Chuang enjoys growth of MHS golf

Original team member has continued to improve

By: Bob Nuse
   Angela Chuang was around when the Montgomery High girls’ golf program started as a club team in 2004.
   Now, as a junior and one of the Cougars’ better golfers in a varsity program, she’s quite happy to see how far Montgomery girls’ golf has come.
   "I definitely think we have upped the skills a bit," said Chuang, a junior. "The first year we played as a club team and then last year was our first year as a real team. This year it just seems like everyone is showing a lot of potential.
   "I’m pretty excited about the young players we have coming out for the team. If they put more into it and continue to improve, we could have a pretty good team next year."
   Actually, the Cougars have a pretty good team this year. Although they dropped a 217-220 decision to South Brunswick on Friday, Montgomery is still 5-4 this season. Included in their victories are wins over Bridgewater, East Brunswick and Moorestown.
   Chuang has been playing her best golf of the season over the last week. In three matches, she shot 51 each time out, equaling her season-best performance.
   "I used to play when I was younger, then I stopped for a period of time," Chuang said. "I started up again when they had a team in high school and it gave me a place to play. It was nice because it felt like I was coming back to it. This year, we have a lot of new girls on the team. It’s been fun, we’ve gotten to play a lot of matches already and we have a pretty full schedule."
   Being able to play on a regular basis has certainly made a difference in Chuang’s play. It’s also helped the whole Cougar team. Megan Motherway has been the other player to score in nearly every match, while Kaitlyn Zullo and Whitney Kelly have been regular scorers as well. Each of those players is back from last year’s team.
   "There is definitely a big difference between my game now and that first year," Chuang said. "I have probably improved by nine or 10 strokes. This past week was a really good week for me. We played Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and I shot a 51 each time, which is my best. I feel like I have been pretty consistent and I’m hoping that maybe I can break 50 at some point this season. It’s only two strokes difference, but those two strokes can be hard to get."
   As a team, Montgomery has already improved on its win total of last year, when the Cougars finished 3-9. But to make that next step to become a program that wins on a regular basis, Montgomery coach Eduardo Fernandez knows his players need to go a higher level.
   "One problem we have is the girls don’t play much golf outside of the season," Fernandez said. "During the season they play. But they only play occasionally during the summer and they don’t take a lot of lessons. That’s what you really need to do to improve. You need to go out and play more consistently.
   "It’s amazing what you can do if you play over the summer or practice with a pro. We have some girls with nice swings, but they don’t put in as much time as they could to really improve their games."
   Even so, Montgomery has made nice strides as a program. From a club team to three wins last year to five already this season, the play has improved.
   "The sport is really growing," Fernandez said. "There are many more teams around the area now than there had been. What you see is that teams like Hunterdon Central, which have been around for five or six years, are really strong. But there are other teams now that have been around a little while and are starting to get better.
   "In the next five years, I see a big explosion coming in the sport. I saw a sixth grader playing with her dad out at Mattawang. There is an eighth grade girl we have coming next year who is a very nice player. The girls are starting to get interested at a younger age and that’s what it is going to take to improve and get the consistency you need."
   Chuang is starting to develop that consistency. And she hopes that leads to more success down the road for her and her team.
   "I want to play in college," Chuang said. "I’m hoping to find the right place where I would still be able to play. It’s a great sport and very relaxing. I feel like girls’ golf is definitely growing. The first year we had a team it was hard to find any matches. Now, we have 22 matches on our schedule and a lot of schools have added girls’ teams.
   "We have five wins and we’re hoping to at least finish even this season. If we could finish 11-11 and or maybe a little better than that, it would be a great season for us. That would be our goal."
   Fernandez hopes other players follow the lead of Chuang, who has taken a keen interest in golf.
   "Angela has been with us since we were a club team two years ago," the Montgomery coach said. "She’s been playing very well the last week. She shot 51 in three matches, which is a real nice score. She’s a very good player for our level. If you can break 50, that’s a good day.
   "Overall, I would like to see more classes or camps for girls only. That would be a great benefit. Maybe that is something the LPGA can do to help."