Mirabel Ting, a Malaysian student at Augusta University, celebrated her 17 thbirthday shortly after arriving. Thomas, her father, thought she was mature enough for the challenges of moving to another country to pursue a dream.
Mirabel could not have imagined how much she would grow as a freshman in college, and that it was something no teenager should ever experience.
Caroline Haase Hegg, Augusta’s coach, can still recall her players calling out “Coach, Coasst” in the van when they were driving to Statesboro, Georgia last October, for Georgia Southern’s home event. Haase Hegg turned back to find a Ting who was in a state of shock after hearing that her father died suddenly from a heart attack.
Haase Hegg said, “It was terrible.” I was unsure what to do. We were near Statesboro. Do we turn around; do we keep going?”
She called Georgia Southern’s coach Mimi Burke who, like Haase Hegg, is a Purdue alumnus. The team drove to Burke’s house, where they sat and wept together.
Mirabel was initially adamant that she would play in the tournament. She thought it was what her father would have wanted. The next morning she realized that she had to go home. Then they drove back to Augusta, collected her belongings and got her on the plane in Atlanta.
Haase Hegg said, “I didn’t think I would ever see Mirabel again at that point.”
Ting returned a few months later to try and assimilate into the college environment, but found it too difficult. She returned to Malaysia a second to grieve.
Haase Hegg said, “My sole concern was Mirabel’s health.” She was in a very dark place. I didn’t know what was going on.
Thomas brought Mirabel for the first time to the course at age 3 as she tagged along with her older bro. She took her brother’s taller driver and closed her eyes before taking a swing. The ball flew fifty yards.
Mirabel said that her father told him, “This girl is a good player.”
Mirabel was aware that her father in Malaysia would have wanted her to complete her degree first before she became a professional. Mirabel made the difficult decision to leave her mother behind to attend college in Augusta, Georgia. She returned to campus with renewed focus and peace.
Mirabel said that whenever I made a mistake, my dad would ask me “what went wrong and why?” “He always said that I did not practice enough.
“I literally said to myself, when I returned to Augusta, that I needed to work harder and double my training.” I went straight from my workout to practice, then to school, and back to practice.
She said that her father instilled a no-quit attitude, which has paid off handsomely.
Mirabel’s first college start was at the Moon Golf Invitational in spring of that year. She won a playoff after posting rounds of 69, 69, 65.
Mirabel dedicated her victory to her dad, saying, “It was totally insane for me to shoot 13 under.”
Augusta has punched its ticket to the 2023 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championships after the Athens Regional of the 2023 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championships held at the UGA Golf Course, Athens, Ga. on Wednesday, May 10th, 2023. (Tony Walsh/UGAAA)
Haase Hegg, a coach with many years of experience working with LPGA players, said Mirabel was the best iron player that she had ever seen. This is a high compliment from someone who has worked closely with several LPGA stars over the years. Haase Hegg described Mirabel as a straight-hitter who drives the ball well and makes putts when under pressure. Mirabel is a player who loves to play and keeps things simple.
Haase Hegg said that even when her life was going bad, she would still play golf and hum along for a score of 68.
Mirabel is the only player to have finished in the top 15 of seven tournaments this semester. At the NCAA Athens Regional she shot six under on the back-nine and finished with two birds to help Augusta to the fifth and last spot. This was the Jaguars’ first trip to NCAA Championship.
Haase Hegg said Mirabel put the team ahead of herself. She’s always the first one to encourage her teammates when they are having trouble with a drill.
This spring, the Jaguars had five top-3 finishes including a win at the Southland Conference Championship. Ting won the Southland Conference Women’s Golfer of the year and Freshman Award last month. She is currently ranked 15th by Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings.
This week, Augusta gathered with around 100 supporters of the community at Bodega Ultima to celebrate a significant milestone for the program.
The NCAA Championship begins on Friday, April 5, at Grayhawk Golf Club. This is the first of four rounds in stroke-play. After 54 holes, thirty teams will be reduced to 15. An individual champion will crown on Monday and eight teams will move onto match play.
Haase Hegg’s former college coach, retired Purdue Coach Devon Brouse is still listed on her phone as a favorite. When she calls, he’s often out gardening. She has leaned on her husband a lot this year as she reflects back on the challenges that have made him stronger.
Haase Hegg said, “I see that Mirabel has become stronger.” “She is more resilient. She has a unique perspective on life, which not many teenagers do.”
