But after Brehm, Slobodnik-Stoll and the rest of the Brehm family — including her brother, Ryan, who ended his MSU golf career with the best average in men’s program history — discussed it, she decided to become a member of the MSU women’s golf team.

“I was unsure in high school if I wanted to continue on, and then (Slobodnik-Stoll) presented me with a great opportunity,” Brehm said. “My brother came here, so I figured I’d come here for school because I really liked the campus and everything. Then, to be given the opportunity (to golf), it’d be kind of silly to refuse it.”

Four years later and now a key contributor for the No. 10 Spartans as a redshirt junior, Brehm is glad she continued her golf career — a career that began much later than those of her teammates.

Although Brehm was around the game from an early age and constantly traveled to her brother’s tournaments, she didn’t begin to play competitively until her freshman year of high school.

“The story goes something like, I was dragged around to all (Ryan’s) tournaments and despised it, so I didn’t play,” Brehm said. “I used to play softball, and then my dad somehow convinced me (to play golf) and he bought me all the stuff I needed and I gave it a try and I just really loved the challenge … I guess I just fell in love with it.”

Brehm’s love of the game was tested early, as her first three years as a Spartan were full of hazards.

After redshirting during the 2006-07 season, Brehm competed in just one match as a redshirt freshman, the team’s annual Mary Fossum Invitational — where all but two MSU golfers competed — and finished tied for 54th individually with a 54-hole score of 249 (81-83-85).

As a sophomore, Brehm spent more time on the golf course as she competed in five events, but ended the season with a 81.25 scoring average throughout 12 rounds. In 15 career rounds, Brehm headed into the summer of 2009 with an 81.60 career average that fell below everybody’s expectations.

Then, this summer, came the breakout many expected.

On July 18, Brehm finished second at the 93rd Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship at Great Oaks Country Club in Rochester, Mich., narrowly missing the chance to win the tournament, losing the last two holes of match play.

Her summer also consisted of qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links after winning sectional qualifying, tying for 27th at the Michigan Women’s Open — tying for the fifth lowest amateur score — and also tying for sixth at the GAM Women’s Championship.

Her excellent summer carried over to the 2009 Mary Fossum Invitational, where she shot 228 (73-76-79).

“To watch a kid like her to go from shooting 85 every time to now making the lineup and staying in the lineup after the first tournament and almost winning the state (amateur) … is just spectacular,” Slobodnik-Stoll said. “It’s just so much fun to watch a young woman like her. Her confidence has grown, her swing has done a 360, everything’s just gotten better and continually gets better. Everything she does, she’s so committed to and, yes, we do expect great things from her.”

In MSU’s second tournament of the season, the Lady Northern Invitational in Madison, Wis., Brehm opened with an 82 in the first round, but battled back to shoot 72 and 77 in the final two rounds to finish with at 231.

Senior Laura Kueny said she can see the difference in Brehm this season, which has led her to more confidence and a completely different attitude.

“When she first came here, she shot in the ’80s and she didn’t really play, but I think now that she’s playing better and she’s shooting scores she’s capable of shooting, it’s building up her confidence,” Kueny said. “She knows that she belongs here and she can play with us.”

Brehm credits her summer success for giving her more experience, something she lacked during her first few years at MSU because of her late start and scoring struggles. Now she says she’s beginning to learn more about simply playing golf and not worrying about the minor details — instead, reveling in the challenges she faces on the course.

“I don’t know if everything just clicks now; I’m still not No. 1,” Brehm said of her recent play. “I guess it’s just when you go out there and you constantly have that challenge and when you — not overcome — but you have some success with certain shots and stuff it just keeps me coming back.”