Behind new coach Giovana Maymon, Arizona bookends fall with St. Andrews title

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – Giovana Maymon was in Milton, Georgia, in late June, recruiting for Texas A&M at the AJGA Rolex Girls Junior Championship, when she received the best news of her coaching career: She had been hired as the next head women’s golf coach at the University of Arizona, replacing decorated coach Laura Ianello, who had taken the Texas job a few weeks earlier.

She also had less than two hours to prepare for her first team meeting, a Zoom call with her players, mostly international, scattered all over the world.

“I didn’t really know any of the girls, but Laura did a hell of a job – recruiting amazing players, winning a national championship (in 2018), and they had a great year last year, so for me, I wasn’t walking in here to change the people that they are but rather really getting to know them, and then help them from there. But even then, you still have to get these players to trust you and respect you while still trying to build your own culture, and that takes a little bit.”

Only it hasn’t.

Arizona bookended Maymon’s first semester with team titles, earlier this fall at the Folds of Honor Collegiate and then Wednesday at the St. Andrews Links Collegiate, where the Wildcats took down Northwestern in the match-play final on the Old Course. Led by sophomore Charlotte Back, who racked up 19 birdies over three days (including seven as part of a 6-under 66 on the Old), Arizona posted a convincing 4.5-1.5 victory, the same result of the men’s final, taken by Northwestern over Arizona.

“These ladies can fight,” Maymon said as rain, as it had for much of the day, poured down in front of the R&A clubhouse. “This fall went by so fast, it felt like we had no time to rest, but they did awesome. It could not have been a better first semester.”

So much was unknown just a few months ago. Back and her teammates were shocked when Ianello was hired by the Longhorns, just days after the official firing of Ryan Murphy.

“We all thought Laura was going to retire at Arizona,” Back said. “It was sad.”

Carolina Melgrati, one of two seniors, felt the sting, too, though she encouraged the rest of the squad to control the controllables and let the rest of the chips fall where they may.

“Everything in life just moves so fast,” Melgrati said, “so you kind of have to accept things as soon as you can.”

Once Maymon had the team together in early August, she quicky left an impression. The Wildcats’ athletic department were looking for a coach with a lot of energy, and that’s exactly what it got. Maymon will usually join her players for early-morning workouts, and not far removed from her playing days at Baylor, she’ll compete against them. From Mexico, Maymon can relate to many of her international players, too, and as Melgrati says, she and her teammates already feel comfortable talking to Maymon about things outside of golf. There are also plenty of laughs and inside jokes, and amid the fun, Maymon has proven herself to her team as well-prepared.

“It was definitely a surprise to find out our new coach is actually a-ma-zing,” Melgrati said. “She’s basically a player, honestly.”

Added Back: “The perfect teammate-coach.”

Other than incoming freshman Alisa Inprasit, Maymon had no players transfer out, and after setting mostly process goals prior to the season – they did have the aim of winning a tournament this fall (double check) – the Wildcats were off and running. Aside from the two victories, Arizona was solo fourth at the Mason Rudolph and tied for eighth at a deep Windy City Collegiate. Melgrati and Back combined for six top-6 finishes, including Back’s runner-up at St. Andrews, where she nearly won despite carding a triple bogey and a double bogey.

“I don’t think I’ve ever made that many birdies in a tournament, and it didn’t feel hard at all,” Back said.

Added Maymon: “She has a very easy game, and when she makes putts, you get this. I’m so excited that she’s only a sophomore.”

Melgrati smiles when thinking about the team’s potential this season.

“We’ve never played this good – like ever,” Melgrati said. “This is my fourth year, and that’s what I feel. We’re so much better as a team, and the environment is just crazy good.”

A few months in, and Maymon seems to be a perfect fit.