Golf is a little different depending on where you grew up. Golf year-round is normal if you grew up in a southern, warm area. If you grew up in northern, cold regions, you're taking advantage of the warm months you have to get your fill of golf for the year. For Nicole Lorup, only a handful of months in Vordingborg, Denmark, are you able to get on the course unless you want to battle through the cold and shovel some snow away from your ball – which is exactly what she did.

"In Denmark, we're probably outdoors maybe half of the year, maybe a little bit over. But because I'm from the South part, there's not much down there," explained Lorup. "But I was still out in the snow, sometimes, hitting balls that were frozen."

The cold days and hard work paid off, with Lorup climbing the junior ranks in Denmark and starting to grab the attention of colleges in the United States. For Lorup, the next step was to pursue golf while also getting an education, which is not the easiest thing to do in Europe, according to the Dane. Making the decision was not easy, mainly because she did not speak English before heading to the States.

"I actually started in Troy, Alabama. I was there for three years and didn't speak English, but I kind of got through it somehow. I didn't speak to my teammates for two months because I had to learn the language," said Lorup. "Americans get to do school and their sport on the side, versus over in Europe, you kind of have to choose after high school if you want to do your sport or if you want to study.”

After three years in Troy, Lorup made the career-defining jump to finish her college career at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Little did she know at the time it would be the place she would call home for the foreseeable future.

During her collegiate career, Lorup left the Troy University program with the best career scoring average in program history at 73.60 and won two individual titles. She made an immediate impact on the UNLV program, finishing with the best scoring average on the team in her first season. The confidence and comfort grew on and off the course, as she adapted to life in the States.

In 2023, Lorup made the decision to turn professional and headed to 2023 LPGA Q-Series to pursue the dream she was fighting for during those cold days back in Denmark. A T48 finish at the Qualifying Stage earned Lorup Epson Tour membership for the 2024 season, and now she will be in the States a little longer as she chases an LPGA Tour card.

Now, with status, Lorup made the decision to stay in Sin City with her coach and other supporting figures who were still in the area. As she competes in her sophomore season on the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA, her time in the States has come full circle, teeing it up on the same course she called home at UNLV just a few years earlier at Spanish Trail Country Club.

"Because I got out of college late, because I'm a European, we're a little behind, so whenever I graduated, I didn't feel like I had enough time to go back to Europe and go back to my old coaches again. And I found coaches over here and trainers over here, so I kind of had my professional team set already," she explained. "So, I was just ready. I felt it was easier to only make a move once to go over here, have everything set, and chase the LPGA dream instead of having to go back. Then, hopefully, whenever I make the LPGA, I don't have to make a move over here because I'm already here."

After 18 holes of play at the Reliance Matrix Championship presented by Epson, the Dane sits in a tie for 81st after posting a 2-over 74 but remains just one shot off the cutline. Lorup tees off for her second round at 12:23 p.m. local time as she tries to make her fourth cut of the season.

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