The Woods take the green
Madison and Skyler Wood eat, sleep and breathe golf. The two juniors have been playing golf for roughly half their lives and the sport has become their true passion.
After playing tennis for a brief period, the Wood twins stepped onto the grass to give golf a try. “We played tennis for a long time because my mom was a big tennis player, and then my dad introduced us to golf,” Madison said. The two sisters fell in love with the sport and haven’t looked back since.
Madison and Skyler joined the Newbury Park High School girls’ varsity golf team as freshmen in 2013, and that year they led the team to its first ever Marmonte League championship and an undefeated season.
In their junior year season, the sisters’ main goal for the team was to increase team spirit. As co-captains of the varsity squad, the girls looked to bring the team closer together through bonding activities. “This year we made team shirts and bows together and after rounds we always get french fries together,” Skyler said.
Under these sisters’ leadership, the girl’s golf team is excelling. “They definitely bring good scores to the team which we need against Oaks Christians and Westlake,” said their teammate, Sonia Patel, junior. “They were captains this year and did a really good job of bringing the whole team together.”
Whereas rivalry is common among most siblings, Skyler and Madison are always cheering each other on. “I feel like one of the reasons why we’ve gotten so far in golf is because we have each other to keep us motivated,” Skyler said.
Madison also understands the value of having her sister by her side to support her. “I played a match against Calabasas and (Skyler) was sick that day and I played really bad and I honestly believe if she was there I would have done better,” Madison said. “If I play badly she helps pick me up because golf is all mental so if you’re not in the right mental state that day it’s hard to play well.”
Over the years, the Wood sisters have realized how much golf has positively impacted their lives.
Along with helping her believe in herself, Madison feels that golf has taught her the valuable skill of time management. While sitting in buses and cars for hours and hours driving to golf tournaments, Madison not only has to focus on imagining her swing, but on all her homework and classwork that she has to make up.
“The past two weeks I went to three hotels and I only went to five days of school,” Madison said.
As for Skyler, golf has taught her to persevere. “Golf is one of the sports where it’s not over till it’s over. You could honestly win a tournament on the last shot of the last round,” Skyler said.
This season, the twins continued their strong performance. Skyler reached the CIF-Southern Section Girls Golf Individuals and Madison advanced to the next round, reaching the CIF-WSCGA Foundation Southern California Girls Golf Championship.
The sisters maintain high hopes for their future in the golfing profession. “Our goal is to get on a college team with a scholarship and try to make it to the pro tour,” Skyler said. As for college, the twins haven’t yet figured out where they would like to go, but they do know one thing: they are a package deal and will not be separated. “I’d rather not go to the number one school and instead go (to school) with Skyler,” Madison said.
With the ambition of going pro in mind, Madison and Skyler understand the sacrifices that have to be made to achieve their goal.
“Over the summer we have no time, everyday is golf,” Madison said. “People think we’re crazy,” Skyler said, but Madison defends her and her sister’s intense golf regimen. “It’s fun! We have so many friends who golf, so it doesn’t feel like I’m going to work, it feels like I’m going to spend time with friends and to get better,” Madison said. “A lot of people ask me if I ever get bored with (the sport) and I don’t because I surround myself with people who enjoy it as much as me.”
Skyler wholeheartedly agrees with her sister’s statement. “If it’s something you love, you don’t get bored of it,” Skyler said.
