Riki Ohara ‘19
(The Internationalist Fall/Winter 2021 Vol 67)
Nishimachi was the very beginning of my golf career. I started playing golf at around the age of ten after trying out many sports—basketball, fencing, soccer, skiing, and more. While the others have become a blur in my memory, I remember my first practice vividly.
My father suggested that I take up the sport, but I was dubious about the idea of playing an old man’s sport. At the very first practice, I wanted to immediately quit because I couldn’t even hit the ball. But I continued to practice because I didn’t want to disappoint my father. As time passed, I became addicted to the cycle of progress and frustration. I started to pour most of my time into golf. My friends at Nishimachi were understanding and supported me, and I’m still friends with many of them to this day. Before I realized it, my life revolved around golf and I was aiming to build a professional career.
After a few years of serious practice, I was given the opportunity to play abroad at IMG Academy and compete against the world’s top student athletes. After serious consideration, I made the decision to spend my eighth grade year in Florida. IMG Academy was the ideal place for me to create a foundation for my game; their facilities had everything you could imagine, from 300-yard driving ranges to a training facility designed for professional athletes. Every day at IMG from lunch ‘til sunset, I could practice and improve. I needed more experience on and off the course, until, like the pros, I developed an instinctive feel for distance.
However, things took a dramatic turn when I was notified by my mother that I was going to be transferring to ‘Iolani School in Hawaii for ninth grade, which had the perfect balance of academics and golf. Feeling a little bit excited but mostly intimidated, I was on my way to start a new chapter of my career. I met many great people there and learned so many new things about the game, especially playing in harsh weather conditions. My coaches taught me to become friends with the wind.
But many things are unexpected: COVID-19 hit, so I returned to Japan. As soon as I returned, I went back to my long-time coach with the progress I had made while I was away. Because of an inefficient swing, I’d been in a slump, but together, we worked on some adjustments that greatly improved my overall consistency. To this day, I continue to practice and improve on my game so that I can be better than I was yesterday. I have been slowly playing better, placing tied-fifth in the Japanese National High School Tournament, shooting eight under par in two days. Also at the Nikkan National Newspaper tournament, I was able to shoot seven under par, winning the competition. I intend to continue to work hard and improve my consistency so that, someday, I can play at the highest professional level.
