Roommates Chanachai, Galloway spark Aggies
Team seeks its fifth straight WAC crown
The friendship of Dominique Galloway and Pun Chanachai has the makings of a hit TV sitcom, or at least one of those zany reality shows. They are golf-team roommates at New Mexico State with vastly different backgrounds.
Galloway, the hometown girl from Rio Rancho and a former Cleveland High star, began her college career at the University of Texas but then transferred to NMSU after one semester.
Chanachai, an elite golfer
from Bangkok, is sweet and soft-spoken, her English continuing to improve.
They are NMSU’s formidable 1-2 punch. Chanachai is the Aggies’ No. 1 player and Galloway is 2, at least for now. They hope to lead the Aggies, who are favored by a coaches vote to win their fifth straight Western Athletic Conference championship beginning Monday at Legacy Golf Resort in Phoenix.
“They get along great,” NMSU coach Danny Bowen said of Chanachai, the defending WAC individual champion, and Galloway, who finished 21st last year. “Ever since the beginning of last fall, they just kind of hit it off. Right when Dominique transferred they became almost best friends out of the gate. It’s been fun to watch the
friendship. But they always want to beat each other on the golf course. You can see that fire.”
Chanachai has certainly displayed that fire this season with 12 rounds under par, one more than Galloway.
Chanachai learned a lot about herself and knows the pressure will be on to repeat this year. Last year, she said it seemed as if she tried too hard in the opening round, when she was tied for eighth after shooting 6-over 76.
She knew she had to do something different. She had to stop thinking about the pressure of being a highly touted freshman. She had to end the thoughts of trying to be like her older sister, Suteera (Pang), who played for NMSU eight years ago.
The second day at the Indian Hills Club in Mission Hills, Kan., she shot even-par to move into a tie for first. And, after the final round, she scored 3-over, good enough for medalist honors and to lead the Aggies to their fourth straight WAC team championship. Just like her sister, Chanachai was named WAC Freshman of the Year.
“I want to do my best,” Chanachai said. “Of course I feel pressure. I can’t think that because I won last year that I’m going to win again. I just want to do my best every time I play. I believe if I do my best the result will be good too.”
She will definitely be challenged to repeat, and perhaps her greatest challenger will Galloway. Aggie senior Kennedie Montoya also could be in the mix; she won the WAC individual title in 2016.
Chanachai was named WAC Golfer of the Week March 28. Galloway was named WAC Golfer of the Week on April 4.
In the fall, Chanachai was WAC Golfer of the Month for October. Galloway earned the same honor in November.
Galloway shot 2-under 214 at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic that ended April 3 at Southern Dunes in Maricopa, Ariz., to finish tied for second in a field of 111. She also led the Aggies to a second-place finish, gaining some muchneeded momentum heading into Monday. It was Galloway’s fourth top-five finish of the season.
“Every player wants to win; that would be awesome to be the (WAC) individual champion,” Galloway said. “I want our team to do well. If I can win so that helps our team win the championship too, that would be great.”
During her first semester at Texas, Galloway said she realized Austin was not the right fit for her. She thought of NMSU and coach Bowen, whom she knew from her high school days, when seeking to transfer.
NMSU was perfect for her, she said. She would be close to home, where her sister, Jacque, is also a standout golfer who has committed to the University of Iowa.
NMSU also has her major of Family and Child Science, Galloway said.
“(NMSU is) a lot better fit for me and my personality,” Galloway said. “I’m so happy here. I’ve made so many good friends. Pun is like my best friend because I spend so much time with her.”
The best friends aim to make NMSU the best in the WAC, again.