Early season success has brought much attention to freshman golfer Naomi Koontz. 10 years of dedication and hard work has prepared Naomi for her high school career. Naomi started playing golf at the age of four after growing up watching her dad play.
At her high school golf debut, Naomi won 1st place at the Derby Invitational. This tournament was held at Derby Golf and Country Club on Aug. 28. Naomi followed that win with another first-place finish at the Salina meet on Sept. 5th.
“It feels really cool [to win first as a freshman] and makes me excited for all the other tournaments,” Naomi said.
The 2023 season consists of five invitationals, one meet, one tournament and the league competition. Since the Derby Invitational, Naomi has made a successful showing at many recent competitions.
“Naomi has a nice swing and short game. She practices on her own on weekends and after our team practices to continue to improve,” girls golf coach Joanie Pauls said. “I expected Naomi to be successful in high school golf as she is an accomplished junior player and has had success in summer golf.”
During practices, Pauls says the girls focus on either working on their short game and range work or they may play holes on the course. The team practices daily which allows them to improve on their skills and mindset for competitions.
“During the round, there’s a lot of time in between the shots so most of the time I can think about whatever but during the actual shot I think about how and where I want to hit the ball,” Naomi said.
Family is one of the key reasons Naomi loves the game of golf. Naomi’s sister, Abby Koontz, says her father golfs all the time which led Naomi to pursue golf. Not only does Naomi’s dad love golf but her brother also attends Bethel College and competes on the Thresher golf team.
“My dad and older brother golf so my dad would take me to the course when I was little. My dad and brother inspired me to play golf,” Naomi said.
Naomi said that what she loves most about golf is being able to be outside and spend time with her dad. She also said that she loves to make new friends on the team. With the addition of club golf, Naomi is able to compete year-round and improve her skills.
“I think that golf is important to Naomi because it let’s her get competitive in a way that she enjoys, Abby said. “She is able to get into a routine and know what she wants to do and its a really nice way for her to set an expectation and try and meet that.”
The team will hopefully get the opportunity to wrap up their season in the state competition. Hutchinson Carey Park Golf Course will hold the state tournament on Oct. 16 and 17.
“I am optimistic the team will continue to improve and lower their scores as the season progresses,” Pauls said.
