Reilly McMahon, Righetti High School’s rising golf star, is one part lemonade, one part iced tea short of being on par with Arnold Palmer.
Although McMahon is just finishing his sophomore year, he already can boast the history of a seasoned golfer. He’s played in numerous tournaments around the United States—from the deserts of Arizona to the sunny shores of Florida to a top-10 finish on a Texas course.
McMahon began playing golf at the age of 6 when his uncle introduced him to the sport at Rancho Maria. McMahon began to enter tournaments in the Rancho Maria Coastal Valley Golf Association at 8 years old. He soon proved himself to be a promising golfer; when he was 11, he moved out of his age-appropriate range and joined the 12- to 14-year-olds.
McMahon is has been prepping to play in the third round of a CIF event, held June 3. If he does well, he’ll next head to the CIF State Championship.
“I’m hoping that I’ll make it,” he said. “The championship will be held at the Santa Maria Country Club, and I know all of the tricks at the course, so I’ll have an advantage.”
While McMahon heads toward bigger contests, he’s proud to be a part of the Righetti High School golf team.
“Our team is the best team in Righetti High School history,” he said. “We also have the lowest scores since Coach [Terri] Gott has been teaching.” m
—Henry Houston
This article appears in Jun 3-10, 2010.
