FORE Magazine

Top Menu

  • About Me
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Home

Main Menu

  • Current Issue
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
  • scga.org
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login

logo

FORE Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
  • scga.org
SCGA JuniorWinter 2016
Home›SCGA Junior›Set for Success: Already Accomplished, Alyaa Abdulghany Aims for the Next Level

Set for Success: Already Accomplished, Alyaa Abdulghany Aims for the Next Level

By Julia Pine
January 1, 2016
6218
0
Share:
SCGA Junior Champion

Alyaa Abdulghany, a junior at Corona del Mar High School, may not know just how good she is. With an individual state championship and a verbal commitment to play golf at USC already under her belt, the 16 year old is one of the game’s rising talents. But when asked about her game, her response remains humble.

“It’s an honor to win a state championship,” said Alyaa. “But my game can always improve. I’m always working on something new.”

It’s a mature answer for a high schooler, especially one who hasn’t been pushed into the game by her parents. Though her parents who are definitely supportive, Alyaa’s motivation clearly comes from within.

“Practicing has become a daily routine for me,” says Alyaa, who spends the majority of her time practicing at Oak Creek GC in Irvine. “My parents are around, they’ll help remind me of certain things, but they don’t push me.”

Born in Malaysia, Alyaa moved to the U.S. at a very young age. It was here that she was riding in the car with her parents and drove past a golf course. She asked what it was, and the rest is history.

SCGA Junior Champion“I know it’s not a typical ‘how I got into the game’ story,” she says. “I played a few sports growing up, but I just felt more connected and better about golf. It led me to take it more seriously.”

And in talking to Alyaa, you understand quickly just how serious she is about the game. And school. She studies, a lot, something that surely helped her receive an offer to play golf as a Trojan. But she is also a typical teenager, claiming “listening to music” and “sleeping” among her favorite hobbies.

“The entire ‘where to play college golf experience’ was nerve-wracking,” she says. “Gosh, I’m an only child, so I didn’t have another sibling who had previously gone through the experience. But after meeting people, it also became comforting. At USC, I just loved the team right away. And the after-college programs blew me away, with the Trojan alumni connections and things like that. I felt like USC offered me the best opportunities with golf and beyond.”

Alyaa, who plans to turn professional after getting her degree, has set herself up well for a career in golf. In addition to playing top junior golf tournaments, including a number of AJGA and USGA events, she is also involved in other aspects of the game, including volunteering for SCGA Junior.

“I was first introduced to SCGA Junior through its golf pass program, but then I got exposed to volunteering and helping younger kids out,” Alyaa remembers. “It’s such a great experience for me. And seeing this younger generation of golfers … they’re so good! It’s not only fun for me to volunteer, but just to watch them play!”

She has used the SCGA Junior Golf Pass more than 100 times for $1-$5 rounds of golf and buckets of balls. The Pass may also have helped her claim that state title.

“At Poppy Hills, I was able to use my SCGA Junior Golf Pass to play a practice round for just $5. Using the Pass for a practice round before a big tournament is key. And I can do that all over the state.”

Alyaa also competed in last year’s ANA Inspiration Junior Challenge, an LPGA qualifier run by SCGA Junior. She describes the experience as “incredible” and a “great thing to be part of.” The event, which pairs top junior girl golfers with LPGA legends for an inspirational round, sends its winner into the LPGA major.

“We were sitting in the dining room after the round and pro after pro just kept coming in,” says Alyaa. “We’d be like ‘OMG, now it’s her!’ I took a picture with Suzann Pettersen and saw Michelle Wie. Even if you don’t win/qualify, that event helps you grow. It’s really an amazing feeling to be part of something like that.”

Up next for Alyaa is just trying to get through high school. Already at the top of her game, she’s ready to move on to that next level.

“The college experience is really what I am looking forward to,” she says. “People keep telling me it’s going to be the best time of my life, and I hope it is.”

Previous Article

While We’re Young…. Please!: In an age ...

Next Article

Cactus Makes Perfect: Spring Training and the ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
mm

Julia Pine

Since joining the SCGA in early 2011, Julia has worked to enhance members experiences on scga.org with fresh content, in-depth coverage of tournaments, videos, member engagement opportunities and more. She is the editor of the SCGA's FORE magazine and plusFORE digital magazine and handles the Association's growing social media program and media relations. Julia is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University and grew up in Berkeley, Calif. For her, sports is not just a career, but a passion.

