Lynbrook HS Senior to Compete in US Open Golf Qualifier

May is shaping up to be a very important month in the young golfing life of senior Matt Hirsh. Not only is he slated to compete in the Nassau County Golf Championships and the MGA Ike Qualifier, but he will also be playing in a U.S Open Qualifying Tournament on May 15. 

Hirsh is quite the accomplished golfer already. In 2011, he finished tied for fifteenth in the Metropolitan Amateur Qualifier, tied for third in the Long Island Junior Championship, and tied for second in the Metropolitan Junior Tournament.  The golfer played at the New York State Championships at Cornell University after both his sophomore and junior seasons.  

Entering Tuesday’s match with Bellmore JFK, Hirsh was 32-5-1 in conference play during his high school career. He went undefeated in individual match play last season, a streak that has continued in 2012. 

“He is an absolute joy to watch on the course,” Lynbrook golf coach Josh Berlin said. “The maturity he displays in both his play and his approach to the sport is beautiful to see.”

Hirsch’s golf journey began when he was 11 years old. It was then that he began taking lessons. Just a few short years later, he was leading the Owls as a freshman, finishing in the top 20 at the Nassau County Championships after his first high school season.

Since then, Hirsch has seen major improvements to a game that was, as evidenced by those freshman stats, already pretty polished.

“I hit the ball a lot further and am more patient on the course,” he said.

Throughout his four years as a member of the Owls, Hirsch has learned how to make each golf course his own, plotting his way through every turn.

“His greatest asset has only just started to take shape,” Berlin said. “That is, his ability to take a golf course and dissect it to the point of understanding what he should do, compared to what he can do. Matt is a very smart player and understands the nuances of how a full match of golf needs to be put together.”

Hirsch will attend Indiana University in the fall. He intends to practice with the Hoosier golf team and work his way up to becoming a regular starter.

Right now, however, his main focus is on the next few weeks. Like any high school senior, he wants one final moment of success with his team before he graduates. Judging by the first half of the year, championship-level success for Lynbrook is very likely. An 8-1 victory over Hewlett on Monday afternoon improved the Owls record to 7-0.

“It would be a great accomplishment for the team to win the conference and go undefeated,” he said. “As an individual, I would like to go back to Cornell and compete at the State Championships. I am also looking to have some great finishes during my summer tournaments.” 

As for the U.S Open qualifier, Hirsch is just looking forward to the challenge.

“I want to test myself on the highest possible level,” he said.

Have you seen Hirsch play? Tell us in comments.