Asher Katz won an award from the Ridgefield-based Golf Performance Center for his play over the last year.
Asher Katz / Contributed photoOne of the Ridgefield Golf Performance Center’s top awards went to a young Ridgefield golfer.
Asher Katz, a student at Scotland Elementary School, won the Ouimet Cup for his performance in 2020. Along with the Foster Cup (won by Jackie Lu of Scarsdale, N.Y.), the Ouimet Cup is a year-long competition in which Golf Performance Center players accumulate points for a chance to earn scholarship awards that subsidize the cost of training for the following year.
Points are earned through academic achievement, community service, high performance in Golf Performance Center-eligible events, completed practice assignments, and overall leadership and commitment.
“The Foster and Ouimet Cup Series serve as not only a competition for our athletes but a way to recognize and reward the area’s top performing student-athletes,” Golf Performance Center founder Roger Knick said. “Both Jackie and Asher exemplify what it means to be an athlete at the GPC, demonstrating throughout the year the ability to compete at a high level while juggling and excelling in academic and community responsibilities.”
The 2020 Ouimet Cup victory capped a stellar year for Katz, who had eight victories and 13 top-five finishes. He also represented the United States in four international events, finishing in the top-25 in each tournament, and Katz had a hole-in-one that was highlighted by the European Tour and Golf Digest.
“I have worked really hard on my golf skills and mental game over the past 12 months and I am thankful to have the support of a great facility, coaches and peers to help me grow,” Katz said. “I will continue to put in the work to play the best golf I can while being a good role model for others. I hope to play college golf one day and am confident that the GPC (Golf Performance Center) and its process will give me the tools to do that.”
A student at Scarsdale High School, Lu collected two victories and four top-five finishes en route to All-State honors and the 2020 Foster Cup championship.
“It was a little tough not being able to practice or play during most of the spring due to COVID-19, but I feel like I made the best of the situation with attending online workouts and golf practices,” Lu said. “I really appreciate all the coaches and staff at the GPC for working to keep programs running, even during a pandemic. I don’t think I would have improved as much if it weren’t for that.”