Related articles More from author

  • FORE HerSCGA Junior

    13-year-old Vanessa Already Has A Teaching Resume

    December 19, 2018
    By Hailey Tucker
  • SCGA JuniorSpring 2020

    President’s Message: The Most Impactful Thing We Do

    April 22, 2020
    By Fred MacFarlane
  • SCGA Junior Golf
    SCGA JuniorSpring 2016

    Growth Spurt: The Transformation of Ysabel Tran

    April 1, 2016
    By Julia Pine
  • Fall 2018SCGA Junior

    Kids, Having Fun Out There?

    October 22, 2018
    By Ken Van Vechten
  • SCGA JuniorSpring 2017

    Two For The Money: SCGA Junior Unveils The Merrins Legacy Program

    April 24, 2017
    By Jonathan Coe
  • Fall 2021SCGA Junior

    Full Circle: Three SCGA Foundation Members Exemplify the Spirit of the Program

    October 27, 2021
    By Hailey Tucker

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Recent Posts

  • FeaturedSpring 2022The Podium

    Fan-Demonium: Up Close & Personal at WMPO’s 16th

  • FeaturedSpring 2022Sustainability

    Jewel in the Middle of Nowhere: Death Valley’s Furnace Creek GC Ramps Up Sustainability Efforts

  • FeaturedHandicap HintsSpring 2022

    Keeping You Informed: GHIN Push Notifications on your Mobile Phones

  • FeaturedPublic AffairsSpring 2022

    Golf’s Wakeup Call: Facts Matter… Perceptions Matter More

  • FeaturedKnow the RulesSpring 2022

    The Provisional Ball: What? How? When?

FOLLOW US

Facebook Fans
Twitter 0Followers
Instagram 0Followers
Youtube 0Subscriber
  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • The Pubs of St Andrews

    By Mike James
    April 21, 2022
  • Scotland Must-Plays & Hidden Gems: 10 Terrific Tracks that Prove the Old Course Isn’t the ...

    By Joe Passov
    April 21, 2022
  • Bob Does Hollywood: The Hardest Working Man on Instagram Finds Gold in Golf

    By Adam Hawk
    April 21, 2022
  • Not Your Father’s Game: With Two Facilities Newly Open and Callaway at the Helm, the ...

    By Scott Kauffman
    April 21, 2022
  • The Provisional Ball: What? How? When?

    By Jimmy Becker
    April 21, 2022
  • The Diva Golfer

    By Azucena Maldonado
    January 31, 2017
  • The USGA’s Major Proposed Changes to the Rules of Golf

    By admin
    December 14, 2017
  • Stand By Me: Temecula Native Joe Skovron On Life As Rickie Fowler’s Caddie

    By Jonathan Coe
    October 26, 2016
  • Remembering Jim Murray: Best of the Best

    By Bill Dwyre
    February 14, 2017
  • Watching the Tiger Watchers

    By Andy Brumer
    February 20, 2018
  • free proxy list
    on
    December 5, 2018

    Top 4 College Golf Names You Need To Know

    Hello,I log on to ...
  • Adela C. Garcia
    on
    November 17, 2018

    Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”

    Azucena Maldonado is a ...
  • Rose Sauceda
    on
    November 15, 2018

    Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”

    Congratulations my lovely Amiga ...
  • Judy Carls
    on
    November 15, 2018

    The Gilded One: Eldorado CC

    Excellent magazine..thank you Judy Carls LPGA ...
  • SUE KNIGHT
    on
    October 19, 2018

    FULL HOUSE: First FORE Her Golf Outing

    I enjoyed the article ...

RECENT COMMENTS

  • free proxy list on Top 4 College Golf Names You Need To Know
  • Adela C. Garcia on Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”
  • Rose Sauceda on Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”
  • Judy Carls on The Gilded One: Eldorado CC
  • SUE KNIGHT on FULL HOUSE: First FORE Her Golf Outing
© 2016 FORE Magazine About Us | Contact Us | Advertise