Age, gender blur at Nassau boys golf championship

When the Nassau County high school boys' golf individual champions were announced Wednesday, neither of the top two finishers were high school boys.

Age and gender became more irrelevant with each swing Wednesday as Farmingdale eighth-grader Matt Lowe finished with a nine-stroke win over second-place finisher Kelly Shon of Port Washington, one of only three girls competing in the tournament. Lowe, 14, became the youngest county champion in Nassau history, and Shon had the best finish for a girl in a Nassau boys' tournament, according to Nassau golf director Larry Rose.

Lowe shot a 1-under-par 69 in the second round for a two-day score of even-par 140 at Bethpage Red to win the Nassau individual tournament.

"I'm going to try to win counties as many times as I can," Lowe said of his future goals now that he has experienced success before reaching his freshman year in high school. "I'm going to do the best I can."

Shon, a senior, began competing on the Port Washington boys team as an eighth-grader (the school does not offer girls golf, and her only other option would have been to play as an independent at another school).

She has been Port Washington's No. 1 golfer since and made obsolete the boyhood insult of "You play golf like a girl." Shon, who will attend Princeton, birdied two of the final three holes, perfectly reading the break on 16 to drain a 20-foot putt. On 18, 170 yards away from the green, she hit a 4-iron to 8 feet from the cup and sank the birdie putt to finish the round at 3-over 73, and the tournament at 149.

"I feel like I really accomplished something throughout my high school golf career," Shon said. "I'm just glad I can finish on such a good note."

SEE PHOTOSNassau County boys golf championship

When asked how it felt to dominate the boys, Shon said: "I'm just out there to play golf." She then added, "It was fun, though."

After shooting a 71 on the first day, Lowe entered with a three-stroke lead and birdied four holes on the front nine to establish a comfortable lead. With the back nine a mere formality, Lowe chipped to within 3 feet of the cup on the 18th green and sunk his birdie putt, evoking a series of fist pumps from the 14-year-old.

"I had a personal goal to finish under par for the day," said Lowe. "When I made the putt I knew it was all over. I pulled away with a W and succeeded in my goal."