Los Altos golfer happy to spend time competing in array of junior tourneys
By Pete Borello, Town Crier Staff Writer
 courtesy of LEA THE Los Altos resident Tessa The, 14, recently qualified for the Junior World Golf Championship. |
Her recent jaunts to Patterson, Fairfield and Merced don’t measure up to last summer’s trip to Asia, yet Tessa The isn’t complaining. While the 14-year-old enjoyed the three-week family vacation, it interrupted her junior golf season.
This summer, the Los Altos resident is back in her element - surrounded by grass, trees, sand and water. With mom Lea The behind the wheel, Tessa is visiting golf courses throughout Northern California to play in or qualify for the top junior tournaments.
“It’s great that I’m getting to play a lot more (this summer),” The said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
Fun and fruitful. In the last three weeks, The has qualified for an international tournament, earned alternate status for a national tourney and advanced to match play in two other events.
“I’ve improved a lot (over last summer), little by little,” said The, who graduated from Egan Junior High last month and will attend Los Altos High in the fall. “All of my game has improved.”
She attributes her improvement to practice - The can be found on her home course, Castlewood Country Club in Pleasanton, at least five days a week - and changing coaches last year.
“My new coach changed my entire swing,” she said. “It’s getting there, and I’m really excited.”
The summer started with The winning her division (girls 12-14) at the Green Valley Junior June 15 in Fairfield. She shot a 79 at Green Valley Country Club. The effort qualified The for next week’s Junior World Golf Championship in San Diego.
“It will be my first time going,” she said. “It should be fun - there will be a lot of golfers from all parts of the country and the world.”
A day after the Green Valley Junior, The was at the Merced Golf and Country Club for another qualifier. Although The’s 78 wasn’t good enough to qualify for the United States Golf Association Junior Girls Amateur, she is the second alternate.
Next came the Junior Golf Association of Northern California/Northern California Professional Golfers’ Association Championships, held June 20-23 at Diablo Grande Golf Course in Patterson. Shooting a 76 to advance to match play, The made it all the way to the semifinals of the sun-soaked tournament.
“It got up to 108 degrees,” said The, eliminated by Sacramento’s Hali Coppin (4 and 3 score). “It was so hot - and tiring.”
The moderate weather of Pebble Beach was a welcomed change for The, who was at the Monterey Peninsula Country Club last week for the California State Junior Girls Amateur Championship. She moved on to match play after shooting the best score of the qualifying round, a par 73.
“I don’t count my shots after nine, and I thought I shot a 76 or 77,” said The, who fired a 35 on the back nine. “When they said I shot par, I was really surprised.”
After winning 3 and 1 in the first round of match play, The lost 4 and 3 in the second round.
“I couldn’t do anything (in the second round),” said The, hampered by a hip sprain suffered the previous day. “I missed a lot of putts. And the other player was really good.”
This week, The intends to play in a two-day tournament at DeLaveaga Golf Course in Santa Cruz. The event is a qualifier for the Big “I” Junior Classic Golf Tournament, scheduled July 29 through Aug. 3 in Odessa, Texas.
There are plenty of other tournaments on The’s docket this summer - and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I want to keep playing so I can get better,” she said.
