Swinging her way to a spot at the top

Ryan Lam, Staff writer
November 4, 2022

She adjusts her white Titleist visor as it starts to move down her forehead before she tees off. The brisk wind blows past her ear as she forms a confident smile, swinging her driver on the last hole, about to finish the final round of the Hacienda League at Santa Anita.  

Senior Ashley Yun won the 2022 Hacienda League Championship, setting the championship record for shooting 65 and 68, a total of 135. Yun has qualified for the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Individual Championship alongside five other girls from Walnut High School. 

“After winning [the league championship], I felt more confident in my abilities to golf and felt prepared for CIF,” Yun said. “

With such low scores, I felt super proud of myself for finishing up high school golf and the [Northwestern University] scholarship changed my life.”

As one of the team’s captains, Yun’s goal is to be a role model to the new members of the girl’s golf team. She wants to further develop the team’s skills in setting goals, making decisions and communicating with her previous experiences on the golf team. 

“My role is to show [the girls] the ropes, essentially what it is like to be a part of Walnut’s golf team,” Yun said. “I hope they learn to have fun as I want to be able to support them to the best of my ability and help them further their [golfing] careers.” 

Yun began learning golf at age 7 at the Verdugo Hills Golf Course, where she was taught the mechanisms of golf by her longtime coach, Brad Sherfy. 

“Coach Brad Sherfy has helped me build the basics of golf, [acting] as the foundation for my swing and initiating my competitive drive,” Yun said. “My coach has taught me to keep calm throughout my games and they give me tips for my future in golf.”

When she turned 8 years old, Yun’s mother introduced her to competitive golf and tournaments. Ever since then, Yun has learned the significance of respect for others, a strong mindset and a consistent work ethic. Competing in tournaments is thrilling to Yun and has introduced her to a variety of people that are currently her friends. In the future, Yun plans to continue golfing at Northwestern University.

“Competitively, golf has helped me push myself. My experiences have helped me get used to controlling my mentality and having more control over my mind and body,” Yun said. “In time, I [became] really good at golf, allowing me to take more time off and meet a bunch of people. [Golf has] helped me become the open outgoing person I am now.”