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Madison Kerley was a core contributor for the ASU women’s golf team from her freshman year in 2015 up until 2019. Kerley grew up around ASU, and attended Xavier College Prep in Phoenix. After graduating a year early from the Walter Cronkite School with a degree in Broadcast Journalism, Kerley is now working as a Social Media Coordinator for Fox Sports Southwest. She caught up with House of Sparky to reflect on her time in Tempe in our latest edition of the Devil Distancing series.
What was your favorite memory as a Sun Devil?
It has to be our national championship in 2017. I wasn’t actually playing on the team at that time, but I was able to fly out to Chicago and watch the team. I was there when we won and go to experience the entire moment.
Honestly, I tell people to this day it doesn’t feel real. I knew we could do it, but the fact that it actually happened and we accomplished it was really fun. Then that fall, we had all the celebrations and the ring ceremony and a bunch of different stuff going on. So, just the whole national championship experience.
What does a typical day in your life look like today?
Back in March, I accepted a new job here in Dallas. I’m basically the social media coordinator for Fox Sports Southwest. Obviously, that’s right as COVID hit. So first off, I was worried if I still had a job. Luckily, we moved out here as a network since we technically still do have something even if it’s not live sports.
Since then, it’s been weird. I’ve been working from home. I’ve had this job for six months and haven’t worked a single day in the office. I’ve met my boss twice in-person. Besides that, everyone else I work with is through Zoom.
Obviously, Social Media is a lot of time on my computer. It’s kind of 24/7, so when people say, ‘What are your hours?’ I don’t really have hours. Honestly, there’s no real typical day, and since I’m working from home and can’t attend sporting events there’s a lot of flexibility in terms of where I need to work and where I can work from.
If you could relive one match or moment from your ASU career, what would it be?
Going back to my last national championship, we didn’t even make match play. So, not for performance-wise, but maybe for appreciating the experience more. In the final round, I wasn’t playing well, and I was kind of in this, ‘Let’s get this over with,’ mood until I got to the final hole. Then I was like, ‘Wait a second. I just want to stand here forever!’
I would go back to that and appreciate the experience more.
Is there a player or coach from your time at ASU that had a major impact on your life?
I have to say Olivia Mehaffey. She’s one of my best friends to this day. Obviously, a four-time All-American and amazing player at ASU. Back for a fifth-year so hopefully she stays and we get to see the first five-time All-American at ASU.
Her and I were such good friends. I’m pretty sure she lives at the golf course. I have never seen anyone as dedicated as her. She always has different practice plans and different drills. Me, on the other hand, I didn’t really have a plan and I just go out there and do whatever.
She was very good at giving me a plan. She gave me different drills and helped me be more structured. She was very good with when you were struggling by picking you up. Always telling me, ‘Madison, you can do it. Just put some practice in.’
It was funny, one day at practice, she went and bought stickers. Every time I completed a drill she gave me a sticker. I felt like I was back in kindergarten!
She’s such an advanced player and had so many people on her corner helping her practice the right way, she really used her resources to help me too.
Is there a Sun Devil that you didn’t play with that you enjoy watching?
I would have to say Carlotta Ciganda. She was always around the facility at ASU. She would come back to practice because she lives in Arizona. I didn’t play with her, but I would still consider her a friend. She always kept up with our tournaments and wished us good luck.
Being able to form that relationship with her and now seeing her play on the LPGA Tour is really cool. We got to watch her when she played the LPGA tournament in Phoenix. She’s from Spain, so just like John Rahm she has the fiery passionate mentality out on the golf course. So, being able to see that and support her along the way since she supported us, and for her to be my friend has been really cool.
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