This feature originally appeared in the 2023-24 Winter edition of the Cal Sports Quarterly. The Cal Athletics flagship magazine features long-form sports journalism at its finest and provides in-depth coverage of the scholar-athlete experience in Berkeley. Printed copies are mailed four times a year to Bear Backers who give annually at the Bear Club level (currently $600 or more). For more information on how you can receive a printed version of the Cal Sports Quarterly at home, send an email to CalAthleticsFund@berkeley.edu or call (510) 642-2427.
 
 
As California women's golf associate head coach Bev Terry was making her final rounds at the University of Denver Golf Club this past October, she was withholding some pretty exciting news from her team.
 
After the Golden Bears began the last round of the Ron Moore Intercollegiate 13 strokes out of first place, their focus wasn't necessarily on getting an improbable comeback win. Rather, their game plan for the final 18 holes was a simple one: stay calm, stick to their strengths, and take the opportunities that were in front of them.
 
Like many other programs, the Bears have a no-phone policy during tournaments, meaning they aren't allowed to get score updates while they are competing. But when Terry found freshman Constance Fouillet and sophomore Adora Liu fresh off their final putts of the day, the cat quickly jumped out of the bag.
 
"They're seeing the last scores come in on their phones and rushing over. They're so excited,'" Terry said. "We were coming back all throughout the day, so after seeing that they had won, Constance was freaking out in the parking lot."
 
Fouillet's jubilation in that moment was well-deserved. In just her fourth competition as a Bear, she helped lead the team to its third straight victory, something Cal had never done before.
 
Having skipped a year of grade school at the age of 5 – the same year she was introduced to golf by her parents, Gilles and Florence – the Rennes, France, native is the youngest player Terry has coached with the Bears. Fouillet is still only 17 and won't turn 18 until January 9.
 
"There are some tendencies or reactions that can make her feel young, and we have to coach ourselves to remember that she's only 17," Terry said. "But it's because she has so much golf experience that it makes it feel as though she's mature beyond her years."
 
From Fouillet's perspective, the difference in age throughout her 12-year playing career has long helped fuel her immensely competitive spirit – something she has been able to turn into an advantage.
 
"Basically, my whole life, I've been with people older than me," Fouillet said. "Of course, you can't be better than older people sometimes because they have more experience, and I feel like this is where my competitive part comes from. I've always wanted to compare myself with them. I feel like that's why I'm here right now."
 
While Fouillet's youth may pop out at times, it isn't something that shows up when she's on the course. The win in Denver also capped the most prolific two-week stretch in program history, with Cal's 21-under-par team score at the Ron Moore coming in second all-time only to its 28-under at the Molly Collegiate Invitational just 12 days prior.
 
At the Molly, it was Fouillet who helped set the tone for Cal's record-shattering performance, as she finished day one by tying the Bears' all-time best 18-hole round with a 6-under 66. She went on to lead the team in scoring for the second straight time to begin her collegiate career.
 
Following the end of the fall season, Fouillet leads the team with nine rounds at par or better and is currently on pace to break the record for the lowest scoring average for a freshman in program history. Terry attributes her early success – which impacts the team in more ways than just her individual scores – to a unique level of confidence for someone only 17 years old.
 
"I don't think it's very common. Whatever she wants to do, she's going to get it done," Terry said. "You can tell just by her swagger on the golf course. She walks around with a confidence that really ties into her performance. I think she has a strong foundation for being a leader."
 
Through five events, Fouillet has excelled in her work around the greens, giving the Bears a steady short-game presence with solid putting and chipping. She credits her approach – which at times includes what Terry calls "hero shots" – to modeling her game after her idol, Tiger Woods.
 
"When I have a shot that's a bit complicated to do, I'm not even hesitating a little. I just go for it," Fouillet said. "I always go for it because that's the mindset (Woods) has. It's confidence. He could literally make every single shot in the world. I feel like everything is possible, so why not go for it?"
 
Fouillet's fearless approach unsurprisingly extends beyond the golf course.
 
"I'm taking risks all the time, but like, in everything," she said. "I go skiing in the Alps every year, and every time I see a little hill that I can jump on, I just go for it. I don't care what's after."
 
That same mentality went into Fouillet's decision to make the big move from France to California. Her educational tract tended to push her more towards academic pursuits over athletic ones, but she is grateful that her parents always encouraged her – as well as her 13-year old sister, Victoire, and 10-year old brother, Arthur, both of whom golf competitively in Europe – towards a path filled with extracurricular activities outside of schooling.
 
"That was the plan for my wife and I - to raise our children with sports and hobbies," Gilles said. "Our own education was made on that, where academics was one thing, but we needed to diversify our knowledge on different things. We try to do the same with our children."
 
With that strong foundation intact, Fouillet excelled both in the classroom and on the course. She eventually turned into a highly sought-after prospect, with Golf Channel ranking her as the No. 18 recruit in her class.
 
After first seeing Fouillet compete at the 2022 German Boys & Girls Open, Terry and head coach Nancy McDaniel were quickly sold. It was a big decision for Fouillet to make, but her "all-in" attitude with the Bears is something that has been present since before she even officially signed with the team. As Terry recalls, she only wanted to visit one school, and that school was Cal.
 
"She has a brain that is well built. We wanted her to take the benefit of having the opportunities to learn in the best schools in America," Gilles said. "Nobody was nervous. There was no stress or fear because she's very natural. She always measures the level of risk and has a consciousness where she knows she can do it. She really tries things and she never gives up. Never."
 
Fouillet's move has not been completely devoid of challenges. Homework can sometimes take longer to complete due to her having to translate some of the words. And, being a 12-hour flight away from home, she has experienced homesickness at times, prompting her parents to send packages of food not only for Constance, but for her teammates as well.
 
Fouillet's in-state support system has been nothing short of exceptional, too.

"When you come to a completely unknown place, if you want to stay there and enjoy it, you have to meet new people and make friends," Fouillet said. "I feel like I could've been on a team where my teammates are not so nice, or not so funny. But they are not only that, they're also very smart and very talented. They're literally perfect."
 
The success and enjoyment Fouillet has had through the first half of her freshman year has already sparked interest in the program that wasn't as accessible prior to this year.
 
"Not only is she a great addition to the team, but she's also a really great tie to the European countries," Terry said. "We have two more coming in next year that know Constance and hopefully that continues on because of her strong play. People want to be a part of her team."