Nothing about the moment in late June would have seemed out of the ordinary had you studied the early chapters of her life.

The trophy Drée Fausnaugh held after winning the New England Women’s Amateur? Natural progression, you’d guess, given that she had been a successful junior golfer in Florida years ago.

The efficient way in which she had closed with a bogey-free 68 for 3-under 210 at the Agawam Hunt Club? No surprise to those who had watched her win the Florida Junior Tour Championship at TPC Sawgrass and be named a Rolex AJGA All-American.

At 24, Fausnaugh merely seemed to be doing what she had done into her late teens, playing beautiful golf in competitive arenas. If you knew the early chapters of her life, you’d have figured the New England Women’s Amateur to be the latest in a seamless stretch of golf.

You’d be wrong.

Only don’t be alarmed. Hers is not a saga of a golfer derailed. No, Fausnaugh’s story – leaving college at 19 to go live in France – is to be celebrated for its authenticity and for the way in which it reignited a passion for golf.

“It is like a great adventure,” she said. “My parents say that, too, when they talk about it. It was bold, a little out there, and looking back, I know what I was doing was eye-opening.”

Having played on national teams that traveled to China and other destinations, Fausnaugh was a junior golfer from the Orlando area who attracted collegiate attention. She organized charity golf tournaments as a 14-year-old, was cited with the USGA-AJGA Presidents Leadership Award, and committed to the University of Central Florida.

Her 2015-16 freshman year was built on promise. It ran into the real world of anxiety.

“I was a very competitive golfer with all the works,” she said. “There were expectations. But I struggled my freshman year. I lost confidence in my game. Honestly, I felt burned out and I know if I had stayed, I would have quit the game.

Drée Fausnaugh in France.

“That made me sad. It made me angry to think I would lose my ability to play and to think I was not in love with the game.”

Unfortunately, more young golfers than you think face that fork in the road. Fortunately, Dreé Fausnaugh is immersed in character.

She took ownership of her fears and trusted the spirit that burned within. Her boyfriend, Thomas Le Berre, was a member of the golf team at UCF and when he returned to his family home in Chantilly, France, in the summer of 2016, Fausnaugh went with him.

What could have been a delightful vacation or even a college exchange program morphed into something more. Much more. “I didn’t just go there to visit,” said Fausnaugh. “I got out of my comfort zone. I embraced the culture. I lived it.”

The Le Berre family home was near Golf de Chantilly, a stately venue where 11 French Opens were played between 1913-1990, two of them won by Nick Faldo.

“It was where Thomas grew up and the family was gracious to let me stay there,” said Fausnaugh, who in short time came to love the life she had adopted. She learned to speak fluent French and stayed dedicated to on-line classes at UCF. Fausnaugh and Le Berre went to Golf de Chantilly nearly every day to practice. The cuisine was delectable.

Most of all, her passion for golf was rejuvenated.

“The members embraced me, and they took great pride in how much it meant for me to be there,” said Fausnaugh. “There is a sense of community, a level of club loyalty that we don’t have here in the United States, and I was able to hit the re-set button.”

Golf de Chantilly sent teams to play in national and European tournaments. Club members came out to watch club championship matches (Fausnaugh won in 2018) and supported the international efforts.

Fausnaugh in 2017-18-19 played throughout France and in Switzerland, Germany, and twice in the Ladies British Amateur. She once came in second to Virginia Elena carta of Italy and in another was edged out by Germany's Monika Isabella Vicario, talented golfers who went to Duke and North Carolina State, respectively.

“Girls would say to me, ‘You are doing it the opposite. We play golf and want to go to the University or College in the United States. You left the University in the United States to come here,’ ” laughed Fausnaugh.

“It was certainly different.”

It was also the best thing Fausnaugh could have done for herself.

“I struggled at UCF. When you grow up being a top junior (golfer), a lot of eyes are on you. There’s a lot of pressure, especially when you play poorly.

“But in France, nobody knew me at all. I didn’t feel the pressure. I just played golf and I started playing well. That gave me confidence again.”

Her last year in France, 2019, was her best; she was top 10 in four of her eight tournaments, 11th in another. “I felt I had turned a new leaf,” said Fausnaugh.

In 2020, Fausnaugh returned to Florida, just in time for the pandemic. Like everyone else, she was unprepared. She didn’t play much competitive golf, but with family in New Hampshire Fausnaugh got to at least change scenery.

Finding a place to practice (Pease Golf Course in Portsmouth, N.H.), she prepared for the 2021 New England Women’s Open. When she won, Fausnaugh felt validation that her years at Golf de Chantilly had been worth it.

“My golf IQ increased a lot in France,” she said. “And playing international amateur events opened my eyes to the world.”

That means the adventure is not quite over. In a few weeks, Fausnaugh will head to California for the first stage of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament. It is to challenge her golf game, not necessarily stalk a career in pro golf.

In France, Fausnaugh played with, and competed against, women who had careers outside of golf, but maintained a fair number of amateur tournaments to satisfy their competitive spirit. Her love of golf being rekindled, that appeals to her.

“I don’t know if I’d want to play tour golf,” she said. “But I think I owe it to myself to try after all my golf game has been through.”