High School Athlete of the Week: Abdulghany again a champ
Alyaa Abdulghany stays honest about her golf game.
The Corona del Mar High junior, 16, is one of the best young talents in the country. She’s ranked No. 8 in the United States among girls’ golfers by Golfweek, and No. 11 by the American Junior Golf Assn. She was recently named a first-team 2105 Rolex Junior All-American.
The honors are lengthy. But ask her if she’s had a round this season that she’s particularly proud of, and she’s quick to answer.
“Not yet,” she said. “I’m still waiting on that one.”
Of course, Abdulghany missed part of the season for CdM to travel abroad and compete in tournaments. Earlier this fall she was in Canada, representing the United States at the World Junior Golf Championship. Then, it was off to Germany for the 19th Nick Faldo Series Grand Final.
Abdulghany has been back for a few weeks now. As it turned out, that was bad news for her opponents in the Pacific Coast League.
The Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week defended her title at the league championships last week. She fired a nine-under-par 137 over two days at San Clemente Municipal Golf Club, two shots ahead of her teammate, CdM senior Amy Matsuoka, in second place. It was Matsuoka who won the title in 2013, and now Abdulghany has captured it each of the last two seasons.
Matsuoka is bound for the University of Oregon and Abdulghany has verbally committed to USC. They could meet again as Pac-12 opponents in the near future. For now, they are both leading CdM, after Matsuoka took a year off last year to focus on academics.
“The team’s doing really well,” Abdulghany said. “We’re both shooting even or under, and the team’s improving also, everyone else on varsity. I think this year is just a really good year for CdM.”
Abdulghany and Matsuoka also performed well on Monday at Dad Miller Golf Course in Anaheim, at the CIF Southern Section Southern Individual Regional. Both shot a 69, tying for second and easily advancing to the CIF Southern Section Individual Finals on Thursday at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills.
Golfers needed to finish top 36 to move on. Abdulghany officially took second place via a card-off against Matsuoka and two other golfers. Sage Hill’s Mary Shin (75) tied for 24th to advance, as did Newport Harbor’s Grace Ferrell (76), who advanced via a sudden death playoff.
Abdulghany could have won the regional, finishing a stroke behind Diamond Bar freshman Kailie Vongsaga after missing a few putts on the back nine.
“I know I could have done better,” she said. “I missed a couple of putts, but I’m satisfied because I know that I’m one step closer to state.”
Yes, the goal for her and Matsuoka both is the CIF State Championship, held Nov. 17 at Poppy Hills in Pebble Beach. The top 28 players on a team not advancing on Thursday at Western Hills will move on to the CIF/WSCGA Southern State Regional Championship, held Nov. 12 at Goose Creek Golf Club in Jurupa Valley.
From there, the top nine competitors not on any of the top three teams advance to state.
Corona del Mar Coach Mike Starkweather said that the Sea Kings have never had a player make it to state, but the goal is for Abdulghany and Matsuoka to both do so this year. Abdulghany is particularly hungry to advance after finishing one match away in each of her first two years of high school golf. Last year, she shot four-over par 76 at the CIF/WSCGA Southern State Regional Championship at The Golf Club at Rancho California, missing the cut by three strokes despite scoring an eagle on No. 3.
“I just feel more confident in my game this year,” Abdulghany said. “I can take it all the way. I’d be pretty honored and humbled to represent CdM at state.”
First, she is focused on the team aspect. CdM will be competing as a team at the CIF Southern Section Southern Team Championships on Monday at Lakewood Country Club. The Sea Kings need to finish top three to qualify for Thursday’s tournament at Western Hills as a team.
Other than Abdulghany and Matsuoka, senior Gabby Finear, freshman Celine Niu, senior Sarah Reynoso, junior Sophie Song and freshman Gia Finear have gotten the Sea Kings to this point. They played a practice round at Lakewood on Thursday.
“I know we have a shot [to advance], but trying to predict high school golf, you don’t want to do that,” Starkweather said. “There’s good days and bad days, and going half-mad days.”
Lately for Abdulghany, the good days have been outnumbering the others. Her hard work is paying off.
And don’t think that she’ll take it easy at Monday’s tournament because she has already qualified individually for Thursday.
“I feel like you have to keep the same pressure if you want to do well, no matter if it’s individual or team,” she said. “You want to always do your best.”
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Alyaa Abdulghany
Born: April 2, 1999
Hometown: Newport Beach
Height: 4-foot-11
Sport: Golf
Year: Junior
Coach: Mike Starkweather
Favorite food: Sushi
Favorite movie: “Remember the Titans”
Favorite athletic moment: Making it through the American Junior Golf Assn. Polo semifinals last year in Florida.
Week in review: Abdulghany shot nine-under par 137 on Oct. 21-22 at San Clemente Municipal Golf Club to repeat as Pacific Coast League champion.
