St. Mary’s Kay Lynn Hoo Finishes Top 10 at OFSAA Golf
By Larry Moko
Competing in a field of 127 players, Grade 9 student Kay Lynn Hoo of St. Mary Catholic Secondary School battled illness and wrist soreness to tie for ninth place at last week's OFSAA girls' golf festival in Brampton.
Her open division score over two rounds at Lionhead Golf Club was 13-over-par 157 (79-78).
The low score of 147 (74-73) was turned in by Andrea Lai of St. Joseph's Catholic High School in St. Thomas.
"During OFSAA, I had the flu and I was playing through an injury the entire tournament," said Hoo, this year's Golden Horseshoe Athletic Conference girls' open champion.
Hoo was dealing was tendonitis in her wrist.
"It was something new," she said. "It caused me a lot of pain when I was playing. Each swing there was pain in my backswing and pain in my follow through.
"I just had to persevere and fall back on my training."
Hoo says she's grateful for the opportunity to represent the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School board, however, and happy with how she finished.
"Especially considering my condition."
According to Hoo, the golf course was extremely difficult.
"There was a lot of water hazards and all sorts of fairway bunkers and green-side bunkers. Honestly, I hit more bunkers in that tournament than I did the whole season."
She also pointed out that it took about seven hours for the large field of 127 to complete 18 holes each day.
"It wasn't what I was used to," she said. "Different than any other tournament I've played. It was really tiring."
The high school category was won by Alissa Lawrence of Oakville's St. Thomas Aquinas. She placed 17th overall at 162 (83-79).
Hoo took top individual honours this season on both the Hamilton-Halton junior girls' golf tour and the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic high school tour. She also tied for seventh at the Golf Ontario U-15 championship.
"Throughout the summer I worked really hard, so I'll be taking a few weeks off to rest and recover," she said. "After that, I will start training again.
"I learned a lot of lessons this year that I can use for next year."
Hoo said she appreciates the support and encouragement she received throughout from St. Mary coach Ashleigh Ovcjak.
