River Hill sophomore Michelle Yeung is seemingly never flustered on the golf course. Then again, Yeung, a veteran of tournaments outside high school, is far more experienced than many typical high school sophomores.

Her background bred great self-awareness, as Yeung knows how stress and frustration can negatively impact her game. Regardless of a shot outcome, Yeung stays even keeled at all times. Her mentality helped bring great success, winning both Howard County and district titles. Yeung also finished as the runner-up at the Class 4A/3A state tournament.

For her accomplishments and consistency, Yeung is the 2024 Howard County Times girls golfer of the year.

“Her sense of calmness is what’s so amazing,” River Hill coach Matt Graves said. “Nothing phases her. There’s no stress in her game at all. It seems very simple like she’s been there before, and she probably has with all of the tournaments that she’s been playing in at such a young age. Her temperament, her way of handling herself, even if she has a bad hole. You wouldn’t know if Michelle was shooting an 80 or a 65 because she is the same person, which makes it fun to watch her play.”

The county championship showcased that poise regardless of circumstance. Yeung entered the back nine trailing teammate Evelyn Park by three strokes. Yeung’s developed techniques that work for her in those stressful moments.

She’ll either take a few deep breaths or take her time before hitting a shot. Those momentary pauses allow for a mental reset as she ultimately came back to win the title, edging out Park by four shots.

“I know that if I do get frustrated or stressed it really doesn’t improve my game,” Yeung said. “I tend to rush more, or I don’t think about my shots. There’s not much that I can really do on the course other than just try to stay relaxed. It developed more and more as I played tournaments. When I was younger it was definitely hard to maintain my stress levels. But as I continued to play tournaments in middle school, I realized that I played better if I stayed happy and enjoyed the sport.”

That unflappableness runs in the family as Michelle’s older sister, Helen, possessed the same trait. Helen, a three-time Player of the Year and three-time 4A/3A state champion graduated last year and Michelle assumed her role as the Hawks’ girls top player.

She averaged a team-best 28 points in her five regular season matches and carried that momentum into the postseason with wins at both counties and districts by four and six shots, respectively. As a freshman, Yeung played in the final group at states and finished fourth. She once again was near the top of the leaderboard at the state tournament with a one-shot lead after the opening round, shooting a 1-under-par 70.

Yeung finished the tournament 3-under-par, one of just three girls across all four classifications to finish both rounds at even or under-par. Winston Churchill’s Zoe Cusack narrowly edged out Yeung for the state title with a near historic 5-under-par 66 in the final round.

“I’m most proud of my putting at states,” Yeung said. “I made a lot of good puts to make birdie. I knew Zoe was a great player and she definitely made it pressuring sometimes to compete with her. So, I’m proud that I kept my calm and didn’t feel stressed or panicked.”

All-County first team

Lila Becker, Marriotts Ridge, senior: First team All-County for a third straight season, Becker had a strong postseason with a trio of top four finishes. She was fourth at counties, second at districts and third at states, highlighted by a even-par 71 in her final high school round at states. She averaged a team-best score of 25.8 points in five regular-season matches and helped lead the Mustangs girls to the team county title.

Cate Lee, Atholton, senior: Lee began the postseason with a career-best third place finish at counties (79). She continued that strong play, placing 14th at the 4A/3A state tournament, the highest of her career. First team All-County for a second straight season, Lee led Atholton with an average score of 19.25 per match.

Evelyn Park, River Hill, sophomore: First team All-County for a second straight season, Park built on a strong freshman season with career-best finishes at counties, districts and states. She was the runner-up at counties (78), third at districts (76) and tied for sixth at states. The sophomore was second on the team and third in the county with an average score of 25.17 in five regular-season matches.

Morgan Swidersky, Marriotts Ridge, senior: Second team All-County as a junior, Swidersky ended her career with her best season yet. She was a county qualifier and tied for 15th at the state tournament, her highest finish ever. Swidersky was another key component of the Mustangs undefeated regular season.

Samadhi Tennakoon, Glenelg, junior: Second team All-County as a sophomore, Tennakoon stepped up as the Gladiators’ top player. She qualified for counties and placed 10th at states, the best finish of her career. She led the Gladiators to a 6-2 record and finished with a team-best average score of 21.43 in eight regular-season matches.