Plano East junior Jake Li qualified for the Region I-6A Golf Tournament after earning third place at the District 6-6A Tournament. Courtesy Ashley Payne
By David Wolman
The District 6-6A Golf Tournament couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start for Plano East junior Jake Li.
Li carded a double-bogey score of 6 on the par-4, hole No. 1 on the first day of the two-day event. However, the Plano East junior quickly regrouped, and he didn’t have a double bogey for the rest of the tournament.
Overall, Li shot a 3-over, 147, over the duration of the 36 holes at The Courses at Watters Creek – a score that earned him third place in the individual standings and qualified him for the Region I-6A Tournament.
Li is Plano East’s first boys golfer to qualify for the regional tournament since 2012.
“What stands out is his composure after a tough hole and his ability to stick to his game plan,” head coach Ashley Payne said. “He avoids unnecessary risks and executes consistently, which shows a high level of maturity and confidence.”
After shooting 5-over 77 on the first day, Li turned in the best round of any golfer on the second day, carding a 2-under 70, which included three birdies and only one bogey.
“He was extremely locked in,” Payne said. “This was the best round he has played. After the round, he shared with me that his putting was strong on day one, and on day two he was able to get his iron shots dialed in, which helped him put together such a strong performance. Jake said that he was only working, “Shot by shot, hole by hole, committed to every shot.”
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