You might not be familiar with the name Elizabeth Nagel, but you should be.
Nagel is a 2014 MSU graduate who has made the journey from star MSU golfer to LPGA Tour member. At MSU, Nagel was a three-year starter on the Women’s Golf team, helping MSU reach the NCAA Championships three times.
In just her first season on the LPGA tour in 2015, Nagel made the cut at the U.S. Open in July. The State News caught up with Nagel and ask her a few questions about her incredible rise to the top.
State News: How long have you been playing golf? How did you start playing?
Elizabeth Nagel: I have been playing golf as long as I can remember. When I was born my dad was playing on the mini-tours in Florida trying to reach the PGA, so I traveled with him and my mom as a baby and have always grown up around golf. He says he put a club in my hand as soon as I could hold one. I played in my first tournament when I was eight years old.
SN: Did you ever play other sports seriously in your youth? If so, what made you choose golf as your main sport?
EN: Like most mothers, mine put me in gymnastics and dance class as a little girl. The gymnastics career was short-lived, but I ended up dancing (ballet, hip-hop, jazz) until I was around 15. Eventually, when my ballet recital fell on the same day as the High School Golf State Championship, I had to make a choice. Luckily it was an easy one.
SN: How did you decide to come to MSU? Did you come here for golf reasons?
EN: I was born in Lansing and grew up in DeWitt, but I was never more than a quick 15 minute drive to campus. I spent a lot of my childhood going to the children’s garden and enjoying the 4-H fairs out on Farm Lane. I also played two of my high school state championships at Forest Akers East and West, and coincidentally won both of them. I have dozens of family members who had also spent their college years in East Lansing and encouraged me to do the same. Playing for coach Stacy at Michigan State was always a goal in the back of my mind. I didn’t think it was truly attainable until she came to watch me when I first played in the state championship on “her turf.” I was lucky to be recruited by such a successful college program. I wouldn’t be the player I am today without my time at Michigan State.
SN: What is the toughest obstacle you have been able to overcome in your golf career?
EN: I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer my junior year at Michigan State. I could sit here and talk forever about it, but the most important lesson I learned from having cancer is to surround yourself with the right people and always be able to see a light at the end of the tunnel. I hit some low points, as all “cancer patients” do, but the person I am now after the fact is so much stronger, much more resilient, and now I can tell my story and try to inspire others to fight through their own battles.
I was extremely lucky to have coach Stacy and the entire golf program behind me and helping me as much as they could. I was even luckier to have the athletic training staff and Dr. Kovan and Tom Mackowiak in my corner, giving me all the best care I needed as I continued to play golf while trying to get rid of the cancer. I had the “best kind of cancer,” or so they say, but now I have such a better outlook on life and really a better understanding of the people around me and a realization of how truly blessed I am for the opportunities Michigan State and golf have provided me.
If I’m ever having a bad day on the course or I’m unhappy with something in life I remind myself that everyone is fighting some kind of battle. Adversity comes in all shapes and sizes and it’s important for each of us to realize that we can only become stronger by helping and supporting each other. Spartans stand together, right?
SN: Was there any one moment or round of your MSU career that stands out to you as a favorite? Why / why not?
EN: My junior year we played regionals at Penn State. The top eight teams made it out of each regional with a spot in the National Championship field. We were outside the top 10 going into the final round, but something about that day felt special to all of us. We knew we had a chance to squeeze into the top eight but it was going to take something record-breaking. ... At the turn (after nine holes) we were 13 under par as a team. After the fact, coach said she had never seen anything even close to that before. I shot my career-best 68, and we ended up finishing in eighth place on the nose. ... Earning that spot at the National Championship.
SN: When did you decide to try and become a professional golfer?
EN: After I had a decent high school and junior golf career I decided that Michigan State was the program that could help me improve and give me the best shot at becoming an LPGA Tour member. I always knew it was something I wanted to try, but it wasn’t until midway through college where I started to make some major improvements in my game. After I saw some improvement I realized that I had the talent and all of the right tools and coaching. It was just going to take a lot of hard work.
SN: What was it like to make the cut at the U.S. Women’s Open?
EN: Just playing in the U.S. Open was a once in a lifetime feeling, but making the cut was career changing. I was able to play my game at the highest possible level in golf and I learned that I’m good enough to hang with the best out there. I saw improvement in my game under the pressure of the U.S. Open, and I learned a lot about myself and my golf game from being on such a big stage. I got the opportunity to share my story and my Spartan background with hundreds and thousands of people. There were people I’ve never met or seen before in the crowd yelling “Go green!” and “Yay for Michigan!” The memories my family and I have from that week will never fade.
SN: What goals do you have for your future golf career?
EN: I hope to keep my LPGA tour card and to continue to have the opportunity to tee it up with the best players in the world. I love to see improvement in my game, it means I’m still learning and I also know I’m going through the right process to become a better golfer. It’s hard to put it into numbers, but I guess in five years I’d like to be able to say I’m a full-time member on the LPGA with a few wins and have been consistently putting myself in contention to win tournaments.
