Golfer Kylie Nguyen ties for third in outstanding debut

Pictured: Kylie Nguyen being help up by her Chapman teammates after leading the charge in her debut; Photo Courtesy of Kylie Nguyen

Kylie Nguyen, a freshman data science major and Chapman women's golfer, had confidence through the roof during the California State Intercollegiate tournament. In her first tournament round, Nguyen opened with a one-over 73 and made par on 15 of the 18 holes.

"My goal going into the round was to stay in the moment, play hole by hole and focus on my own game while trying not to worry too much about what my competitors were doing,” Nguyen said. “I feel like I followed this pretty well as I stayed focused and didn't let the pressure from the field get to me.”

Senior Emily Cho, a broadcast journalism and documentary major, on the team reflected on the impact Nguyen has already had on the team at the start of her first year.

"Kylie has brought some new energy that we really needed,” Cho said. “She's super dedicated but also brings some positivity even when our team struggles. She has already contributed some low scores and I know she's going to be a big help in our team scores."

The tournament's first round was not the only one Nguyen made an impression on. In the second round, she carded a 75, which means she had completed the round with 75 strokes. This maintained her spot in the top five places, as she was one shot out of second place and five behind the medalist.

“I struggled on a few holes and had two doubles due to some errant shots off the tee, but getting four birdies helped bring my overall score back,” Nguyen said. “Having a consistent two-day score really helps your placement. I knew where I stood coming into the second day and felt I could still find a top-five finish even if I shot a couple strokes worse."

Cho spoke to Nguyen’s positive attitude.

"Kylie doesn't let the small things bother her,” Cho said. “Even after a bad shot or bad round, she just laughs it off and moves on to the next. Her reactions after her bad shots make me laugh all the time."

Nguyen's determination and hard work, playing in tournaments over the summer, prepared her to be successful at the collegiate level. Playing in the Washington Junior Golf Association tournaments kept her game-ready.

"The things I worked on were tightening my iron accuracy and strengthening my short game,” Nguyen said. “Playing in many tournaments and consistently practicing with a purpose was what has been helping my performance as well as great coaching from Coach Ming Lao and Coach Kristen Lee in my first few weeks here that has helped my game a lot.”

Nguyen's high energy and momentum are carrying over from her first tournament, and she is ready to continue improving in the game. 

"I had a great start to the season so I am hoping to continue to build on my momentum, learn from my teammates, and am grateful for the guidance from my coaches,” she said. “I'm definitely excited to be a Panther and start my collegiate golf career.”