Pleasanton native Richard Ding made the most of his opportunities in the 2024-25 season. The 14-year-old freshman at Laurel Springs School earned the first NCGA Boys’ Junior of the Year award.
It was not an easy road for Ding, who put in the hours at the driving range to make this season a magical one.
“Last year, I had some pretty severe driver issues, so I worked on that pretty hard in the winter,” Ding said. “I am driving it much better. I also put in a lot of work with my putter. I was awful.”
Ding finished with 1,900 points which was 180 points clear of Fresno native Ayden Fynaut who finished at 1,700 points.
Ding’s campaign featured a pair of JTNC wins including the Spring Series VII and Spring Series VIII titles. He added victories at the AJGA Stanford All-Star and Elk Grove Junior Championships this season.
“The highlight of my year would be winning both the AJGA events in front of college golf coaches,” Ding said. “I just treat those moments as opportunities to prove myself to them.”
He also had three runner-up finishes including at the JTNC Tour Championship at Poppy Hills, which clinched the Player of the Year title.
Ding started playing golf at 5 years old and has never stopped playing.
He credits playing multiple events on the Junior Tour of Northern California has prepared him to have success at the national level.
“Playing in JTNC events has prepared me for the next level,” Ding said. “I grew up playing in these events and found the transition to playing AJGA events easy because of how well (JTNC) prepares you.”
Player’s Tip for Other Juniors: “A key to me for getting better on the course was to always remember to have fun. In the end, it’s just a game.”