PHOTO COURTESY/ Genevie Yang Senior Nicole Yang officially committed to Academy of Art University on Nov. 10. Her family, friends and teammates joined her in the signing event at Temple City Park.
By Lucas de Paula,
Staff Writer
Senior Nicole Yang stood on the neatly cut fairway of the 36th and final hole of the Toyota Tour Cup Qualifier in San Bernardino on July 30, 2020, carefully selecting the next club she would use to hit onto the green. Feeling the beads of sweat on her neck, she took one last look at the target before starting her swing, and struck the ball. Yang felt her heart skip a beat as it landed softly on the green, as she had intended. The look of relief and beaming smile on Yang’s face was obvious, she knew she would escape with an easy two-putt par.
“Golf allows me to meet really interesting people,” Yang said. “I’ve met the best people through golf that I wouldn’t have been able to talk to if I was just a normal student.”
Yang began playing golf at the age of five and competitively at age 12. During quarantine, Yang began practicing from midmorning to sundown. Now, she practices by hitting balls on the range on most days, playing practice rounds at Candlewood Country Club and taking lessons with famous coach and former professional player Ted Oh.
In addition, Yang often utilizes a Trackman, a simulator that uses military-grade Doppler radar technology to provide statistics such as swing speed, ball speed, spin, angle of path and attack.
Competing in events like the Toyota Tour Cup and the Southern California Golf Association Junior Tournament, Yang refined her skills against high-level competition and through regular practice. When she first qualified for the Toyota Tour Cup, she placed fifth out of 65 contestants.
“Golf is probably the most humbling sport; literally one day can be so different from the next,” Yang said. “And it’s just mentally a really, really big struggle.”
Attending the Academy of Art University with a full-ride scholarship, Yang intends to pursue her passion at the collegiate level. ArtU is the only art university in the country that specifically offers athletic scholarships and competes at the NCAA Division II level. Combining her love for art and golf, this school was the optimal pick for Yang. Demanding less commitment and dedication than Division I universities, Division II offers more flexibility to athletes.
Already securing a spot at ArtU, Yang only participates in one tournament a month. During Thanksgiving break, she played a match in Las Vegas.
Besides ArtU, she was also offered athletic scholarships at other Division I and Division II schools such as Quinnipiac University and Cal State LA, as well as guaranteed admission to Division III schools like UC Santa Cruz and Chapman University.
“Overall, this choice was best fit for me,” Yang said. “I could have gone to a Division I school, but I didn’t want to go to the middle of nowhere.”
Yang plans to explore art-related careers, like illustration or concept art, while playing golf as a hobby rather than a profession.
“Golf took me to get this huge scholarship to live in San Francisco and play golf,” Yang said. “So, if you have a passion for anything, just follow it.”