Mike Vukovcan For anyone that’s tried to do it, golf is one of the most difficult sports to try and play.
In terms of competitive/team golf, in most cases, it takes a lot longer than that to even be average and that’s a stretch.
Unless you’re someone like Hopewell senior Mason LaSala.
A few years ago, LaSala decided he wanted to take up a sport while in high school and went out for the Hopewell HS Golf team and that’s turned out to be a pretty good decision.
This season, LaSala was named the Beaver County Athlete of the Week (September 7th) and tied for 1st place at the MAC Golf Invitational, after shooting a 69.
Hopewell golfer Mason LaSala
It doesn’t end there as the highlight was when LaSala was one of 36 golfers to qualify for the individual WPIAL championship which takes place tomorrow at Valleybrook Country Club.
This is pretty amazing for a person that just started playing a couple years ago.
“My improvement has actually been massive,” LaSala tells Vikings Sports Now. “I’ve only been playing golf for 3 years. My first year, I was on the JV team and last year I moved up to No. 1 on the varsity and this year as well.”
“My match average has improved from 42 or 43 down to 39 this year. I also made it through the WPIAL qualifiers and the 1sr Round, which I wasn’t able to do last year. So, it’s been a really, really big jump for me.”
So, I was curious as to what got Mason to try a sport like golf which isn’t the easiest to just pick up.
”I was just sitting around for awhile,” said LaSala. “I did play roller hockey for awhile but eventually that got old. A couple of my friends were getting into it (golf) and were going to the driving range. I went with them just for fun and once I started hitting it, I was like Ok I’m not terrible at this. I then just started for fun and then realized I might have something and have stuck with it ever since.”
Like anything in life, you don’t get better without working at it and practicing. LaSala didn’t just want to be on the golf team, he wanted to excel and has put in the work to make it happen.
”During the winter, I go every Thursday to the driving range with my grandfather (Ron) and that’s really helped me. Plus, I’m just constantly out playing, constantly out practicing. Also, my dad (Patrick) has really helped me. He’s taken me to every lesson and we go to many courses together. Actually, we got a membership at Seven Oaks so I could play more, which accounts for all the practice. My dad has given me all the resources to get better.”
Hopewell Golfer Mason LaSala
LaSala tells me that the strength of his game is his putting as well as his iron play. As far as his driver, like a lot of golfers, sometimes he’s perfect with it for a time period and others “I go periods where it looks like I can’t hit the ball. I’ll then figure out what I’m doing wrong and fix it.”
Mason has fixed it to the point that tomorrow he’ll be competing in the WPIAL championships and the top 18 scores qualify for the state championships.
Regardless of how things end up, this is a tremendous accomplishment and one that LaSala is going to be able to look back at and be proud of.
“This whole journey has been pretty awesome and I don’t think I could have wished for much better,” said LaSala. “I came into this year hoping to do well and I’ve been able to win the MAC Tournament and now qualify for the WPIAL tournament. It’s just been an amazing season.”
Best of luck tomorrow Mason!
