Kush Arora (‘23) might only be a junior, but his long hours dedicated to the golf course have landed him a scholarship to Stanford University. 

“When I got the call from the coach, I felt excited. I wouldn’t say it was a dream of mine, but I kept it in the back of my head,” said Arora (‘23).

Stanford University is notorious for their lowballing 4.7% acceptance rate and a world-renowned curriculum. The famous alumni that come from the school aren’t limited to STEM fields, though – they’re present in the golf world as ell.

“[Tiger Woods] went to Stanford for two years. He’s living the dream, and I’m trying to see if I can be half as good as he was,” said Kush Arora (‘23).

Arora (’23) started golfing at seven as a result of having a golf course right by his house. When he turned eight, he started playing tournaments, facing off with other competitors his age to see who could get the lowest score. As he got older, the challenge ramped up as the athletes he competed against got bigger and stronger.

Kush Arora (‘23) was asked to reflect on this time and give advice to new golfers.

“I’d tell them to work hard, but when you are playing, you have to enjoy it and treat it like a kid’s game,” said Kush Arora (‘23).

Arora (‘23) currently plays for the AVHS golf team and also competes individually. He maintains straight A’s while training at the Ruby Hill Golf Course five times a week. It’s a challenging workload to balance, but for Kush (’23), it’s all in the name of the game.

 

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“You have to make sacrifices to be good at anything. I don’t do too many extracurriculars; I used to do debate and speech on the side,” said Kush Arora (‘23).

For Kush Arora (‘23), the most stressful part of golf is the expectation upon himself to perform well, but it’s also what forces him to push himself to the limit. When he’s competing, his golf is motivated by feeling like it’s him against the world.

COVID hit during the end of Arora (’23)‘s freshman year, disrupting the world and school. However, one thing that remained consistent was his golf schedule. With his new free time, he practiced more than ever, returning to the foundations.

“[There was] more time to practice and improve. I played some of my best golf,” said Kush Arora (‘23).

 Kush Arora (‘23)‘s tournament record numbers titles like the AGC Silicon Valley Amateur, the Bryson DeChambeau Junior Classic, and more. He was also chosen as a member of the 2020 American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Junior All-Star team, which chooses members based off their top 10 tournament rankings nationally. This summer, one of his greatest accomplishments was securing a win at the summer AJGA Reno/Tahoe Junior Championship tournament.

“I was chasing it for two years. I had a couple of close calls when I didn’t seal the deal,” said Kush Arora (‘23).

Arora (‘23) is hopeful that one day, he’ll make it to the PGA like Tiger Woods and other legendary golf greats. But he’s in no rush. In his time on the course, Kush Arora (‘23) has learned that golf is a sport that takes dedication, time, and patience.

“It’s like a half court offense in basketball. It is stagnant and you are not going to get shortcuts. It’s slow-paced, but beautiful, if you learn to appreciate it,” said Kush Arora (‘23).

A Look Beneath the Surface with Kush Arora

Music credits: A Rush Of Blood To The Heart by Mr.ruiZ from the Free Music Archive (CC by NC-SA)