Jack Major
Staff Writer
As the ball trickled in on the last hole, Mira Costa senior Ashley Kim breathed a sigh of relief. Even in a loss, she felt that she had played a decent round.
Kim competed in the semifinals of the CIF individual championships on Nov. 11 at Western Hills Golf Course. She was the only girl from Costa competing and just narrowly missed the cut line by two strokes, shooting a 74.
“The tough competition that comes with advancing this far in CIF required me to shoot an above-average round,” Kim said.
Kim says that her greatest strength is usually her putting, but her driving was strongest on Nov.11 as she converted 13 of her 18 greens in regulation.
Ashley Kim’s Tournament Profile
“In a perfect round, I would hit the ball well and roll in my putts, but today was not one of those rounds,” Kim said.
Only nine individuals and three teams make it to State Championships, and this was the last round before the state finals that take place on Nov. 25 in Pebble Beach. The CIF individual and team winners will be determined by one final round. Kim said that she was disappointed that she did not make it to this final round but felt she played well during the season.
“I wish I could have made state, but I’m happy now that I can focus on getting prepared for college,” Kim said.
Although college golf is much more competitive than high school golf, Kim says the best way she can prepare for the next level is to stick to her current methods of preparation, including practicing every day. Kim verbally committed last year and officially committed last week to the University of Michigan.
“Kim has always been a great player, but as she has aged, she has matured mentally and is as strong as any player I have coached,” coach Thomas Cox said.
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