On May 7, sophomore Lily Patel won the Union County Tournament shooting an 81 on Suburban Golf Course in Union, NJ. Patel not only captured the title for the second time as only a sophomore, but she was able to beat her closest competitor, Jasmine Gutierrez-Solana from Scotch Plains-Fanwood, by seven strokes.
Patel has been a force to be reckoned with since she walked on to Westfield’s team last year, and securing an individual county title just proves her dominance. Her mindset has carried her far and her strategy has been intentional and consistent. “My strategy was to stay relaxed and focused throughout the round. Focus on taking it one shot at a time.”
Stepping into this huge role as a sophomore comes with pressure that she not only places on herself, but also the young girls golf program that needs pressure to continue their success. Patel, however, sees this pressure as an opportunity. “It was a great opportunity to play in the bigger high school events as an underclassman.”
Wanting to continue her career in college, she knows this experience will push her game to a new level even in tough competition. “I am able to gain a lot of experience as a younger competitor. It was wonderful to be able to win it for the second consecutive time.”
Junior golfer, Claire Gallagher, understands how important this win is not for Patel alone but for the entire team. With a new, developing program and a relatively young team, any step towards success reflects positively on the team as a whole. “We’re a really young team, and we haven’t really built up a reputation in the school yet. This kind of earns some respect for the team and hopefully we’ll have some more good matches and make a name for ourselves.”
Earlier this year head coach Jayne Summers shared what a positive impact Patel has had on the team. She acknowledged the sense of pride being given to each golfer, wanting to compete as Patel leads the way. Shooting an 81 is an impressive feat, but her insatiable drive for success is what helps her control her competition each and every time she plays. For this to continue, her confidence has to remain steadfast as she continues into the tournament season. “This victory gives me a lot of confidence knowing that I can compete in events like these.”
With the state tournament beginning shortly and Patel’s game looking strong, there is no limit to what she can accomplish in the rest of her sophomore season.
