Dougherty Valley junior standout golfer Michelle Ho reflected on her experience in the recruitment process as she searches for her next destination in her academic and golf career.
Ho, the Wildcat 2022 season MVP and NorCal Championships participant, first started playing golf around ten years ago.
“My brother introduced me to golf, because he used to play when he was younger and I used to just follow him around,” she said.
While golf may have started as a fun way to spend time with her brother, Ho soon discovered her passion for the game.
“When I first started golf, I never thought college golf was a possibility for me. But as I practiced more and improved, I realized that this was something I really wanted to pursue in the future,” she said.
Outside of Dougherty, Ho has also found success on the national scale, capturing her first American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) victory at the Cameron McCormick Junior All-Star tournament last summer. After three grueling days battling in the heat, Ho outlasted San Diego’s Sehee Kim in a three hole playoff to take home the victory.
“Last year I won an AJGA tournament in Texas, and this year I made it to the final round of the San Francisco City Championship,” she said.
The AJGA is a national level tour considered the highest caliber of junior golf tournaments. It boasts many notable alumni like recent superstar Rose Zhang. Despite this, Ho’s finish at the SF City championship might be even more impressive than her AJGA victory, since it meant that she advanced to the final round in a star-studded field that included many athletes who have already committed to play in college.
Now, Ho has turned her eyes to a bigger goal: playing collegiate golf. While success on the golf course is one thing, managing the road to recruitment is a whole other challenge.
“Before June 15, I only got a couple of responses because colleges aren’t allowed to respond until June 15 after your sophomore year,” Ho said. “When June 15 came around I didn’t have many expectations and was very surprised when I received emails from so many colleges. It felt rewarding because all my hard work felt worth it, and I was excited for my recruiting journey to begin.”
Now, Ho has been living every athlete’s dream with the opportunity to visit a selection of programs.
“[Visits are] really fun,” Ho said. “Especially since you can visit all the practice facilities, watch a practice session, talk to an academic counselor and visualize yourself being a part of that community.”
Ho also recognizes the significance of finding a supportive environment where she can fit in and thrive.
“Talking to the coaches and getting to know them as a person is also super important because at the end of the day, you want to make a decision that you feel is best for you, and you should be able to feel a strong connection with both the coaches and the team,” she continued.
After gathering all data she needs, Ho is weighing each factor to make the best decision for her. While it is important to find a school that feels like home, Ho also needs to find a program that can support her goals.
“I’d like a good balance between [golf and academics],” she said. “I know I spent so much time on golf, [but] I want to pursue that [too].”
Meanwhile, as the regular high school season comes to a close, Ho is still working hard and looking forward to earning high honors at the North Coast Section (NCS) championship on Oct. 30.
