Broncos’ Reyes set for U.S. Girls Junior Championship

Calista Reyes has been competing in some of the biggest American Junior Golf Association tournaments in the country for several years now. But the Rancho Bernardo High junior to be has not lost that wide-eyed feeling that comes with playing in such prestigious events.

The righty will certainly feel a rush of adrenaline before taking to the golf course on Monday, when she will compete in the highly-competitive U.S. Girls Junior Championship at the Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, New Jersey. It will be her third time competing in the USGA six-day event, which features over 100 of the top girl’s golfers in the country.

“I feel more confident this year than in years past,” said Reyes, who missed the cut to reach the match play portion of the event her first two times out. “I feel really prepared and I am playing solid, consistent golf leading up to the event.”

Reyes has been playing great golf all year, including during the high school season. She finished tied for second at the CIF State Girls Golf Championships and more recently had a top-10 finish at the Rolex Girls Junior Championships in Rochester, New York.

“It was great to finish second in the state, but I was disappointed to not be there with my teammates,” said Reyes, whose Broncos did not advance past the SoCal Regional. “I play the high school season for the team environment. Of course, I was happy to be there. But it just felt like something was missing.”

The format for this upcoming event is a little different than the state championships since match play is thrown into the mix. Players will play 36 holes over two days and the top 64 finishers will then proceed to match play. Reyes’ goal is to at least make the first round of match play.

“I feel everyone’s main goal is to get to match play and then see how it carries out from there,” she said.

Playing against one competitor rather than the field could lead to strategy adjustments on the course. Reyes has not played in many match-play events, but has had success in what little experience she has had.

“I have won four out of the five matches I played,” she said. “So, I feel pretty confident.”

“I think match play can sometimes take the guessing out of the game,” she added. “Sometimes it helps you know when to play a certain shot or when to be aggressive. Also, the pressure builds up more quickly because you know what you have to do to get the job done. I feel like it is like playing in the leader group in a tournament, because both players are in contention to win.”

Golf has taken Reyes all around the world. This year she has only had stops in Texas and New York. The 16-year-old doesn’t mind the traveling, though, as she is hoping it prepares her and her game for a professional career.

“It’s nice to have all of these experiences,” she said. “I can learn from and improve on everything really early in my golfing career. I feel like it builds confidence and it has given me more lessons to learn. I think it is important to learn lessons at a young age to help your adult career.”

Also playing in the tournament will be Rancho Bernardo’s Samantha Yi.