies to come." 

While Miller certainly has a knowledgeable caddy in Govier, Szeryk and Song aren't complaining about Mason and assistant coach Anna Dong caddying for them, respectively. Mason has already caddied for Szeryk when she played in the Canadian Women's Open in Vancouver this summer. Both find comfort in playing so closely with the coaches that they were recruited by and trust with their training every day at SMU.

"It's so much fun because I have a really good relationship with the coaches, Szeryk said. "Over every shot, we're very focused, but in between we're always messing around just keeping it very light. It's really nice to have a comforting figure on the bag that I've worked with for so long that just wants to support me." 

As exciting as playing in a professional golf tournament so close to campus is for the trio, none of them are placing immense amounts of pressure on themselves. They feel that competing is ultimately a learning experience, but also a unique opportunity to play on a national stage with current teammates that would likely have not been possible at another institution.

"I'm so excited because we have all spoken about wanting to turn pro," Szeryk said. "June and I were speaking about 'Oh, in the future we can travel together and play together.' Now we get a little trial run. It is so special."