Journey Through Golf

My introduction to golf was a young age — with my father being a PGA Golf Professional, along with his father. When I was born, my dad worked in the golf industry as the head golf professional. He has since left the golf industry, but golf still remains his biggest passion.

Don’t let the photos fool you, my passion for golf can be described as a slow burn. It started off as a family activity that I loathed for years. Mostly because it didn’t come naturally to me like other athletic activities. Now I realize that golf doesn’t come easily to anyone, even the best of athletes. Sure there are people out there that make it seem easy, but that only comes after hours and hours and hours of practice. I learned that lesson the hard way.

I began playing locally around Northern Nevada and Northern California, exposing myself to tournament conditions whenever I could. With my newfound commitment to practicing, I started to see real progress. The first time I broke 90 was in an NNJGA tournament, an 83, the summer before my freshman year of high school. Not long after, I broke 80 for the first time in a JTNC event, shooting 74. My family and I still laugh about both, since I had never sniffed either score in casual rounds; apparently I just live for the spotlight. The same thing happened when I broke 70 for the first time — a 66 at the state championship my sophomore year. Thank you, Mom, for encouraging me to practice.

I won my first tournament at a JTNC event, shooting 78–77. Naturally, I assumed golf was never going to be hard again — and I couldn’t have been more wrong. I kept pushing myself, entering bigger tournaments with deeper fields and stronger players, continuing the steady climb that defined my early years in the game.

While I had success in high school golf, it didn’t play a major role in preparing me for collegiate competition. I was fortunate to gain the attention of college coaches through my play in larger, more competitive events. My family supported me in playing as many tournaments as we could manage across Northern California and Northern Nevada. I competed in Junior State Amateur events and began dipping my toes into AJGA tournaments, though my later start in the game made earning AJGA status more challenging. I played whatever I could, traveling around the country a handful of times to compete.

To be honest, I can’t pinpoint exactly what stood out to college coaches in my junior golf résumé. I think it was the fact that I was persistent and trending in the right direction. I always emphasized that I was from a ski town, only able to play golf six months a year, which meant my ceiling was still far above me — I was only going to get better.

Looking back, I’m grateful that my junior golf career wasn’t defined by constant travel or an endless schedule of high‑level tournaments. It allowed me to be a kid, to be an athlete, and to grow without burning out. It ensured I never reached my ceiling too early, but instead kept improving year after year. That slow, steady climb shaped the player — and the person — I am today.

My brother, Ethan, was born with his passion for golf. Every summer he lived at our local muni, the Ponderosa Golf Course — riding his bike there with his clubs strapped to his back and playing until the daylight ran out. I watched him get good, really good, beating me every time, which made perfect sense considering I never practiced. Whenever we played as a family, I’d grow frustrated at my lack of ability. That’s when my mom’s famous saying was born: “You can’t get mad if you don’t practice.” It put me in my place. There was no logic in expecting to perform if I wasn’t putting in the reps.

Between that reminder and the constant butt‑whoppings delivered by my brother, I finally decided to see how good I could get. Around eighth grade, I made the choice to give myself a real chance at pursuing golf. And that’s where the journey truly began.

I saw success throughout my high school golf career, though I can’t say it was entirely because I played exceptional golf. The truth is, there were very few girls in my league who played serious competitive golf. I won a lot of high school tournaments and went undefeated from my sophomore season onward. (My junior season was canceled due to COVID.) I earned League MVP twice — as a sophomore and again as a senior — and secured First-Team All-League honors as a freshman.

The state championship always seemed to bring out something different in me. My freshman year, we played at my home course, Schaffer’s Mill Golf Club. Despite knowing the course inside and out, I struggled on the first day and shot 84. The next day, I came out firing, posting a career-low (at the time) 33 on the front nine. My second-round 74 tied the low score of the tournament and earned me the runner-up spot. That round lit a fire inside me — it matched my personal best and showed me what I was capable of when I locked in.

I went on to leave my mark, winning two Individual State Championship titles during my sophomore and senior seasons. My sophomore title was unforgettable. I opened with a 77 and was far from pleased. Looking back, five over was a solid round for me at the time — slightly above my scoring average, but nothing disastrous. Still, poke a bear and it reacts. I came out the next day with four birdies on the front to shoot 35. On the back nine, I added five more birdies and an eagle. I walked onto the 18th tee at 8-under-par without having any idea where I stood; I’ve never been one to track my score relative to par mid-round, and with the variety of numbers I was producing, it was even harder to keep track. As we approached the final holes, darkness was closing in — I was the last tee time of the day, and it became clear we might not finish. We rushed through the closing stretch and reached 18 with barely enough light. I doubled the final hole to shoot 66, finishing the tournament at 1-under-par and securing an 11-shot victory.

I claimed another state title my senior year, though the details have mostly slipped my mind. I remember finishing in the dark again and rushing straight to the airport to make our flight. After some online digging, it appears the event was shortened to 27 holes — nine holes the first round and eighteen the second. I shot 2-over in the opening nine and 5-over in the final round, finishing with a 17-stroke lead to earn my second straight state championship. I closed my high school career with two undefeated seasons. Would it have been three if not for COVID? We’ll never know!