The crowd holds their breath as Jacqueline Zang ’25, with her driver in hand, steps up into the tee box of the first hole. She carefully chooses a spot to place her tee and golf ball. Visualizing her shot, Zang takes a confident swing, influenced by her favorite professional golfer, Nelly Korda. Her shot breaks the crowd’s silence as it flies through the sky and lands perfectly on the green. At age five, Zang began playing golf after her father introduced her to it. She initially only played golf with her family, but later in her career, she would compete in big tournaments. “I used to play tennis, and when I was around 11, my parents told me to choose one or the other,” said Zang. “It’s funny, because I didn’t want to do tennis because my dad told me I’d be running around in the heat. So I chose golf not because I liked one more than the other, [but] just because I didn’t want to run.” After deciding to pursue golf over tennis, Zang went to her local country club’s driving range and practiced with her sister, Madeline Zang ’23. When they practiced, they would mutually help and encourage one another, along with the additional coaching from their father. “November through March, I try to do around an hour a day. Sometimes, I skip a few days. In the summer, if I’m not playing a tournament that weekend, I’ll be practicing five to seven [hours],” said Zang. Zang joined the PHS golf team in her freshman year, when golf was a co-ed sport led by Head Coach Patrick Noone and Assistant Coach Jess Monzo. During Zang’s sophomore year, a girls-only golf team was formed with Monzo as head coach. Over the course of the past few years, Monzo has been able to see Zang grow as a player and a person. “She’s definitely matured a lot. She’s always been very focused, very lights out,” said Monzo. “[She] knows what she wants to do, but I think as she’s gotten older, she’s developed and kind of matured in the sport and understands that if I don’t make every shot, it’s not going to make or break me.” Zang’s determination and dedication not only helped her reach her current level but also inspired the rest of her team, including teammate and close friend Kyuyoung Chung ’26. “She’s definitely very skilled as a golfer, and so I think that’s definitely inspired a lot of the girls to practice more,” said Chung. “We’ve seen scores go down from last year, so score-wise we’re doing better than we did last year.” In addition to being a skilled golfer, Zang, who is captain of the team, serves as a leader and role model to her teammates. “She also has this sort of leadership [quality] about her, and so she’s just sort of someone you can look up to, [and] I certainly look up to her,” said Chung. Monzo witnessed the effect of Zang’s leadership on the team and how she serves as a role model for her teammates. “Every girl looks up to her,” said Monzo. “She’s able to kind of help, and she lends a hand, and she’s always available to give girls advice. So she’s been one of a kind.” Throughout her career, Zang qualified for the National Junior PGA championship, the highest level of junior golf, being inducted into the Rolex Honor Society, and placing in the top five in an American Junior Golf Association tournament in 2022. Despite this, there were challenges that Zang had to overcome. Staying calm under pressure and controlling emotions are both aspects of the sport that Zang has learned to play with. “[The most difficult part of] golf for me [is] probably the mental side. Just being in the moment, committing to it, and actually doing what I’m trying to do on the course,” said Zang. While individual golf can be mentally challenging and stressful, Zang’s favorite part of golf is a more enjoyable and less stressful way of playing it. “[My favorite part] ... is team golf because golf is an individual sport, so it can get kind of lonely sometimes,” said Zang. “Everyone plays their own ball, and then you add up each individual sport for a combined team.” Committed to Carnegie Mellon University, Zang hopes to contribute to another season as one of their best players. As she prepares to leave PHS and start college, Zang reflects on the valuable lessons golf has taught her throughout her years of playing. “It’s a lot of ups and downs. It’s never really consistent, so when you’re not playing as well, [be] patient with yourself, and keep your hard work up,” said Zang.