At only age 13, Zadie Posternack has not been a stranger to the golf range.

An eighth-grader at Lewis Middle School in Allied Gardens, Posternack began playing golf when she was 11.

“I found golf very fun and interesting at first and wanted to be at the range whenever I could,” Posternack stated. “The idea of being in nature as well as the individual aspect of the game intrigued me. I enjoy golf for many reasons.”

She qualified recently through the second round sub-regional to go to Scottsdale (AZ.) in late September for the PGA’s annual Drive, Chip and Putt contest. The winner from the Sept. 25 third round regional event goes on to Augusta National in Georgia later for the finals. The first round of play was in Oceanside at Arrowood GC. It was there where Posternack finished first.

As Posternack sees it, the sport allows for a new experience each time she tees it up.

“Being able to see different parts of Southern California and even other states is something my adventurous side enjoys,” Posternack commented. “Seeing the outcome of my hard work on the course is always very cool and something I crave. Golf is both mentally and physically challenging and working on both aspects is something I enjoy greatly.”

One person who has seen Posternack’s hard work up close is Paul Sumagasay, PGA instructor at Admiral Baker Golf Course.

In the spring of 2021, Sumagasay met Posternack and her dad at the ABGC putting green and the rest as they say is history.

“In our first session, she soaked in every bit of information I gave her about putting,” Sumagasay commented. “During our first driving range lesson, I found out she had only been hitting golf balls regularly for only a few months. Much to my delight, I witnessed an athletic swing, enormous arc width and huge shoulder turn relative to her hips – a move generated among the PGA/LPGA long drive elites. She has the gift to make that move but needed some refinement to control her timing and sequence. Hungry for any and all golf swing fundamental knowledge, she was always willing to implement theory into action right away. It has definitely been a treat watching her evolve and succeed right away in a relatively short amount of time.”

For Posternack, she’d love to play golf down the road in high school and get that experience and team aspect.

“I also want to keep playing in tournaments and earn a win in the upcoming year,” Posternack continued. “My personal goals for the coming year are to shoot my first full round under par, carry my drives further than 240 yards, and lower my handicap into the single digits.”

While continuing to learn the game and handle her schoolwork, Posternack said the LPGA Tour is always the big goal and dream. Posternack pointed out that seeing all the tremendous golfers on television only makes her want to work harder to get to that level.

For Sumagasay, he would not be surprised to see Posternack do quite well on the links as time goes by.

“I can easily see Zadie become one of the top amateurs in San Diego County in the coming years,” Sumagasay remarked. “Not only that, if she continues her determination after high school golf, she will be recruited among some of the top colleges and universities in the country. It’s still early in her golf career, but with Zadie’s big drives, I would not rule out an LPGA career; the sky is the limit.”

Another coach who sees good things now and down the road for Posternack is Pat Diaz. He is the director of instruction for Pat Diaz Golf.

“Over the past six months, I have had the pleasure to not only work with Zadie on her swing, but also be able to coach her in her very first season of PGA Jr. League,” Diaz remarked. “Her dedication has helped her propel her game to a point where some players take years to accomplish, yet she has really only been playing for less than a year. That is only one of the amazing traits that makes up Zadie. She is also an incredible athlete.”

As Diaz noted, this season on the PGA Junior League was Posternack’s first experience with team golf.

“Immediately, Zadie established herself as one of the leaders in which all her teammates respected,” Diaz commented. “Her stellar play, along with the rest of the team, led our 13-under team to qualify for the Southern California Section Championship where our team performed very well. She responds to pressure very well by digging deep and stepping up when most others in that situation might have failed. Only 13 years old, and playing this game for a relatively short time, she has already accomplished many goals and will continue to set new ones.”

While not at the high school level yet, Diaz believes Posternack has many bright days ahead of her when she does begin playing at that level.

“She will already have a great foundation set playing team golf,” Diaz added. “She will immediately step into a starter role at her school and will start turning heads on every first tee she steps on. If she chooses to continue on the current path she is on, I have no doubts that colleges will be contacting her to have her play collegiately. And then, who knows, we may be hearing the name Zadie Posternack on the LPGA Tour in the future as well. I am so proud of Zadie and will always be rooting for her in every endeavor she faces. She has a bright future ahead of her.”

With so many talented teen golfers out there, you may see more young women like Posternack popping up on at your local golf courses.

Even though she has only been playing for a couple of years, Posternack encourages youngsters able to play golf to do so.

“For anyone looking to take up golf, especially younger girls out there, just go for it,” Posternack stated. “”It’s hard at the start. You just have to set your mind to an obtainable goal and slowly work towards achieving it. Nothing is going to happen if you sit around and just think about this and that. Go for it and try. Hit the range. Watch some swing videos online and learn about the mechanics of how a good golf swing works. See if golf is for you and if it is, work hard and enjoy it.”

No doubt Zadie Posternack is working hard and enjoying her golfing experiences.

– Editor’s note: If you know of a Mission Times Courier or College Times Courier youth with an interesting story, contact editor Dave Thomas at: [email protected].