OVIEDO, Fla.  - Tucked inside a small driving range at Twin Rivers Golf Club, UCF women's golf freshman is in her element.

• UCF will play in first NCAA Championships since 1995-1996 season
• Moon was named AAC Freshman of the Year
• Born and raised in Arkansas, where Championships are

“There’s nothing else that I can compare this to, when I hit a solid shot on the fairway," she said. "It’s an indescribable feeling, and it’s just amazing.”

She's found herself in the fairway quite often in her first season with the Knights. She was named the 2019 American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year with two first place finishes, is the top-ranked putter in women's college golf, and also was an Academic All-American with a 3.97 GPA.

“She just is somebody who can’t get enough of golf," head coach Emily Marron said. "She’s kind of a golfaholic, and that’s why she’s so good.”

Moon spends hours each day dedicating herself to her craft, and it's paid off. She's helped lead the Knights to their first NCAA Championships since 1995-1996, where she'll get a chance to return home to play.

“I couldn’t even explain how happy I was when I first realized we’re going back to Arkansas," she said.

Raised in Forrest City, Arkansas by two Korean immigrants, she was taught the sport from her father on public courses with nothing but a set of sticks. She was a late commit to UCF after being noticed by Marron's mother on television, and her recruitment came together in just under a month. 

“Once I started middle school, I’d have to travel one hour, one hour and a half to go to a decent course to practice at," Moon said. "So that was always a struggle.”

And the resources were limited.

“She didn’t have fancy video and well known swing aids," Marron said. "She just trusted her dad, and her dad and her are really close, and I think that’s a big reason for why she’s as good as she is.”

It’s why every stroke is instinctive for Moon. Each approach is carefully calculated with routine. As long as she is confident, she's a contender.                                       

“She just really, really wants this," Marron said. "She’s the hardest worker on our team. It’s not unusual for golf courses to tell us she’ll spend four or five hours on here, on a weekend.”

Because if she's not putting that kind of effort in, she's not doing justice for the game.

“For me, it’s to practice as much as i can every day to my full potential," Moon said. "As much as I am having fun on the golf course, I think that’s living my life to the fullest.”