Today's Chanticleer Alumni Spotlight showcases Malene Krolboll Hansen, a member of the Coastal Carolina women's golf program from 2014-18. Hansen was a two-time All-Big South selection, and after CCU's move to the Sun Belt in 2016-17, she received two All-Sun Belt honors along with being named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year in both 2017 and 2018.

Hansen was also named to the Big South All-Freshman Team (2015) and the Big South All-Championship Team in both 2015 and 16. She followed those awards with being named to the All-Sun Belt Tournament Championship Team in both 2017 and 18. She won four individual titles including the 2018 Sun Belt Championship.

For more information on Malene, please continue reading the Q&A below.

1. Where are you living now and what are you doing?
I still live in Myrtle Beach, S.C. – but usually, I go home to Denmark for the winter. I am a professional golfer on the Symetra Tour, which is right beneath the LPGA Tour.

2. Did you know you always wanted to do what you are doing professionally?
Yes and no. When I started playing golf and the first couple of years I played I was actually more into some of the other sports I was playing. However, when I started playing in more tournaments as a teenager, I started realizing I wanted to try to go pro.

3. How did your time as a student and student-athlete at Coastal Carolina prepare you for your career and life after college?
Besides earning a degree and gaining a ton of memories from college golf, I also became a lot more independent and I learned a lot about myself as a person, which I am thankful for today.

Since I am a professional golfer, being able to play golf at the collegiate level was a great help to improve my game.

4. When was the last time you had been to campus? How has the campus changed?
Right before this whole coronavirus broke out I was sitting in coach's office chatting with her and Allison. However, with all the gyms closed I now often just run around on campus. It is the weirdest thing to see campus so empty.

5. What originally attracted you to Coastal as a student-athlete?
The golf courses, the weather, and the fact that the school is smaller so that I wouldn't just be a number in the crowd. It also has a beautiful campus.

6. What are some of your most memorable moments from your time as a student-athlete at Coastal?
That is so difficult because there are so many great memories during my time at Coastal – from our bus rides to winning the conference tournament, going to Regionals, and winning tournaments individually.

One thing that can still make me laugh a lot today is if a ladybug lands on me. It became a thing my freshman year to say, "we are going to win!!" whenever a ladybug would land on one of us. It all started when as a junior Bailey (Cocca) had loudly said it on the putting green at a tournament – we did end up winning that tournament.
 
Another of my favorite memories from college was when I went to NCAA Regionals as an individual in Lubbock, Texas, and while we were playing a very slow round of golf, coach (Katie Quinney) would try to catch one of the many bunnies that were running around – without any luck though, but it was hilarious to watch.

7. How often do you keep in touch with your former teammates?
Since we live all over, not as much as I would like. However, I still in periods keep in touch with almost everyone from my freshman year and I try to make sure that if I am near a city where one of them lives, I will try to go visit them.

8. What are some things you enjoy doing in your free time?
Other sports, being outdoors, and spending time with family and friends. I am also a huge movie fan (love watching movies).

9. What advice would you have for the current student-athletes at Coastal?
Enjoy your time at Coastal – it is an amazing experience! Even though sometimes being a student-athlete seems tough, be sure to appreciate every moment of it, do your absolute best, and be grateful that you get to be part of a school like CCU.