Waubonsie Valley’s low-scoring Bing Singhsumalee swinging for state

Most golfers who card a 32 over a nine-hole round would be ecstatic to shoot so low.

For Waubonsie Valley junior Bing Singhsumalee, who shot a 32 in a DuPage Valley Conference dual meet against West Chicago in early September, the round could have been better.

She was six-under par through six holes before slipping up with two late bogeys.

“I just kept making putts,” Singhsumalee said. “I don’t really know how to explain it. I was hitting my drives straight and I was pitching a lot and those were really accurate that day. I was ending up with four-foot birdie putts and making them. It was definitely fun.”

Low rounds are nothing new for the standout, who finished fourth at the Class AA state meet as a freshman, shot a 64 at regionals before finishing tied for 16th in the Class AA state meet last year and won the Illinois

Women’s State Amateur over the summer, becoming the youngest player to win the meet.

But her high school season started late since she flew with her family to Thailand for a week due to a family emergency. She missed the first two meets, but failed to attend only one day of school, arriving for the second day of classes hours after a 19-hour flight back to the states.

“It was pretty hard at first getting over the jet lag and trying to fit back in, but I got the hang of it eventually,” Singhsumalee said.

It didn’t take long for her to get back into the swing of things, as her 32 at Springbrook came in the season’s second week. It was the start of another dominant season. She has been at par or under for every nine-hole match this season, earning medalist honors in every meet, and winning her first Upstate Eight Conference title after shooting a 70 at St. Andrews Monday.

“It’s fun to see her grow as a person and as a player,” Waubonsie Valley coach John Farnan said. “She’s developed into a true team player this year. She is more concerned with how the team plays. She has gained about 30 yards off the tee. I think that’s her progression as a player.”

Singhsumalee burst onto the scene from her first meet as a freshman, but she still sees subtle improvements in her game.

“I’m pretty happy with the season mostly because it’s been consistent,” Singhsumalee said. “There weren’t many big fluctuations, so that was good. You get to a point where your body is more consistent with your swing, so that definitely helps.”

Singhsumalee and the Warriors start the climb to the state meet next Wednesday at the Class AA Neuqua Valley Regional at Naperbrook. And with Singhsumalee’s career progression thus far, it’s reasonable to assume she will be among the favorites when the state meet arrives.

“With Bing, she doesn’t come out and say that’s her goal,” Farnan said. “She lets her score speak for itself. She’s not the kind of person that looks that far ahead. She takes it one match at a time. I think that’s why she handles the pressure so well. She doesn’t put any on herself.”