Chances are pretty good you've never seen Emelie Lundstrom hit a golf ball.
 
Similar to cross country runners, track & field and tennis team members, collegiate golfers operate in virtual anonymity, honing their skills in practice sessions far off campus in preparation for 10 road tournaments a year that are spread out over a nine month period.
 
Waking up early in the morning to drive a half hour to Marin for 18 holes of practice before class is routine. You won't find any cheerleaders or bands at any of the tournaments and crowds usually consist of family members, close friends and a few golf enthusiasts. The first day of competition usually consists of 36 holes which call for golfers to be on their feet for upwards to nine hours.
 
Admittedly, the road trips are pretty good. No one will complain about traveling to a high-end golfing destination with four of your closest friends 10 times a year.
 
As she prepares for next week's West Coast Conference Championships in Danville, Lundstrom can take great satisfaction she has been a cornerstone in the resurgence of the women's golf program over the last four years. She has missed only three of 39 tournaments since arriving on the Hilltop from her native Sweden in the fall of 2012 and has improved her stroke average each season. Her steady improvement coincides with that of the program, which hopes to secure its first NCAA Regional berth since 2005.
 
She was introduced to golf at the age of four by her father, Michaell, who along with her mother, Annika, run the Orebro City Golf & Country Club in her hometown. Possessing a Hoganesque work ethic, she can be found on the practice range at all hours of the day and even late into the night, when she pounds balls in the indoor hitting area at the Koret Center until she is politely asked to leave by staff members.
 
Lundstrom gave early indication of her talents as a freshman, when she reeled off five straight birdies at the Peg Barnard Invitational held at Stanford Golf Club. Armed with a razor-sharp short game, she has finished in the top-10 seven times in 37 career outings, including third and fourth place finishes at the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational and Ron Moore Intercollegiate in the fall.
 
"Emelie has changed the culture of our program with her hard work and determination," said head coach Sarah Glynn. "She is always the first one to arrive and stays late. She is a coach's dream when it comes to practice time and sustained focus.
 
"As a senior captain, she has shown great leadership on and off the course. She has set the bar high and I know the younger players have followed her example. She has certainly left her stamp on our program and helped set us up for more successful years in the future."
 
An advertising major, Lundstrom is a multiple WCC All-Academic honoree and has twice been recognized by the Women's Collegiate Golf Association for outstanding academic achievement.
 
Off the course, Emelie enjoys fine food, shopping trips and taking long hikes with friends. She is a huge Beyoncé fan and also enjoys hip-hop dancing. Topping her list of dinner guests would be Ben Hogan, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Grace Kelly. The meal might include sushi or Swedish barbeque followed by a decadent chocolate desert.
 
"Know Your Dons" is an on-going feature on USFDons.com designed to personalize the student-athletes of the University of San Francisco. From Orebro, Sweden, meet @LundstromEmelie --  Emelie Lundstrom.
 
Student Life
Favorite spot on campus: Lone Mountain because of the view.
Favorite class: Public Speaking my freshman year with Professor Babst, because I learned a lot about the San Francisco and we went on fun fieldtrips to explore the city.
Hardest class: Biology
Favorite place to study on campus: Gleeson Library
Balancing the demands of school and your sport: It's all about planning ahead and you can make everything work.
What experience made the biggest impact on you in the classroom? When I learn to step out of my comfort zone and start participate more, even though I felt insecure about my language.
The best thing about USF is: The location in my favorite city and my top-notch teammates.
 
Pop Culture
Favorite TV show: Vampire Diaries
Favorite movie: Gladiator
Last book you read: "Talent is Overrated" by Geoff Colvin
Favorite singer or band: Beyoncé
What's on your iPOD: A good mix of house, pop and hip-hop
 
Team
Top skill: Short game
One thing you are always working on: Attitude
One skill of one of your teammates you wish you had: Vanessa Ha's fearless ball striking.
Pre-game rituals or superstitions before events: Visualization and mental preparations the night before, the same day I listen to my favorite song before warm-up to find a good feeling.
Funniest teammate: Ayaka Suzuki
Favorite Sarah Glynn saying: "Yeyaah" and "Schabaaaam"
Favorite bonding moment with your team: Our yearly Tahoe trips are always so much fun and I love every time we hit the road for a tournament. 
 
