Before the Olympics got underway, recent Foothill High School graduate Mat Miller had a unique opportunity to experience China. Miller traveled to China as a representative of the USA in the first youth golf tournament between the USA and China.
“It was just a lot of fun,” Miller said. “It was a great experience.”
Four boys and four girls were chosen to represent each country on the green. Miller was 18 at the time of the tournament but turned 19 this past week, so he barely made the cut as a “Junior.”
The tournament included five days of golf (three for the tournament itself), but the young golfers also spent three days exploring their host country.
“He [had] a great time, in addition to the competition,” said Shawn Miller, Mat Miller’s mother. “It’s a real friendly competition.”
When they weren’t golfing, the Americans played ping-pong and bowled with their Chinese opponents, and they toured Chinese landmarks. Miller enjoyed the opportunity to experience a new culture during his first visit to China.
“It was interesting to see how competition is different in different parts of the world,” Miller said. “But also outside of golf we got to see Olympic stadiums and the Great Wall.”
In order to be part of the all-expense paid trip, which also included new gear, press conferences and other perks, Miller had to be chosen as a representative. This year Miller won the first two Northern California Golf Association tournaments, so when the United States Golf Association called the NCGA and asked for a recommendation, they gave Miller’s name.
“There are so many great kids, so many options,” Shawn Miller said. “We are just so thrilled and honored and thunderstruck that he was chosen, that he was this lucky.”
The tournament took place just outside Beijing and scoring was kept in Rider Cup format. After the five days of play, team USA came out on top with a final score of 14-2.
Miller said his favorite part of the trip was beating his Chinese opponents. He said he enjoyed spending time with his teammates and learning about the country.
“We all bonded really quickly, like a small family,” he said. “I also got really good at using chopsticks.”
Miller will be attending the University of San Francisco in the fall, where he was offered a scholarship for golf.
For more information about the tournament, visit www.chinausyouthgolf.com. The site includes day by day results, a blog and photos of the tournament and travels.
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