A rising star at Massachusetts’ Sandwich High school senior is not only one of the best golfers on the boys’ golf team and in the state, but also the only girl on the team.
That standout golfer is Emma Abramson, who will also serve as a co-captain on the Sandwich boys golf team this fall.
“It’s a great leadership role that I’m really excited to have with the team,” Abramson said. “Whether it’s me just going out there to give some positive encouragement or just helping players out, I’m just excited to help our team this year.”
She said it’s been great being the only girl on the team for the past three seasons. The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association hosts a boys’ golf season in the fall and a girls’ golf season in the spring, but when a school only offers one sport, members of the opposite gender can play for the other team.
“The guys are all great to me and we all know we’re just trying to put the best scores out there no matter who it is,” Abramson said. “We are all cheering for each other and it’s a lot of fun.”
When she was five years old, Abramson’s father Scott took her to a golf course. Since then, she has not been able to put the golf club down.
“We lived on a golf course (The Ridge Club), so that’s always been my home course,” Abramson said. “I’m very thankful to be able to walk out the door and go to the range. It’s a game I fell in love with since the beginning.”
Sandwich career
In eighth grade, Abramson joined the school’s first girls’ golf team in the spring season. In their first year, the Blue Knights won the state championship.
COVID-19 canceled what would have been her sophomore season and delayed the team’s momentum. By 2021, there weren’t enough players for Sandwich to have a girls’ golf team.
“All the other girls had already graduated, so I played on the boys’ golf team sophomore and junior year,” Abramson said.
Sandwich golf coach Brent Pearsall said that Abramson was by far the top player on the team last season and she is not intimidated by being the only girl.
“She probably works the hardest,” Pearsall said. “She is an amazing talent, so consistent and rarely ever makes a mistake. She’s mentally sound and one of the best, and is a great role model on and off the course.”
Abramson said that Pearsall has always kept up with her on and off the course, even when he is not coaching her during the fall.
“He’s been great to have as positive encouragement,” Abramson said.
For her senior year, Abramson does have goals she wants to accomplish before she graduates.
“I want our team to be able to have a good chance at winning states,” Abramson said. “We have a really great group of people and this past year we finished third in states and we were one of the favorites to win, so I think this year we will have another solid team that will be able to make a run at states again.”
Abramson wasn’t able to compete in the Vineyard Invitational last year due to a conflict of schedule with outside tournaments. She hopes to play this year and have a good performance.
On June 7, she competed in the National High School Golf Association Division 1 state finals, where she tied for second and shot a 75.
Academics vs. Athletics
Playing golf year round and keeping up with schoolwork can be a challenging combination to balance as a high schooler, but not for Abramson.
She is currently the Sandwich senior class president and is ranked No. 1 academically in her class. She’s had some help when it comes to balancing the two.
“My teachers were so great with me with being able to get my work early,” Abramson said. “I think it’s just a mentality to have. Whether we’re driving home from a tournament, I know I have to submit that English assignment. My parents and older twin brothers were a big help too.”
Girls Junior Amateur Championship
On the 18th hole, Abramson knocked in a par shot as she captured her first individual Mass Golf Championship. She shot a 2-under 70 in the final round and finished 1-under in the championship. She was the only competitor to finish under par after both days and the win made her the 73rd golfer in state history to win.
“It was really exciting when I made that six-footer on the 18th hole to win,” Abramson said. “I didn’t even know that putt was to win because I wasn’t keeping track of the girl who came in second. So, I found out at the scoring tent. I knew I had to make the putt but didn’t know whether it was for a tie or to win. To see me get first place was a testament to the hard work this past year and a half.”
Abramson is currently playing in the Mass Golf Women’s Amateur Championship where she just advanced to the quarterfinals after two wins on Wednesday in the Round of 32 and Round of 16.
The Future
Abramson has verbally committed to Williams College in Williamstown, where she will play Division 3 golf.
“They are like a top-five D-3 golf program, where I’ll be able to have that good balance of academics and athletics,” Abramson said.
Pearsall said that Abramson is at a different level than most high school golf players.
“I’m so proud of her that she was able to get into Williams and play golf there,” Pearsall said. “Academically that’s a very strong school. It’s amazing and I’m so happy for her.”
As for her major in college, she is still undecided, although she does have some options in mind. She’s considering psychology in hopes of possibly becoming a sports psychologist or journalism and sports broadcasting.
“I actually do reporting for Sports Illustrated Kids,” Abramson said. “I’ve been able to publish like 14 articles for the past three years. I’ve covered some pretty cool stuff like the Duke and UNC rivalry basketball game at Duke and got to interview a bunch of the players and Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski). I also got to do press conferences at the U.S. Open.”
Although Abramson is seeing her hard work pay off, it was not an easy journey to get to where she is now. She said it was a rollercoaster because of the ups and downs not everyone sees.
“Two years ago, we would continue to go to tournaments and in that moment I would be like ‘Why am I even playing right now?’” Abramson said. “When you don’t play well, you question your abilities, but then you have to keep working at it and keep pushing yourself until you finally start to see those results, which I started to see this past year. I finally started to reap a lot of the hard work I put in.”
Contact Courtney Jacobs at cjacobs@capecodonline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @CJ_Journalist.