Sports
Sports teams I follow: Golden State Warriors and San Jose Sharks
Favorite athlete: Annika Sorenstam
Favorite athletic memory: My first event representing the Swedish National Team. I finished second.
Biggest sports thrill: My third place at Sahale after being the only player in the field with two rounds under par.
My second-best sport: Gymnastics
Sport I'm the worst at: Ice hockey
Earliest sports memory: When I was four and got my first plastic golf clubs from my parents and started hitting in our yard.
First sport you ever played: Golf
 
Golf
Home course: Orebro City Golf & Country Club
Favorite course: Spyglass, Mayacama, Bandon Dunes (Pacific) and Meadow Club.
Course you'd most like to play: Augusta National
Introduction to golf: My father, who still is my coach today.
Dream foursome: Rory Mcllroy, Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson and myself.
Favorite golfer: There are too many good ones, I have more than one favorite like the previous mentioned, including Jordan Spieth and Ricky Fowler.
One part of your game you are always working on: My swing
Constant swing thought: Tempo
Favorite major tournament to watch: The Open Championship
Best tip for the weekend golfer: Work on a great rhythm through the ball on every shot all the way down to the putter. 
 
Food and Travel
Favorite meal: Anything that my mom makes! Swedish BBQ on a summer night is hard to beat.
Favorite ethnic cuisine: Sushi
Favorite snack food: Banana & peanut butter
Guilty pleasure: Chocolate!
Least favorite food: Beans
If I had to cook all of my meals, I'd survive on: Sushi
Who is the best cook on the team: Depends on what it is: Ayaka is good at Asian food, and I'll cook the rest.
If stranded on an island, what would you bring with you: My boyfriend
Most interesting place you've ever visited: Disneyland
Place you'd most like to visit someday: New Zealand
Favorite place in San Francisco: The Marina
Describe your perfect day in San Francisco: A brunch at Zazie's, practice at Olympic Club, a nice hike with friends and dinner at some good sushi place. I'd probably get a little shopping in, too.
 
This and That
Hobbies: shopping, cook and eat good food with friends/family, watch a good movie
Pick three words to describe yourself: Hardworking, honest and dedicated
Early riser or night owl: Somewhere in-between
Something people would be surprised to know about me: I enjoy hip hop dancing
Person I'd most like to meet: Beyoncé
Talent I wish I had: Sing and play the guitar
Role models: My mother, Annika Sorenstam
My parents were right when they said: "You have to work harder than everyone else to be better than them."
Moment in my life I'll always remember: My high school graduation
Things I collect: Memories
In 10 years, I'd like to be: One of the best golf players in the world
If I could trade places with someone for a day, it would be: Beyoncé
Three people from history you'd like to have dinner with:  Ben Hogan, Martin Luther King, Grace Kelly
Pet peeves: Riding the dirty Muni, fast food, hair in the shower 
Cats or dogs: Both
Best advice you've ever received and who was it from: "Have courage both on and off the course," from Yvonne Gomez.
Describe your perfect day: It's sunny and warm day back home in Sweden, I wake up early to have a good breakfast then go out to practice for a couple of hours, have lunch with some friends, go out and play 18 holes with my boyfriend and my dad and then a good BBQ dinner on our terraces with my family.
Tell us about your hometown: It's a quiet small town called Orebro, in the middle of Sweden, two hours from Stockholm. It's a nice and safe place to grow up.
 
Describe the student-athlete experience at USF
It has been four great years at USF with an improving level on the golf team every year, which is really fun. I have been lucky to meet great friends from all over the world that I will always keep in my heart. USF gave me the possibility of a great education with good professors who always try to figure out how to make up for all the missed classes due to golfing. The athletic department is great in every way and I am truly thankful for everyone who helps me get better every day like my coaches, trainers and teammates. Go Dons! #oneteam