Natalie Lam once wondered whether she should keep playing competitive golf. This season, the John F. Kennedy High School senior won the Pinnacle Junior World Long Drive title with a 291-yard drive, a mark she says set the U.S. junior girls record. The title was a highlight of her season, but the decision to stick with golf through the hard years is what she’s proudest of.
Lam also delivered for Kennedy. The Class of 2027 golfer shot a 73 to finish first overall and earn medalist honors at the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section divisional tournament. She went on to tie for 24th in a field of 105 at the section Masters tournament. Lam carries a 3.7 handicap and a 76.6 scoring average, and she competed in the Optimist International Junior Golf Championship over the summer.
One of her most meaningful rounds came at the Metro League tournament. Lam lost her great-grandmother on the day of an earlier high school match and struggled to focus during that round. The following week, she played the league tournament in her great-grandmother’s honor and shot a 4-over 75. She earned Metro League MVP honors for the second straight year and All-Metro League honors for the fourth straight year.
Lam credits her parents and younger brother for showing up for her at tournaments and supporting her through the years when she considered walking away. That support helped her stay with the sport long enough to finish among players she once thought she couldn’t catch.
At Kennedy, Lam holds a 4.23 GPA and ranks 14th in a class of nearly 400. She serves as president of the California Scholarship Federation, National Honor Society, and Crochet Club. After graduation, she hopes to study mechanical engineering and play college golf.
