Westview junior Melinee Udom has a reputation as one of the biggest hitters in Oregon girls golf, sometimes driving 300 yards.
But since winning the 6A tournament last year, Udom has invested much of her time in improving other parts of her game. Through five tournaments this season, the results have followed.
“I've always been a long hitter, so I knew that if I dialed in my short game, I could go really low,” Udom said. “That's been a really big focus this year. I've never spent too much time on my short game, but I prioritized it in the offseason. I think it's paying off.”
Udom not only has won all five Metro League events this season, but she has been tearing up the courses. She has been under par in each tournament – going 5-under at both Rock Creek and Chehalem Glenn – and has a scoring average of 68.6.
“She never plays bad,” Westview coach Paul Gouldsbrough said. “This year, she set a goal for herself of averaging in the 60s. That's well within her goals.”
Udom is surging with confidence.
“I'm a lot more consistent this year,” she said. “A lot has improved since last year, especially my short game. My putting has been a lot better. Overall, my game has gotten a lot stronger.”
Still, it's her domination off the tee that sets her apart.
“She's super powerful,” Gouldsbrough said. “She's going into greens with 50-, 60-, 70-yard shots, at the very most.”
Udom's driving continues to evolve, both in distance and accuracy.
“I'm a lot more consistent with my distance,” she said. “I still hit about the same as last year, maybe a tiny bit farther. My freshman year, I was a little bit more messy off the tee, but I've straightened out quite a bit since then.”
As a freshman, Udom tied for second in the 6A tournament, one stroke behind Jesuit's Kate Lee. Last year, Udom won the title by two strokes over Lakeridge's Hannah Wendorf, shooting 5-under on the final nine holes to finish at 5-under at Emerald Valley Golf Club.
The title came six years after her cousin, Alexa Udom, was 6A co-champion for Westview as a sophomore.
“It felt really good after losing by one stroke my freshman year,” Melinee Udom said. “To do it the same year as Alexa, and to shoot the same score she shot the final day, it meant a lot.”
This year, Udom has the chance to become the first girl to repeat as 6A champion since South Salem's Ellie Slama did it as a senior in 2017. By the time she is done at Westview, she could become the second girl to win three outright big-school titles, joining Rebecca Kim, the champion for McNary (2004, 2005) and Tigard (2006).
“I always have to keep in mind that it's golf, and anything is possible,” Udom said. “Just really being patient with myself, and just playing my game, I think I can do really well.”
Gouldsbrough said Udom has the ability to deflect pressure, in part because of a strong support system.
“She's surrounded herself with very good people,” Gouldsbrough said. “And she doesn't seem to try to do 58 different things, as well.”
Udom will miss next week's Metro League tournament to compete in the U.S. Women's Open regional qualifier at Rainier Golf & Country Club in Seattle on April 28.
“I hope to qualify, but so many great players from college and the pros get to play in that,” she said. “Learning from other people who play really well is a privilege for me.”
Playing 36 holes in one day will test her endurance.
“It's definitely something to get used to, especially for college,” said Udom, who in November committed to Brigham Young, following in the footsteps of Alexa. “It's a good experience to play 36 in one day.”
Udom tested herself last summer when she played in 12 American Junior Golf Association tournaments. She had a scoring average of 71.4 in those events, showing significant improvement from 2024.
“I was able to see how my game competed against the best girls in the country, which was really cool,” Udom said. “I was able to get a top-four finish at a tournament in Wisconsin, which boosted my confidence a lot.”
Notes: In Monday's Metro League tournament at Forest Hills, Udom won by three strokes over Mountainside junior Kristine Shin and Jesuit junior Milla Patel. Jesuit outscored Mountainside 317-334 for first place. … Tualatin senior Natalie Edwards and Lakeridge sophomore Hannah Wendorf each fired a 3-under 69 to tie for first place in a Three Rivers League tournament Monday at Tualatin Country Club. Lake Oswego senior Hailey Lim (70) and West Linn senior Xinyue Cao (73) were next. West Linn's team score of 316 was good enough to beat Lake Oswego by three strokes. …
Roseburg sophomore Lana Silvestri shot 2-under 70 to win the Roseburg Country Club Invitational on Monday. … Henley freshman Kendall Mockridge carded an eagle on the par-five No. 17 on her way to a 2-over 74 in winning the Pirate Invite at Running Y Ranch Resort on Monday. … Dufur senior Tygh Timinsky was the medalist at the Seaside Invitational on Monday at Astoria Golf & Country Club, shooting a 5-over 78. Central Catholic won the 13-team tournament with a score of 378, beating Seaside (389). …
Crescent Valley senior Anna Rivers and Corvallis sophomore Rachel Laub tied for first place in a Mid-Willamette Conference tournament on Monday at Trysting Tree Golf Club, each carding a 7-over 78. Crescent Valley (349) outscored Woosburn (391) and West Albany (393) for first place. … Wells sophomore Lennon Schmidt (2-over 76) beat Cleveland senior Kate Ly (80) for first place in a Portland Interscholastic League tournament April 14 at Eastmoreland Golf Club. Cleveland (374) and Wells (393) topped the team scoring.
jerryu@osaa.org
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