Alison Lillie's golf career at USF got off to a pretty good start. She tied for seventh in her first collegiate event at the Hobble Creek Invitational in Springville, Utah, where she helped the Dons to a first-place finish in the team's inaugural event of the 2013-14 season.
 
Flash forward to April of 2017 and Ali is still leaving her mark on USF's women's golf program. A veteran of 36 tournament starts over the last four seasons, she has been a mainstay in the Dons lineup since arriving on the Hilltop from Troy High School in Fullerton. She's posted four top-10 finishes, including tying for third at last year's Sacramento State Invitational, where she held the 36-hole lead after rounds of 73 and 72.
 
"Ali embodies the USF spirit," said head coach Sarah Glynn. "She is a leader not only on the course but in the classroom, as well. I love her positivity and her unwavering optimism is felt by everybody who comes in contact with her."
 
Introduced to golf at a young age by her father, Mike, a former tennis player at UC Irvine, Ali honed her game at Hacienda Heights Country Club where she developed into one of Southern California's top junior players. There was no shortage of competition in the Lillie household. Ali's younger sisters are also outstanding athletes in their own right. Meredith is a sophomore swimmer at Pacific while Beth, a senior at Troy High school, signed a national letter of intent to play golf at Virginia next year.
 
Ali's music tastes know no-bounds and when she's not on the golf course you might find her on Welch Lawn, cozying up with a marketing analytics text book in the Del Santo Reading Room on Lone Mountain or seeking out a new taqueria in the Mission District.
 
A marketing major, Ali is a two-time West Coast Conference All-Academic selection, with a third honor surely to follow later this spring. She plans to pursue a career in marketing and lists Lululemon, Nike and Titleist as the brands she most admires.
 
"My dream job would be to become the VP of marketing at a large golf company like Titleist," said Lillie, who recently accepted a position with Human Marketing in Mission Viejo. "I would love to reposition their brand in a way that would allow them to reach more millennials, women, and grow the game in general beyond their existing target audience. I think that more people should have access to the game.
 
"I would love to be able to be a leader of this change."
 
"Know Your Dons" is an on-going feature on USFDons.com designed to personalize the student-athletes of the University of San Francisco. Meet @ali_lillie – Alison Lillie.
 
Student Life
Favorite spot on campus: The quad in front of the library
Favorite class: Integrated Marketing Communications with John O'Meara because it was interactive, engaging, and allowed me to be creative while learning marketing theory. He also brought in many guest speakers from marketing agencies in San Francisco.
Hardest class: Intermediate Corporate Finance with Frank O'Hara
Favorite place to study on campus: Del Santo Reading Room in LoMo (Lone Mountain)
Balancing the demands of school and your sport: Every year there's more and more to balance. You have to figure out a strategy that works for you and stick with it!
What experience made the biggest impact on you in the classroom? Having guest speakers come into class and tell us what it's like to work in industry.
The best thing about USF is: The diversity of the student body. I've met people from all over the world over the last four years.
 
Pop Culture
Favorite TV show: Mad Men
Favorite movie: La La Land
Last book you read: My Marketing Analytics textbook?
Favorite singer or band: Steven Tyler
What's on your iPOD: A mix of oldies and new songs! I like everything.
 
Team
Top skill: Driving accuracy and bunker play.
One thing you are always working on: Believing in myself.
One skill of one of your teammates you wish you had: Sam Gong's power.
Pre-game rituals or superstitions before events: I always mark my ball with yellow and green sharpie and I always keep tees in my pony-tail.
Funniest teammate: Emily Laskin
Favorite bonding moment with your team: Going to Urban Putt in the Mission District
 
Sports
Sports teams I follow: Lakers, Dodgers, Web.com Tour, PGA Tour
Favorite athlete: Annika Sorenstam
Favorite athletic memory: Leading the Sacramento State tournament going into the final round my junior year and finishing in the top three.
Biggest sports thrill: Winning as a team at the first college golf tournament that I ever played!
My second-best sport: Swimming
Sport I'm the worst at: Soccer
Earliest sports memory: Kicking the ball in to the other team's goal in U4 soccer!
First sport you ever played: Soccer
 
Food and Travel
Favorite meal: Steak, baked sweet potato, and salad
Favorite ethnic cuisine: Mexican all day.
Favorite snack food: Beef Jerky
Guilty pleasure: Chocolate
Least favorite food: Peas
If I had to cook all of my meals, I'd survive on: Tacos
Who is the best cook on the team: Either Emily Laskin or me
If stranded on an island, what would you bring with you: Sunscreen, water and matches
Most interesting place you've ever visited: Sweden
Place you'd most like to visit someday: Spain
Favorite place in San Francisco: The Olympic Club
Describe your perfect day in San Francisco: Breakfast at The Grove on Fillmore, 18 at San Francisco Club in the afternoon, watch the sunset from the Marin headlands, dinner at the cliff house, then go out in the Mission with friends to end the night.
 
Golf
Home course: Hacienda Golf Club
Favorite course: Spyglass Hill
Course you'd most like to play: Augusta National
Introduction into golf: My dad got my two younger sisters and I started in it when I was 8 years old.
Dream foursome: Arnold Palmer, Annika Sorenstam, Tiger Woods and myself.
Favorite golfer: Annika Sorenstam
One part of your game you are always working on: Chipping
Constant swing thought: "Let it go."
Favorite major tournament to watch: The Masters
Best tip for a weekend golfer: Practice your short game!
 
This and That
Hobbies: Spending time with friends, watching movies, trying new restaurants in the city
Pick three words to describe yourself: Conscientious, caring, and optimistic
Early riser or night owl: Night owl
Something people would be surprised to know about me: Bassnectar, the EDM artist, is my second cousin.
Person I'd most like to meet: Barack Obama
Talent I wish I had: Play the electric guitar
Role models: My mom, dad and sisters
My parents were right when they said: It pays off to work hard and learn something difficult while you're young.
Moment in my life I'll always remember: Sitting in one of my first marketing classes, listening to a VP of Marketing talk about their job and realizing that it was what I wanted to do for a career.
Things I collect: Ball markers
In 10 years, I'd like to be: A media planner at a marketing agency.
If I could trade places with someone for a day, it would be: Michelle Obama
Three people from history you'd like to have dinner with: Beyonce, Gloria Steinem, Oprah Winfrey
Pet peeves: People chewing with their mouth open!
Cats or dogs: Dogs always!
Best advice you've ever received and who was it from: "Take time to be curious, dive in to your work, and always build equity with people." – Wendy Sabins, VP of Marketing at AAA, Southern California
Describe your perfect day: Wake up and workout in the morning, go to brunch with family and friends, play golf in the afternoon, come home, make dinner, watch a movie and go to sleep.
 
In Her Own Words...
"Being a USF Don has been really special. I am lucky to have received a world class Jesuit education, played my sport at a Division I level, and met many different people—all in the beautiful city of San Francisco! I really could not have asked for more in a college experience. I've learned what it's like to wake up early every day, work hard, and balance my time between school, golf, friends, and internships. I know that this will serve me well in my future. I also could not be more grateful for all of the wonderful people in the athletic department at USF who make themselves available to all the student athletes and want to see them succeed. There's a great support system here at USF and that is truly its biggest asset! I will always cherish my time as a Don."