CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Do you remember your freshman year of high school? I know for me, I was trying to figure out the location of my next class. Deep Creek High School's Demi Mahiai has been more than able to navigate the classroom.
At first glance, Mahiai is like any high school student. Get her on a golf course and she's fast becoming a force. Mahiai is the number one player for the Hornets this season, and she's only a freshman.
"I get reactions. They think I'm a senior," she said. "Then I say, 'oh no!' They ask, do you get colleges to look at you? And I'm like no, because they don't look at freshmen."
At the rate she's going, that's likely to change. "She shows up and tells me, 'hey, I have a six handicap,'" says her head coach Greg Forrest. "I'm immediately looking at mom and dad and they're like 'yeah she's got a six handicap,' and I was like, you're going to be on the team."
Mahiai has hit the ground running for the Hornets. Recently, she medaled in her 10th straight match with a 5 under 65 as Deep Creek won over Granby.
"It's all mental blocks in my head that stops me from getting there," she says. "I'm going to get to a point where I can get as close to a hole as I want to."
Forrest added, "She has the swing. She has all the skills and has all the ability."
"Really I think it's the distance off tee," he said. "Her ability to drive the way she can. I mean, it brings birdie opportunities on every hole."
Not bad for a first year of high school.
