While others were busy with school in September, senior Lily Patel was at Pebble Beach Golf Links playing in the televised First Tee Pure Insurance Championship. This was a huge milestone in her golf career, as Pebble Beach is one of the most prestigious courses in the world and is frequented by the best golfers on the PGA Champions Tour.
For Patel, the moment was surreal. She said, “It was probably one of the best experiences of my life. Being able to go to Pebble Beach, a course you see on TV all the time, and to get the opportunity to play it was something really special.”
However, her golf career has been a long-term investment. Patel has been playing golf since she was four years old and has been a part of the First Tee program for nine years. Starting as a player, now a coach, First Tee has given Patel many opportunities, her biggest being the First Tee Pure Insurance Championship.
At WHS, Patel has made her mark on the girls golf team. She has won the Union County Tournament three times and was co-captain last season. She also competed at the NJSIAA Girls Tournament of Champions all three years.
When she was four years old, her father didn’t focus on her reading or writing skills; He instead focused on her athletic development and mental grit. Hersh Patel recalled sitting in their family room while Lily Patel rolled a yellow ball into a red cup on the floor.
Her First Tee coach of seven years, Peter Aloisio, knew she was different from other golfers her age. “She was working, coaching our classes for younger kids or just coming to practice for hours on end. It’s kind of nonstop with her,” said Aloisio.
He has guided her to improve her golf skills when attending these bigger tournaments. “She’s been one of the best players that I’ve had the pleasure of coaching,” said Aloisio.
The tournament consisted of multiple rounds to reach the final round, which included only 12 boys and 12 girls. Through senior partnerships with pro golfers, the junior golfers experienced what it is like to play in a serious and prestigious event alongside amateurs. Patel was paired with pro golfer Tim O’Neal. Together, the two made it to the final round of the tournament.
This experience left many lasting impressions on Patel. “Course management was one of the biggest things I learned about. You can’t see how far the flag is, and just try to hit it. There’s a certain strategy to each shot, and watching [O’Neal] play, I learned a lot about how to play those shots,” said Patel.
Through long days and tough practices, Patel knows these experiences will be crucial as she aims to pursue her golf career at the collegiate level. Lily will lead the WHS girls golf team this spring as one of the top golfers on the team.
