El Capitan High senior Esther Sheu drained a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Championship on Monday afternoon. Sheu was hoping her 2-under round of 70 was good enough to qualify her for the NorCal Regional Championship next week. She had no idea the putt had won her the title.

 

I was getting off the course after I made that putt for birdie and everybody was cheering for me,” said Sheu, who finished in second place last year at the Masters Championship. “I was just hoping to get in the top four to make it to NorCals. When my coach told me I won the whole thing, I was just so happy. It means a lot to me.”

 

Sheu is the first Merced Union High School District girls golfer to win an SJS Masters Championship since the tournament first started in 1993. The Gauchos senior became just the second golfer – boys or girls – to win. Merced High’s Ron Ewing was the only other Masters champion, winning the title back-to-back years in 1985 and 1986.

 

This is the fourth time Sheu has qualified for NorCals. She thought she was going to have to turn in a low score to advance on Monday. “I thought I had to shoot, maybe a 67, 68 or 69 to secure a spot. When my coach told me, ‘You won,’. I was just shocked. I didn't believe in him.”

 

El Capitan golf coach Michael Davenport was monitoring another group during the tournament but kept tabs on his phone on how Sheu was doing throughout the day. Davenport’s group finished a little early so he was able to watch Sheu on her final hole. “We all knew she was tied for the lead, so the whispers around the green were spreading fast and a bunch of people came to see her little 15-footer for birdie to win the tournament,” Davenport said.  “When that putt went in we all went crazy and started to dance around.  Esther had no idea!  Super cool moment, she came off the green and asked me, ‘Did that get me into the top four?’ I replied, ‘Top FOUR!? You just won the whole dang tournament!’”

 

Sheu’s round included five birdies and three bogeys to finish one stroke ahead of Oak Ridge senior Bella Ransibrahmanakul.Sheu and Ransibrahmanakul were the only two golfers to finish under par. “I was happy with how I played, “Sheu said. “I made a couple mistakes here and there, but everybody makes mistakes. That's the game of golf. I was happy that I could come back with birdies and finish with a good round under par.”

 

Sheu was one of three MUHSD golfers to compete at Masters. El Capitan High senior Mady Dietz finished with a round 93 and Livingston senior Brianna Sobervilla posted a 97. Sheu will compete at the NorCal Regional Championship at the Berkeley Country Club in El Cerrito on Monday, Nov. 10.

 

Sheu is thrilled to take home the championship in her final year. “I really wanted it,” she said. “It’s my senior year and I wanted to do something special. And a week ago, my principal (Megan Cope) came up to me and said, ‘Hey, go make us proud.’ So I am happy to finish first, and hopefully, make her proud, and make the school proud of me.”

Shawn Jansen is the MUHSD Program Manager Digital Media. He can be reached at Sjansen@muhsd.org.