May 24, 2012
1) She's Italian but she grew up in Kenya. Read a great article by Golfweek's Beth Ann Baldry on Giulia's time growing up in Africa.
2) She's smart. Molinaro was named the 2012 Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year for women's golf. She is also a three-time Pac-12 All-Academic first-team selection ('10, '11, '12) with a 3.63 GPA in Tourism and Recreation Management at Arizona State.
3) Molinaro and associate head coach Missy Farr-Kaye were given the nickname "Pinky and the Brain" by sophomore golfer Laura Blanco after a cartoon duo from the 1990's and the comparison stuck. If the height desparity wasn't similar enough, head coach Melissa Luellen says, "Pinky and the Brain spend every episode trying to figure out ways to rule the world, well Giulia and Missy try to rule the golf course".
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4) She's consistant. On the season, Molinaro has recorded eight top-10 finishes and has never finished outside the top-20. According to Golfstat, her scoring average of 72.33 is the second-lowest overall scoring average in the nation and the best scoring average in the Pac-12 Conference. View 2011-12 Season Statistics.
4.5) Molinaro is learning the world of Twitter.
NCAA Vanderbilt: good day today 72! Playing great and feeling even better! Looking forward to tomorrow As its my last college round!
-- Giulia Molinaro (@GiuGiu2390) May 25, 2012
NCAA Vanderbilt: Good 2 round 71 with a great finish to end the day with a smile! Go Devils! twitter.com/GiuGiu2390/sta...
-- Giulia Molinaro (@GiuGiu2390) May 24, 2012
5) Molinaro is looking to become the 10th golfer in Arizona State history to win a Women's Golf Individual National Title. Arizona State holds the NCAA record for most individual titles from a single school.
Women's Golf (9)
Azahara Munoz (2008)
Grace Park (1999)
Kristel Mourge d'Algue (1995)
Emilee Klein (1994)
Danielle Ammaccapane (1985)
Cathy Gaughan (1970)
Jane Bastanchury-Booth (1969)
Carol Sorenson (1962)
Joanne Gunderson-Carner (1960)
CLICK HERE to follow current leader Giulia Molinaro and Arizona State women's golf for the final round of the 2012 NCAA Championships in Franklin, Tenn.