Six girls, Six golf stories
September 21, 2017
One common denominator among all golfers are their personal golf stories — stories that often illustrate the players’ characters and commitment to the sport.
These stories are often labeled as the brief beginnings of long-term passions.
The Homestead girls varsity golf team is made up of six dedicated players who, in addition to being great golfers, have the power to impact others with inspiring stories. The players have inherited a sister relationship among each other:
“My teammates encourage me to do the best that I can. You want to better yourself as a player so you can contribute to your team and not let down your other teammates,” Hannah Malicky, senior, said. Malicky was not always a golfer, but rather a soccer player; one day, a funny incident happened during the summer before freshman year which made Hannah change her mind. She was playing around with her dad in a par three golf course when she aimed and successfully hit a golf cart driver 120 yards from her starting position, “After I hit him, he made me try out for the golf team… that’s why I joined the golf team,” Malicky said. When asked how these first experiences shaped her as a golfer, Hannah replies boldly, “It kinda teaches you not to take the game too seriously.”
Much like Hannah, Trinidy Pate, senior, has had great golf memories with her father. In one especifically marking moment, when Pate was only seven, she hit a hole in one: “It didn’t hit me right away since I didn’t know that much about golf, but I ended up being in the newspaper…my dad was so excited,” Pate said. Pate recognizes her father’s impact in her golf career with pride and love,“My dad is my number one supporter….he motivates me a lot. If anyone was to be considered my inspiration it would be him.”
While Pate keeps her mind focused on her family for inspiration, others, like Chloe Sileno, freshman, believe that solely the thought of improving influences her golf performance. Sileno has learned to teach herself new skills in order to better her game. “During the summer, junior golf competitions gave me more experiences with competitiveness and pressure,” Sileno said.
Hallie Kent, senior, also recognizes the importance of gaining new experiences as a strategy for motivation. In one particular instance, during the annual Yahara Tournament, Kent needed to make a five foot putt on the last hole in order to keep her on the lead. “After I hit the ball, it was just hanging on the edge. I thought I missed it, but then, as I was walking up to it, the ball fell; I screamed. That putt got me into a playoff to compete for 1st place; I ended up winning the playoff and the tournament,” Kent said.
Not all six of the golfers, however, had Hallie’s luck. Judith Anbu, sophomore, couldn’t play golf for most of her sixth grade career due to a spine surgery, which made her lose some interest in playing. Despite the hurdle, Anbu was able to hop back on the golf course a couple years later: “The memories I had of me playing when I was younger inspired me to get back at the game two years later,” Anbu said.
While most impactful golf stories occur a long way back in the past, Isabelle Maleki, senior, would argue differently. “My most memorable golf story happened yesterday when I shot my lowest score ever: 71, one under par,” Maleki said.
As the season continues, new memories will constantly be created and unforgettable moments will inevitably happen during the most unexpected times. “I’m looking forward to ending the season on a good note and making sure that I have a good time with the team and on the course,” Andu said.
