Abdulghany wins CIF State golf title

Alyaa Abdulghany is a 4-foot-11 golfer, but she proved that she’s a giant on the golf course.

Abdulghany capped her season with the biggest prize in high school girls’ golf in California by winning the CIF State individual title on Tuesday. The Corona del Mar High junior fired a two-under-par 69 at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, finishing two strokes ahead of Calista Reyes of San Diego Rancho Bernardo and Angela Liu of San Jose Lynbrook.

Abdulghany is the first Sea King to win a CIF State golf championship. She pulled it off in her first trip to state.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Abdulghany said during a phone interview. “It’s such an honor to win it, not just individually, but for Corona del Mar.”

Abdulghany left her mark on the tough Poppy Hills Golf Course. The Northern California Golf Assn. announced that Abdulghany’s score of 69 set a women’s course record at Poppy Hills.

“They had her sign her scorecard because they were going to have it framed at Poppy Hills,” CdM Coach Mike Starkweather said. “It has been quite the year for her and our program.”

Starkweather brought two CdM golfers to state, a first under his watch. The other was Amy Matsuoka, who finished tied for 16th with a 77.

Starkweather said he followed both golfers, Abdulghany during a bogey-free front nine and Matsuoka on the back nine. After Abdulghany birdied the No. 4, 5, 7 and 9 holes, some people asked Starkweather whether he was keeping track of the rest of the 58 scores in the field.

“They told me that I should be following because Alyaa was four under and the closest person was at even,” Starkweather said. “Amy was one of those at even. She was tied for second place at the time.”

For a moment, Starkweather said he thought about a one-two CdM finish at state.

Abdulghany stayed in front, despite bogeying No. 11, a par-four hole, while Matsuoka bogeyed No. 12 and double bogeyed No. 14, dropping her to four over. Down the stretch, all of Starkweather’s attention focused to Abdulghany.

While the USC commit didn’t record any birdies on the back nine, a second bogey wasn’t going to stop Abdulghany from making history.

“It still hasn’t sunk in,” Abdulghany said of winning state.

This calendar year has been a banner one for Abdulghany, ranked No. 8 in the United States by Golfweek and No. 11 by the American Junior Golf Assn.

In September, Abdulghany represented the U.S. at the World Junior Golf Championships in Canada. She took part in the 19th Nick Faldo Series Grand Final in Germany, taking second in the under-16 tournament in October. She then made the first-team AJGA Rolex Junior All-American first team.

Abdulghany was the medalist at the Pacific Coast League finals and at the CIF Southern Section Southern Division Team finals, where CdM finished in a two-way tie for first. Abdulghany also placed third at the CIF Southern Section Individual finals and tied for sixth at the CIF Women’s Southern California Golf Assn. Southern California Regional. The sixth-place showing allowed Abdulghany to make her state debut.

All of the golf has forced Abdulghany to miss time at school this fall. Even though she won state, Abdulghany said she would attend school on Wednesday.

“I’m driving back with my parents,” said Abdulghany, who planned to sleep during most of the 368-mile ride home. “I have a couple of tests I need to take at school tomorrow.”