Prior to the start of the boys high school golf season, Centennial senior Manav Shah sat down with his coach Andy Muro and set some lofty goals for the upcoming year.

As it turned out, Shah lived up to most of those expectations by playing the best golf of his stellar high school career.

Shah was amazingly consistent. He never finished with a round above 74 in recording the top scoring average, 70.7, among all local players this season.

“We kind of made a goal to where I had to shoot under par every time I stepped on the course,“ Shah said. “I tried, and I was pretty successful.”

Among his other accomplishments, Shah won six of 10 Southwest Yosemite League mini-tournaments, plus the league championship event. He was among the leaders in the other three postseason tournaments in which he competed, the area, Central Section and Southern Cal regional.

For those reasons Shah is The Californian’s Boys Golfer of the Year for the second straight time.

“I think his biggest asset is that he never panics,” Muro said. “If he makes a bogey or a double-bogey he never thinks, ‘Oh no, my round is over.’ He always says ‘I’ve got the next hole.’ He’s really good at putting bad shots behind him and moving forward.”

The one goal Shah failed to reach was to earn a spot in the state tournament. Despite shooting 5-under-par 67 at the CIF Southern Cal Regional at the SCGA Golf Course in Murrieta, Shah eventually lost in a playoff.

It was a frustrating finish to a three-year sequence that saw Shah improve his round at the SCGA Golf Course from 71 to 68 to 67 but never make it to state. He missed a playoff by one stroke as a sophomore and then bogeyed the first playoff hole in each of the past two years to lose his state ticket.

Still, he had bogeyed just one hole (before the playoff) on a demanding course and finished his three rounds at regionals at 10-under-par.

“I would have been more disappointed if I would have played bad and not gone (to the state tournament), but I played pretty well,” Shah said. “I can’t be too disappointed shooting a 67 and not going on. I played well, but the ball didn’t bounce in my favor coming down the stretch.”

Two weeks earlier, Shah tied for fourth at the South Area meet with a 72, and he did it again the following week with a 71 during the Central Section Championships at Ridge Creek Golf Club in Dinuba.

“He’s by far the hardest-working golfer that I’ve seen in town,” Muro said. “He’s never settled on his accomplishments. If he won something, he wouldn’t go celebrate. He would go hit more golf balls. … I’m amazed by his work ethic and dedication to the game.”
But Muro also believes Shah’s success is tied to his unflappable demeanor on the golf course.

“Two separate college coaches told me that they were so impressed with his approach to the game, that he showed the maturity level in the game that is rarely seen in high school players,” Muro said. “He’s extremely patient. He knows when to pick his spots, when to push forward and when to throttle back a little and say, “This isn’t a time to be aggressive.’”

For his efforts, Shah earned a scholarship to continue playing golf at the University of San Diego.

“I’ve worked pretty hard to get to where I am right now, but I believe that I’ve yet to reach my potential,” Shah said.  “I think I can do bigger things down the road if I keep working hard. Hopefully that’s what will happen at the University of San Diego and eventually I’ll turn pro.”