Katie Low is currently a Senior at McClatchy High School and has been a member of the Women’s Varsity Golf Team for four years. Her claim to fame occurred a few weeks ago at the Metro League Golf Championships. Katie led the Lady Lions to a slaughter of Kennedy by 26 strokes to claim the championship title for the second year in a row. But what’s even more impressive than the embarrassing beatdown of Kennedy was Katie’s score of 76! Low shot an impressive score that compares only to pros and college players.
Katie has been playing golf since the age of 5. She begins preparation for each golf season during the summer, starting in July. She practices every day on different strokes and on different courses. During the season she tries to practice at least twice a week and works with a swing coach on Saturdays for 2-3 hours.
Before each match, Katie listens to a specific playlist that includes various artists and a lot of EDM music to pump her up. Once she is pumped up and ready to go, she grabs her clubs and hits 50-100 balls, about an hour before the match begins. This allows her to get loose and dial into her zone. Her dad accompanies her when she warms up, which she enjoys because he gives her advice and tips that she wouldn’t recognize on her own. Her favorite club to use at the moment is her driver, because, “I feel like I am hitting very well with it right now.” But Katie noted that this changes often. Her favorite course to play on is Teal Bend, where she played in the High School Masters.
Reflecting on her impressive score of 76, Katie says that her initial reaction was that she was really proud of herself, “I know that’s what I should be shooting, because that’s what my swing coach tells me, and we have been working on my swing for five years, so I felt like it was about time.” She felt relief that all her hard work was finally paying off. This wasn’t the first time she had shot 76, but it was the first time that she had shot this well in a match that counted, which she is very proud of and so is the McClatchy student body. Katie is looking to carry this solid play into the playoffs and hopes to lead McClatchy far.
Looking into the future, Katie isn’t planning on playing golf at the collegiate level, but she is certainly looking forward to playing on her own, with friends, or through intramural. She says, laughing, “I don’t know if I could play for fun though, because my natural competitive spirit will come out and I would want to beat everyone.”