Megan Thiravong has only three high school golf matches under her belt, but the Rochelle Township High School freshman is quickly making an impression on both her teammates and the program.

After posting the junior varsity team’s low score in back-to-back meets against Dixon, Freeport and Morris, Thiravong earned her first shot at varsity golf when the Hubs battled the Sycamore Spartans this past Wednesday at the Sycamore Park District Golf Club. It may be early, but the high school experience has been rewarding for Thiravong, who said she has already formed a strong bond with her Rochelle teammates.

“It’s very exciting getting to meet so many new people,” Thiravong said. “The whole golf team has been so supportive of me and we’re all like a family. They’re like my big brothers and I’m like their little sister.”

Thiravong is the only girl on Rochelle’s roster, but she is poised to become the Hubs’ first four-year female player in roughly 10 years. She may have been taken back at first, but she said she has adapted quickly to playing with the boys, and she said she’s hoping to see more girls come out for the Rochelle golf team in the future.

“It’s a little intimidating but I enjoy it because there’s a lot of competition out here,” Thiravong said. “We all work together and we try to help each other out… There are a couple girls who’ve talked to me about golf, and they said they might want to join the golf team next year, but they didn’t have any other girls to play with so they were kind of nervous about joining.”

Thiravong was roughly 2 years old when she picked up a golf club for the first time. Under the tutelage of her mother Watsana, her father Chico and her swing coach Brian Silvers of Byron, Thiravong has developed multiple facets of her game that have allowed her to become one of Rochelle’s top players. Her score of 40 against the Morris Redskins was the second-lowest on the team, and only seniors Garrett Glosser and Noah Griffith bested her score of 46 against Dixon and Freeport.

“I just enjoy that it’s your own game,” Thiravong said. “If you shoot well, it’s for yourself, and if you shoot poorly, you can improve on it. My parents have been coaching me forever and they’ve been my mentors and my overall inspiration for golf. They taught me to be confident in my swing and to do my best.”

Prior to beginning her high school career, Thiravong worked hard over the summer to prepare for her first season as a Hub, competing in several tournaments including the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship, where she placed third at the regional competition in Mundelein to claim a spot at the subregional in West Dundee. She said her irons are her strongest attribute right now, but she said she’s aiming to get stronger in other areas.

“My irons are pretty strong, and I hope to continue getting stronger so I can hit the ball longer,” Thiravong said. “I want to definitely improve my short game so I’m more accurate… It’s been quite a journey. My mom woke me up at 6 o’clock over the summer and we’d be out on the course until 8 o’clock.”

The Hubs will send their varsity team to Geneseo for a tournament this weekend before beginning a busy week of matches against DeKalb, Oregon, North Boone and Ottawa. For Thiravong, her goal is to take her freshman season one match at a time, and she’s looking to help out her team however she can.

“I just want to do my best,” Thiravong said. “Hopefully I can continue making varsity in future meets and next year I hope to play better. Hopefully we can all make it to state as a team. If not, I would love to go to state as an individual. I’d like to shoot under 70, so 69 and below would be a great goal for me.”