University of Georgia Athletics
A Quick Chat With ... Rinko Mitsunaga
October 12, 2016 | Women's Golf
By John Frierson
UGAAA Staff Writer
Rinko Mitsunaga looks at other sports sometimes and wonders. The sophomore Georgia golfer said golf has been her sole athletic focus since she was very young, to outstanding result, but maybe there is something else out there, as well. Maybe gymnastics?
Mitsunaga, from Roswell, Ga., was part of Georgia's stellar freshman trio (along with Bailey Tardy and Jillian Hollis) last season — the trio that immediately helped elevate the Bulldogs to one of the top teams in the country. Mitsunaga and the Bulldogs haven't let up this fall, winning a couple of tournaments already, including the Windy City Collegiate Classic earlier this month against an elite field.
Before the sixth-ranked Bulldogs wrap up their fall season this weekend in the Stanford Intercollegiate, Mitsunaga sat down for a quick chat Tuesday morning to talk about golf and other sports, her strong sock game and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: What's something from your childhood that you really miss?
Mitsunaga: You know what, my childhood since I was 5 has always been golf and always been tournaments, so I guess I didn't really have a lot of a childhood in the traditional sense.
Frierson: Do you regret any of that? It's obviously served you well in that you're a great player, playing at a great school.
Mitsunaga: Yes and no. I wish I spent more time doing other things and other sports, but it has helped me become better at golf and it's led me here to UGA. It just stinks because I never really had time to go on vacation or go anywhere with my family, because there was always golf tournaments.
Frierson: Well, golf can take you to amazing places, both while you're playing for Georgia and before, when you were a top junior player. What's your favorite place that golf has taken you?
Mitsunaga: One time I got to go to France for the Evian Masters Junior Cup and that was definitely one of the coolest experiences. We were allowed to go there a few days early and stay a few days late, since it was over the summer, and I got to experience a little bit parts of Europe outside of France, also. It was like a whole different culture to me.
What I want to do when I end college is to go pro, either in the U.S. or in Japan. I think it would be really cool to play on tour in Japan. I've been there before and I love it.
Frierson: How quickly do you know whether or not it's going to be a good shot? Do you sometimes know even before you hit the ball?
Mitsunaga: Most times before I step up to the ball, I can tell with my mentality, like, I'm not comfortable with this shot, or I'm feeling really good about this shot and I'm going to make this or at least put a good stroke on it. When I'm hitting I can tell at the top of my swing, usually, if this isn't going to be good.
It definitely stems from the mentality I have before I hit the actual ball, where I feel myself being a little hesitant or being really confident.
Frierson: You often have interesting and unusual socks on when you're playing. Most players wear ankle or no-show socks when they play, but I remember last month seeing you play in black socks that went halfway up your legs. What's the story on your strong sock game?
Mitsunaga: (Laughs) Back in junior golf I used to actually wear knee-high socks that were like funky and had different designs on them. I just love them; I think it's fun and I think it's not too over the top. I think when you're looking on tour I notice that everyone always look the same and I think having something different kind of makes you stand out a little bit.
Also, they're just so cute that I can't stop wearing them.
Frierson: What's the most creative thing you do? Or what's something creative you wish you could do?
Mitsunaga: I've always been into drawing and writing short stories and stuff like that. I guess one thing I really want to do, and I guess it's not really creative, but I've always wanted to play every single sport a little bit. Just play around with every sport and experience everything.
When I was a kid, the only thing was golf. ... Actually, before that I did tap dancing and I was awful, so my mom made me quit. I'm not that athletic because all I ever did was golf.
Frierson: It's not too late, you know. You could probably go over to the Ramsey Center and do some tap dancing. I bet there's a class over there.
Mitsunaga: I've been doing some other sports over at Ramsey — I'm trying to do squash and I'm awful at it; I'm awful at everything, but I try. I played tennis over the weekend and I hit the ball over the fence and into the parking lot.
Frierson: If you could play another sport for Georgia for a day, and be good enough to play for Georgia, what would it be?
Mitsunaga: Gymnastics — I would love to do gymnastics. That looks like such a fun sport. I think training for it would be pretty hard, but being out there with so many people in the stands watching you do your dance moves and all that, would be really cool.
Frierson: Is there one event that draws you to it the most? I find the balance beam terrifying.
Mitsunaga: I don't want to do balance beam, but I think it's one of the most interesting parts. I feel like balance beam is when you really see them being an athlete and you can see their mentality going into it. I don't think they're 100 percent comfortable, either, and they're going out of their comfort zone and under pressure, so that's when I can relate to them the most.
Balance beam is like make it or break it — you can really hurt yourself on that thing.
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
