As a young girl growing up in Thailand, senior women’s golfer Punpaka Phuntumabamrung never thought she’d be where she is now.

Phuntumabamrung, or ‘Bo’ as she is known by her family and friends, always liked to play any kind of sport. But once she picked up her first golf club, the talent came naturally.

“I started playing [golf] when I was like 5 or 6, but I couldn’t compete until I was 9,” Phuntumabamrung said.

With her mom’s clubs strapped to her back, Phuntumabamrung quickly rolled onto the competitive golf scene and in 2007 went on to represent a Thailand International team in the Seo games in Asia, a smaller version of the Olympics.

“We beat the record and individual record,” Phuntumabamrung said. “I was just glad to be a part of that and represent Thailand.”

Although Phuntumabamrung knew she loved the game, she struggled to decide what to do after high school. The universities in Thailand don’t support women’s sports, compelling most women to just participate in a lot of junior golf tournaments.

But coming to the United States was an afterthought.

“I never planned on coming to study abroad because it’s so different than back home,” Phuntumabamrung said. “I knew I was going to miss my friends and family.”

After much thought and consideration, Phuntumabamrung decided to make the move to become a Cyclone in hopes to drive her dreams of becoming pro to reality.

“It’s a better opportunity if I want to continue playing golf, a better feel,” Phuntumabamrung said. “I knew it’d be more challenging.”

The challenges proved minimal as Phuntumabamrung began what would be a record-breaking freshman year. She competed in all 12 tournaments as a true freshman and recorded the fourth-best rookie scoring stint in ISU history with a 77.56 stroke average.

She continued to break the ISU record for lowest 18-hole round with a 67 at the Challenge at Onion Creek and logged a top-10 finish at the Big 12 Championships with a 223, the second-lowest finish for a Cyclone in Big 12 Championship history, earning her Big 12 All-Tournament honors.

“She’s grown so much in the time that she’s been here,” said ISU coach Christine Martens. “I’m just really happy for her and the progress that she’s made.”

Phuntumabamrung sustained that success throughout her sophomore and junior years as she accumulated eight top-10 finishes. She earned First-Team Academic All-Big 12 rank and took home first place at the A-Class Open in Thailand in 2011.

Phuntumabamrung tallied the best stroke average on the team in spring 2012 at 75.28 as well as posted her best career finish of 220, placing for second at the Lady Buckeye Spring invitational in Ohio, her most accomplished finish of her college years.

“It was raining and so cold that year, but I remember I told myself that no matter what, I was going to play well,” Phuntumabamrung said. “And I did, it was my best finish.”

Martens said she is proud of the leader and the person that Phuntumabamrung has become.

“She’s our senior and I’m so proud of the leader she has become for our team,” Martens said.

It wasn’t long before Martens brought up Phuntumabamrung’s definite consistency.

“She’s extremely consistent, she has one of the best short games in the country — she’s in the top 20 for total short game,” Martens said. “Everyone on our team learns from her every time we’re out there.”

Several other accomplishments build Phuntumabamrung’s resume, both golf-related and not. She said her biggest golf accomplishment in her college years has been her short game, but coming to Iowa State has provided her biggest life accomplishment so far: Learning to adapt to a completely unknown, foreign place.

“Adapting to a new culture [was difficult] because it’s so much different, but it’s also good to learn new things,” Phuntumabamrung said.

Learning began immediately after her arrival in the states. Phuntumabamrung said she could barely speak English and catching up in class was almost impossible. Thankfully, her team was there to help.

“My teammates and coaches all support me really well,” Phuntumabamrung said. “I got lucky that we have a really good team here.”

Phuntumabamrung described that after freshman year, she better understood the American society and it was fun to learn in a new way.

“All of my teams and people in Iowa are so nice compared to other places, I think I’m pretty lucky,” Phuntumabamrung said.

Junior Prima Thammaraks said the team is just as lucky to have Phuntumabamrung.

“Phuntumabamrung is a really good golfer, she has always held out her end. We always have high expectations for her and she always lives up to it,” Thammaraks said.

As for her plans after college, Phuntumabamrung said she dreams of going pro.

“I do plan on turning pro but I haven’t decided where, or which tour,” Phuntumabamrung said. “It all depends on my golf game and how well I can play.”

Phuntumabamrung’s competitive edge is a drive for her constant success and consistency, which will come in handy for the Big 12 Championship on April 19 through 21 at The Harvester in Rhodes, Iowa, which is a well-known, familiar course for the Cyclones.

“When it comes down to golf game, it’s about how much you do in that particular game,” Phuntumabamrung said. “It’s about your game that day.”

She has struggled in the past with maintaining confidence and positivity throughout tournaments, but now that Big 12 tournament is here, she’s ready to play.

“Overall, I feel pretty good with my game,” Phuntumabamrung said. “I would say I kind of get stressed a bit but I know there’s nothing I should be too worried about. I’m ready to go out and play.”