African American Teen heads high school golf team
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Fourteen-year-old
Maggie Noel is not just another pretty face. This 8th grade honor student will head the
new Thurgood Marshall High School golf team as an entering freshmen, after finishing
another summer golf season with a successful string of victories.
Noel began her 2002 season by representing the city of Houston at the World Junior Golf
Cup finals in Orlando, Florida where she finished as runner up. She continued to showcase
her golfing expertise by securing the Individual Girls Gold Medal and helping her team win
the Team Gold Medal at the National Youth Games in New Jersey.
Her skills were further recognized when she became team co-champion at The National Inner
City Championship held in Boston, Massachusetts, an event where Houston claimed its sixth
consecutive championship title. In addition, she was one of 160 girls worldwide to qualify
to compete in the 54th Annual United States Golf Association (USGA) Junior Girls
Championship in Westfield, New Jersey, June 22nd through 27th. After two days of stroke
play, Noel succeeded in out scoring almost half of the field; however, she missed the
final cut by five strokes.
Undaunted, she then returned to Texas to successfully defend, and win, her 2nd consecutive
under 15 yrs. Junior Girls Texas State (PGA) Championship in Austin, shooting a score of
67 and 76.
Posting victories in Girls Junior Golf is not a new concept to this young teenager. She
started at the tender age of six with the Lonestar Junior Golf Program in Houston Hermann
Park where a group of dedicated volunteers taught her the basics of golf. Before she
turned eight, she had graduated to advanced class sessions.
Between the ages of 10 and 12 she won the Little Linksters Championship title… twice.
She was the first female to win all 3 categories in a regional (Golf Channel) putt, chip,
and drive competition. In 1999, she won the bronze medal at the National Youth games in
Birmingham Alabama, and was the 1st place winner for the girls under 14 Champion of
Champions tournament at Greg Norman’s MeadowBrook Farms Country Club inaugural
opening.
Noel has received a number of awards as well. For example, she was selected as
Houston’s 2001 Female Athlete of the Year by the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation,
recognized as a Female Athlete Scholar by the Houston Parks and Recreation program
Athletes Seeking Knowledge (ASK), and chosen Female Player of the Year by the Lonestar
Golf Association for the last three years.
She has held company with such dignitaries as former President George Bush; Dynegy CEO
Chuck Watson; Mayor of Houston, Lee P. Brown; Mayor of Boston, Thomas Menion: and, golfing
legends Charlie Sifford and Greg Norman.
Noel’s participation in tournaments and charity fundraisers is impressive not because
the list is so long, but because she has finished in the top 5 for 95% of the events she
has entered. According to the National Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings (www.njgs.com) for
2002, she is #3 in Texas and #21 worldwide for yr.2006 H.S. graduates.
A talent like this is rare and worthy of mention. Golf enthusiasts would do well to keep
their eye on Maggie Noel. If her past is any indication of the future, Houston might have
its very own tigress stalking the fairways as she prepares for bigger prey. |
