WPIAL Alum Q&A – Macky Fouse

By: Bruce Markey
Monday, October 10, 2016 | 8:06 PM

Last week in the WPIAL girls golf championship, Central Valley’s Kiaria Porter claimed the Class AA title. Porter could eventually become the next great in the brief but impressive history of the Warriors girls golf team. Prior to her, though, it was Macky Fouse who captured both individual and team championships. Fouse, now a junior on the Seton Hall golf squad, is profiled this week for the WPIAL Alum Q&A.

Fouse’s resume was incredibly impressive during her time at Central Valley, as she helped guide to Warriors to an undefeated mark of 60-0 in dual meets over her four years, as well as four team WPIAL championships.

It didn’t take long for Fouse to establish herself at the high-school level, as she finished second as a freshman in 2010 in the Division II Individual Championship, shooting a 91.

The following campaign, Fouse tied for third in the Division II round, as she concluded 18 holes with a score of 86.

Fouse was second best again in 2012, this time in the re-categorized Class AA, as she shot an 80. The junior made her mark in the state finals, too, as Fouse came in third. Also that year, the Warriors claimed supremacy again in the team competition, with a cumulative score of 341.

Her senior year was one for the history books, though, as she shot a 75, edging a pair of her teammates by two strokes, to win the Class AA Championship at Hillcrest County Club. A few weeks later, she took first in the PIAA Western Regional at Tom’s Run, as she finished with an even-par 72. Then, in the two-round state finals, Fouse produced another outstanding performance, as she shot 152 to secure an eight-stroke margin of victory.

To add to her hardware, Fouse and the Warriors claimed another dominant victory in the team championship, winning by more than 80 strokes. Central Valley eventually took state gold, as well, shooting 342 at the Heritage Hills Golf Resort.

Once she joined Seton Hall, Fouse participated in five tournaments as a freshman in 2014-15, recording a stroke average of just more than 84. Her best finish of her freshman campaign came in the Pirate Invitational, a two-round score of 172.

Fouse’s workload increased considerably as a sophomore, though, as she competed in nine tournaments, and improved her average in the process. Fouse trimmed approximately two strokes off her score, down to just more than 82. In her five fall events, Fouse recorded an average mark of 26.7 over par, good for fourth on Seton Hall. Meanwhile, in the spring, she helped guide the Pirates to their third-straight conference title, as she shot a three-round score of 260 in the Big East Championship. She followed that up with a 249 in the NCAA Stanford Regional to conclude her season.

This season, Fouse has played her best collegiate golf, as she’s averaging 19 over par in three tournaments. Included on that showing is her best finish to date, a tie for 20^th in the Rutgers Invitational.

Macky took time away from the tees to answer a slew of questions about her greatest area of improvement as a golfer, her fondest high-school memory, and which course in the entire world she’d most like to play.

Q: What is your greatest strength as a golfer?

A: I think my mental game, which is so important in golf, is definitely one of my greatest strengths and something that has come through for me in pressure situations. I have developed the ability to come back, whether it be after a bad shot or after a bad round.

Q: What area have you focused on improving the most in your time at Seton Hall?

A: I have focused on improving my accuracy in basically every part of my game. Since I have gotten here, I realized how important hitting fairways is and putting myself in the right position off the tee. I have really been focusing on aiming small and missing small.

Q: Is there a major difference between courses in college compared to high school, and if so, how were you able to adjust?

A: College courses are definitely longer and more difficult. I was able to adjust well because of my length off of the tee, but I definitely have to hit a lot more long iron shots into greens, and cannot have big misses on a lot of these courses because they are so narrow.

Q: While golf is often thought of as an individual sport, how do you and your teammates work in unison to have success?

A: One of my favorite aspects of college golf is the team aspect. There is a lot more focus on team standing than individual. It is really nice to be able to rely on my teammates and know that they have my back and I have theirs during play. It is nice to know that any one of us can lead the team at any time.

Q: What is your lowest round ever?

A: 31 at Frosty Valley in high school

Q: What attracted you to Seton Hall?

A: The golf team and the overall culture that my coach, Sara Doell, has created is what attracted me most to the university. I was able to fit in well with the girls, and with the amount of time spent together, I felt that was really important. My coach started the program six years ago and has won the Big East Championship three times. I think that speaks volumes to what kind of person she is and what she has done for the program.

Q: Central Valley had great team success in girls golf? What was the key to that?

A: I think my high school coach, Larry Milosh, had a lot to do with that. Ironwood is a great practice facility for both beginners and more advanced golfers. He is able to work well with young players and get them ready for the high school level. I know the four years that I was a part of Central Valley girls golf, I was definitely developed as a golfer and was always pushed to be the best I could be.

Q: What is your fondest memory from high school?

A: My fondest memory from high school is winning the state championship individually my senior year, and then going on to win the team title the following day. I was playing the best golf of my life at that time, and it was so special to share that with my teammates. I remember the last putt as being so bittersweet, because I didn’t want that part of my life to be over, but it was an amazing ending to my high-school golf career.

Q: Is there any professional golfers you most admire or try to emulate?

A: Jordan Spieth, because of his intensity and focus. I love his work ethic and the determination you can see in his eyes when he plays.

Q: If you could play any course in the world, which would you pick?

A: Augusta, 100 percent.

Q: What is your major and what career do you aspire to?

A: I am a finance and marketing major, and I just accepted an internship with PNC at its headquarters in Pittsburgh for this summer.

Q: Since golf spans both fall and spring semesters, is there a time in the school year where time management is particularly difficult?

A: During fall and spring season, time management is so important. We miss a lot of classes to travel, and sometimes it can really catch up with you. Last year when our team traveled to regionals at Stanford, I missed every single one of my finals. Luckily, Seton Hall has an amazing academic support staff for athletes that has helped me to schedule and plan accordingly with my professors. I think the time management skills I have developed as a student-athlete will really help me in my future.

Q: Do you prefer the iPhone or Droid?

A: iPhone.

Tags: Central Valley