She’s Got Game

Pali High Senior Golfer Mandana Sahmedini Is Aiming for City Title

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Waking up before sunrise to get in a quick nine holes before school is normal for Palisades High senior golfer Mandana Sahmedini. So too is working out at the gym to build stamina and strength before shifting her focus to a slew of AP classes. In a sport where practice seldom makes perfect, Sahmedini’s mental and physical discipline serve her well in competition with peers.     

Oftentimes, her social life takes a back seat but the sacrifice is worth it for someone who dreams of playing on the LPGA Tour someday.

“Golf is a huge time commitment but in the end I believe staying with something to the end means more,” she says. “I think of this team as one big family. We’ve built really strong bonds. It’s nice to come back each fall semester and play with all the girls. Next year is going to be hard not playing for Pali anymore. I can’t believe how fast it’s gone.”

Sahmedini not only spends hours playing practice rounds and matches with her team, she balances it with  junior events at least once a month.        

“I played almost every other sport growing up… tennis, swimming, volleyball, golf, dance, basketball, ice skating… but I was always doing golf at the same time,” she recalls. “I loved playing at a young age. My parents noticed and enrolled me in a golf camp. They’re very supportive of my golf journey. I practiced more and more and signed up for tournaments. So even though I tried other sports, golf has always been No. 1 for me. I always knew it would be the game I’ll always stick with.”

Sahmedini has played an integral role in Palisades’ rise to the top of the City Section. No one is more appreciative of her efforts for the last four years than Dolphins coach Dave Suarez:  “Mandana and Chloe [Rahn] were the building blocks to get where we are. Mandana cares about the team. She’s dependable and has a repeatable swing. If I had to pick one quality it’s consistency. You know what you’re going to get. She has a well-rounded game but her course management and putting have improved most.”

Sahmedini has bettered both her score and her place at City Finals each season and qualified for the SoCal Regionals as a freshman, sophomore and junior. Despite being weakened by the flu she fired a 5-over par 78 to take sixth at City Finals to help the Dolphins claim their first team championship last fall. While retaining the team trophy is the big priority an individual title would be a nice feather in her cap.    

The stiffest challenges next Wednesday at Balboa Golf Course in Encino will likely be from her teammates—reigning champion Rhan and Anna Song, who reached the state finals as a freshman last fall.

“As a competitive player, I always have a number in mind I’d like to shoot but keeping it in the back of my head as I’m playing rather than stressing about it during each hole will help me,” she admits. “It’s always nice to have competition even when they’re your friends. That’s what this sport is about. Chloe and I have always been competitive and she’s always working and improving her skills. Anna is like my little sister. She’s an amazing player and has a lot going for her. I’d say my putting and chipping have gotten a lot better since my first year. I’ve had amazing coaches like Coach [James] Paleno and Coach Suarez who’ve really helped my game.”

When she’s not driving from her home in Mandeville Canyon to refine her skills at Calabasas Country Club, Sahmedini enjoys dinner with friends, concerts, reading, playing piano and going to the beach. She wants to continue her golf career in college and names UCLA, USC, NYU and UCSD as her top choices.

“I’ve visited all of these schools and love the programs they offer,” she says. “I think UCLA and USC are great options because of what they offer and obviously they’re much closer than NYU. However, NYU has amazing programs too.”

As for high school, there was never any question. Palisades was always her first choice.

Asked if the physical or mental side of the game takes a greater toll, Sahmedini speaks from experience in believing both are necessary ingredients for success. Not wanting to let her team down at regionals last year she endured 18 holes with a painful wrist injury at Brookside Golf Club in Pasadena.

“I’d have to say both because golf requires walking the course for hours with a heavy bag on your shoulders,” she explains. “Many people don’t realize that swinging a club puts so much stress on your joints and can cause issues with the body—especially if you don’t properly stretch. The mental side is a huge part of the game also. If you can’t get yourself focused and if you have negative thoughts then you can suffer pretty badly.”

Sahmedini spends around four hours practicing with the team two to three times during the week and finds time on her own for practice and range work, often on weekends, for what she estimates is an average of 23-24 hours on the course every seven days. Some of her work ethic stems from watching Tiger Woods pull off miracle shots on the back nine on a Sunday at the majors.

“He’s a symbol of putting in the work and determination and being mentally strong,” says Sahmedini, who posted the lowest score in her most recent tournament at Scholl Canyon. “I mean we all saw what he did at the 2008 U.S. Open. Tiger has always been and will always be a legend.”

One of Sahmedini’s best friends on and off the course is fellow Pali High senior Sierra Sugarman, who lives in the Huntington: “Mandana and I have played together all four years at Pali and we went to Paul Revere together. She’s very humble and always cheers for me. We hang out a lot outside of school also. It’s been fun being around her and being teammates since freshman year.”