Name: Emily Ascher
Year: senior
Hometown: Clarendon Hills
When did you first start golfing?
I played with my dad for a while - he dragged me out for a while. I actually started liking it on my own around seventh grade.
What happened in seventh grade?
It sounds super basic, but I actually started getting the ball off the ground and into the air, and that was really encouraging. Playing with my dad and my grandparents was definitely a motivator.
How has COVID-19 affected the team?
We can't even do basic things like take the bus together to tournaments and matches, and we don't really travel that much any more. We have four or five new players. It took a while to get to know everyone. That definitely has been the biggest struggle.
What is the best advice you've gotten from a coach?
Coach Latorre always says you miss 100 percent of the putts you leave short. That obviously can be applied to everywhere else in life.
What is your goal for the season?
Finish the season happy and satisfied with golf and the season that we've been given. We're just super thankful and trying to make the best with what we've got. We're just happy to be out there and getting some semblance of normalcy in these crazy times.
What course would you most like to play?
I really want to play Pebble Beach out in California. That would be really cool. Or just play a couple of courses in Scotland. Any course.
What are your plans for next year?
I think I want to play Division III golf, so that's been helpful for trying to find good schools. I really like Rhodes College in Memphis. I have family there and I really like the coach.
Why does coach Nick Latorre like having Ascher on the team?
Emily is a very kind, respectful young lady with great leadership qualities. Emily leads by example, and is a wonderful role-model for all of our younger players. She has a tremendous work ethic, is a great student and always represents the Hinsdale Central community in a positive way. It has truly been a pleasure having Emily in our program for the past four years, and I have really enjoyed watching her mature as a person and as a competitor.
- profile by Pamela Lannom, photo by Jim Slonoff
