Holding the title of first place internationally in the Kids World Championship for youth golf, sophomore Zachary Luo comes on top ranking No. 1 in California and No. 27 in the nation.
Competing in the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) and the Toyota Tour Cup for three consecutive years, he won multiple awards and competitions. Earning first in the Future Champions Golf International (FCG), third in the AJGA Open and the title of Future Champion International, an esteemed title for young golfers.
“There are different stages of competing in different courses and it’s pretty fun, but nerve-racking. It puts a lot of pressure and stress on myself because all of the best players are all fighting for a place [for the national tournament],” Luo said.
Beginning in local leagues at the start of age 5, with his father encouraging him to try out, Luo decided to push his abilities further. At 12 years old, Luo tried out for the AJGA for more challenging opportunities. Although tryouts were brutal, with Luo and almost a hundred youth golfers competing for a 10 percent chance of acceptance, he secured a place and began competing at the national level.
“The competitiveness drew me into golf when I first started it. I enjoyed the thrill and feeling of winning my first competition,” Luo said. “I had to work on my mental game and not get mad easily when I wasn’t happy with my performance.”
Luo practices six hours each day, splitting up his practice time for two hours of driving range, putting green and chipping green until playing at the courses. Balancing his schoolwork and commitment to golf, Luo also plays for the boys varsity team. He constantly approaches new challenges and terrain with courses spanning thousands of yards with obstacles containing water, sand pits and hilly slopes.
“Zachary is a great kid [that has] great skills with a great work ethic, his progress in putting the ball has improved significantly and with his work ethic. [He is going to great places with his talent and skill in the future],” varsity golf coach Cecil Woods said.
Taught close to home, Luo’s father’s passion for golf passed down to Luo, becoming his first mentor when he was three. Luo learned the basics of lining up shots and how to differentiate between swings for certain distances.
“My [line of thinking] is to always imagine hitting the ball straight rather than curved and putting it short and quickly,” Luo said. “I stand in a certain position to get a feel for the upcoming shot and you have to make a lot of calculations in your head like thinking of the wind speed and direction.”
Luo is working toward his goals of moving up to higher positions in new tournament cups, such as the Junior Amateur events and the United States Golf Association (USGA). He understands that nothing will come easy but welcomes the upcoming challenges to grow in his confidence and patience.
“Some challenges are money but I hope that I can be number one in the world and win a green jacket,” Luo said. “[My advice to any other golf players or anyone in a sport] is don’t give up, and always keep practicing, practice is always needed no matter what.”
