Jaqueline Zang ’25: golf

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 with her family, but later in her career, she would go on to compete in major 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 began practicing at her local country club’s driving range with her sister, Madeline Zang ’23. When they practiced, they would help and encourage each other, with coaching from their father as well.

“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 still a co-ed sport led by Head Coach Patrick Noone and Assistant Coach Jess Monzo. By her sophomore year, a girls-only team was formed with Monzo as head coach. Over the years, Monzo has witnessed Zang grow both 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 discipline not only helped her grow into the golfer she is today, but also inspired her teammates—including 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 her skill, Zang, who now captains the team, is known for her leadership.

“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 echoed this sentiment, recognizing the impact Zang has had on 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 golf career, Zang has qualified for the National Junior PGA Championship, been inducted into the Rolex Honor Society, and placed in the top five at an American Junior Golf Association tournament in 2022.

Still, she admits that the sport has not always been easy—especially mentally.

“[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.

Despite golf often being an individual sport, Zang’s favorite part is when it becomes a team effort.

“[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 score for a combined team.”

Now committed to Carnegie Mellon University, Zang hopes to contribute to another successful season at the collegiate level. As she prepares to move on from PHS, she reflects on what golf has taught her.

“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.