Foothill’s Chu shoots for top of leaderboard
Foothill golfer Andrew Chu has felt the sting of second place in four straight high school majors.
The Falcons’ senior hopes the extra work he put in this season finally puts him over the top.
Chu, the runner-up at the region and state tournaments each of the past two years, will be one of the favorites when the Division I Sunrise Region boys tournament tees off at noon today at DragonRidge Country Club.
The first round of the Sunset Region tournament begins at 11 a.m. today at Canyon Gate Country Club, and both tournaments conclude Wednesday at Reflection Bay Golf Club. The top two teams and the top five individuals from nonqualifying teams advance to the Division I state tournament, which opens Monday at Montreux Golf and Country Club in Reno.
“He’s a very naturally talented player,” Foothill coach Paul DeSantis said. “He’s bought in this year as far as work ethic goes. It’s been the hardest I’ve seen him work. He wants it, but it’s more than just wanting it. You’ve got to be able to execute, especially on the golf courses we’re playing.”
Chu, who began playing in tournaments at age 9, was a member of Coronado’s state-title winning team as a freshman before he transferred to Foothill.
Chu shot 6 under at the Sunrise Region tournament as a sophomore, a score good enough to win most years, but finished six shots back of teammate Taylor Montgomery as the duo helped the Falcons halt Coronado’s run of five straight region titles. Chu also was second to Montgomery, a UNLV golfer, at state that season.
Last year, Chu watched Coronado’s Bradley Keyer run away with the region title, then finished two strokes behind Arbor View’s Van Thomas at state despite posting a final-round 69.
A few months ago, DeSantis told the whole Foothill team he thought they could improve, Chu said.
“He told me I didn’t put in enough work. I took it to heart and put in extra work from there to try to prove him wrong. It kind of motivated me,” Chu said.
“I want to actually put in the work and make sure people say that I’m not just talented. I want people to say I actually work hard and get realized for that.”
Chu enters the region tournament in good form after he earned medalist honors in the final Southeast League match Thursday with a 1-under 71 at Tuscany. He fired a 5-under 67 on April 20 at Las Vegas Golf Course and was even par or better in six of the Falcons’ nine matches this season.
“My game is getting better,” Chu said. “The main thing is, I want to win as a team. And if I win individually, that will be a win-win for us.”
Chu signed a letter of intent with Dixie State (Utah), which last month won the Pacific West Conference tournament and has made seven straight appearances in the NCAA Division II regionals.
“We believe he can step right in this fall and contribute to our success,” Dixie State coach Brad Sutterfield said in a statement. “He has good experience in national competition and his game is ready for the next level. Getting a highly regarded student-athlete like Andrew is a huge boost to our program.”
Contact reporter David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidSchoenLVRJ.