High school golf: Ashby, Peterson solid tandem for Davis High girls team

Girls golf is up and running at Davis High School, and with a roster of 28 girls the Darts look to be one of the most successful programs in the state, at least in terms of participation.

Of course numbers don't always reflect quality, but two players on this team stand near the head of the class in Region 1, and both are virtually newcomers to the sport of golf.

Katherine Ashby, a junior, started playing a little over a year ago and ranks in the Top 5 in the region with a 45-46 average (girls play nine holes). Freshman Jennifer Peterson ranks in the Top 10 and is in a close battle with Ashby for the No. 1 spot on the Darts team.

Ashby's family is entirely new to golf but when she was on vacation last year in California, two uncles took her golfing and kindled her passion for the sport. She enlisted Matt Lyons, director of golf at Valley View for personal lessons and she has blossomed into a long hitter. Lyons remembers the first lesson with her at an inside facility where her balls were popping up and hitting the ceiling and spraying left and right.

After one year, Ashby is progressing nicely. She averages 250-270 yards on her drives.

Peterson also started playing just a year ago but she has family ties to golf with three older brothers who play. One of them, Jake, who is going to the PGA Q school this year and has taken his little sister under his wing with personal, private instruction.

Despite their age differences, Ashby and Peterson have become good friends and have several things in common. Both previously were volleyball players but now concentrate solely on golf. Both are active in extracurricular activities. Peterson is president of the Honor Society and carries a 4.0 GPA. Ashby is vice president of the Future Business Leaders of America and her team recently placed first in state competition. Both list their favorite subject as math and Ashby is taking AP calculus and has a 3.99 GPA.

Peterson also lists her strength as driving and striking the ball well.

"I'm usually on the green in regulation," she said. "I have been working on my putting lately," she added, "and it is improving."

It's refreshing to see athletes perform well in a sport that parents haven't pushed on their kids since the day they could walk. Lyons remarked that in the case of Ashby, where she hadn't had any prior training, he was able to teach her to swing hard, something he said was difficult to do if someone already had played.

Ashby's mother, in explaining that their family had no prior experience in golf said, "We haven't taught her any bad habits."

---

E-mail: wjewkes@desnews.com

Recent comments

• Story photo

• Most Popular
• Most Commented

1. Details on new LDS temples revealed
2. LDS Church urges pro-Proposition 8 calls
3. Utah Jazz: Team's versatility leads to preseason win over Lakers
4. These women are 'Real' bad
5. Utah Jazz: Team opens preseason with win over Lakers
6. BYU football: Long and Mendenhall will not fret about their history
7. Execs' posh retreat after bailout angers lawmakers
8. Man of the hour Larry Gelwix
9. High school football: Top 25
10. BYU football: Cougars want to improve on miscues

1. USU, BYU football: Plucky Aggies make Cougars work to keep streak alive 332
2. U.S. didn't hate Palin's performance; Utah loved her 224
3. Rome LDS temple, four others announced 220
4. In defense of marriage 198
5. BYU football: A father's dream 195
6. BYU slips one spot while Utah climbs in latest college football polls; Oklahoma No. 1 168
7. BYU football: Cougars slip a spot in rankings 148
8. Hats off to Sakoda, Rams, Aggies, Cougs 105
9. High school football: Top 25 101
10. High school football rankings 99
11. (Stories published in the last five days with the most comments)

• BYU
• Jazz
• Real SL
• Utes