“If I didn’t play with Kenzie, I would feel out of place. She knows what I need and I know what she needs,” senior Vy Nguyen said.
Many people consider golf an individual sport, but as remarked by Nguyen, the teammates are crucial to the game. Matches are also much more united than one would think.
Golf, in high school, is actually played with two people from each team making their way through each hole, with other sets of four following the same route. These two people are known as playing partners, and sometimes they can be together for years.
One remarkable duo consists of seniors Vy Nguyen and McKenzie King, who are the siblings of graduated players Khanh Nguyen and McHailey King. Both playing partners played together for their last year and were captains as well, and this has created an emotional bond between the two.
“Vy has been the best playing partner ever since freshman year. We’ve gotten closer and closer each year and she’s so much fun to be around. She is definitely the most spirited players but also the most dedicated,” King said.
“Having a playing partner means that you have someone to cheer you up. Whenever I have a bad round, we say “three ups and two downs” to each other,” Nguyen said.
Although emotional support is always useful during a match, playing partners can also help each other with technique.
“They each know each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” coach Michelle Warlick said. “For example, when they’re on the Tee-box, Vy will go and line up her shot and Kenzie will stand behind her to make sure she is aimed at her target line.”
Apart from the unique bonding of players, the team as a whole has been strong for the previous three years—placing third, second, and third at state accordingly—and is having a strong season thus far.
“The season so far has been a lot of fun and there’s a lot to look forward to like the District and State competition, which we hope to take as many people to as possible to,” King said.
Warlick shares similar hopes and goals as King, and her goal is simple:
“I want to get back to state and place in the top three,” Warlick said.
With the girls’ ubiquitous excitement about the season and the past success of the team at State, this is a very achievable goal.