“It’s only going to get better from here,” said Zulaikah, of Sam Houston University in Texas, who won the Palmetto intercollegiate by three strokes.
She fired rounds of 68, 68 and 70 to finish 10-under, making her 206 the fourth best 54-hole total in the history of women’s golf at the university.
Zulaikah, who nursed a cold and runny nose throughout the competition, said she played the last two rounds bogey-free in a field of 86 golfers.
It was double joy for Zulaikah when she was later named Western Athletic Conference Women’s Golfer of the Week, the second time since September.
Her win at Kiawah Island, South Carolina, followed her maiden victory at the University of South Alabama intercollegiate two days before her 19th birthday last month.
In Alabama, she impressed with a record-tying all-time intercollegiate best of 15-under 201 and inspired Sam Houston University to the team title.
On Tuesday, her team took third place behind the winner, University of North Florida, and runners-up University of South Florida in the 16-team field.
Zulaikah, who is in her junior year studying mass communication on a golf scholarship, told FMT: “I would say that I’ve done pretty well throughout the season, working hard in the gym, on the course and on my mental health.
“Being a student athlete, I fought the frustrations and stress by staying positive and never giving up.”
Zulaikah said she had a rough time dealing with her mental health, adding “going from feeling amazing one day to feeling unworthy the next, I had to push through and tell myself that I had to work hard for the future”.
After an arduous season, Zulaikah said it was time for some relaxation.
“The girls and I are planning fun things together and our coaches have planned some fishing trips together. In December, my best friend and I are going to New York,” she said.
The rise of the 2017 Malaysian Junior Female Golfer of the Year was a result of her perseverance and the determination of her parents to achieve success against tough odds.
Her parents, Nasser Hamid and Nur Aisyah Catherine, took the gamble when she was young to give her the opportunity to explore golf even when times were harsh.
They supported Zulaikah who sacrificed her childhood and teenage years to commit to becoming an Olympian, and a professional after completing her tertiary education.
At 15, she became the youngest Malaysian to qualify for the Sime Darby Ladies Professional Golfers’ Association championship in Kuala Lumpur.
In 2018, the family went to the US in hopes of getting Zulaikah a university scholarship. At the IMG Academy Junior World Championship, Zulaikah was scouted by the golf coach at Sam Houston University and was offered a full golf scholarship.
Her aunt, Faridah Hameed, who had a front-row seat to the journey that her niece and her parents have been on, said: “She has plenty of time to grow. She is only 19, after all.”