Abbey Goes ‘All in’ for Golf Scholarship

Onsted High School senior Noah Abbey on signing day at Onsted High School, October 2019.  Courtesy photo.

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports

(May 3, 2020 1:04 PM) Spring Arbor University golf signee Noah Abbey once was a budding star in other high school sports.

But it wasn’t golf.

The Onsted High School senior is glad he made the switch a couple of years ago to pursue a golf scholarship.

Abbey is one of many seniors who had his/her seasons and careers cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic. Schools were shut down in mid-March and the Michigan High School Athletic Association followed suit a couple of days later cancelling the remainder of the 2019-2020 winter season and 2020 spring season.

Abbey played linebacker and running back on the OHS varsity squad as a freshman. He also played basketball for two seasons in high school. But OHS boys’ golf Coach Brad Maska said he went “all in” for a chance for a golf scholarship.

“Noah did everything he had to get a golf scholarship,” Maska said. “I was pleased to see the year he had in 2019.

“It is hard to see his season canceled.”

Abbey was the top golfer in the LCAA a year ago and was a state qualifier in the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 state golf finals. He shot a 79 in the first round and had a good chance to earn a top-10 medal. But an 85 on the second day of the finals left him seven shots outside of the top 10.

“I had a few blowup holes,” Abbey said of the finals. “I learned to just focus on the next shot.

“Despite the score, I was hitting the ball well.”

The senior was upset with the cancelation of the season, but it is not the end of his career.

“Like golf, I try not to let little things get me down … it is what it is,” Abbey said. “Golf teaches you to be strong in the mind.

“You play golf to become a better person, not a better golfer.”

Abbey signed to play golf at SAU before the 2020 spring season.

His dad, Phil, introduced Abbey to the sport. Often times the duo would have a day off during travel baseball tournaments and venture to the golf course. He eventually chose golf as his sport of choice.

“Golf is pure focus … it is you against the course,” Abbey said. “I worked hard last summer on my game and working with some of my teammates.

“This was going to be my year.”

Abbey switched from Lenawee Christian to Onsted as a ninth grader. He found a home at OHS, especially on the golf course.

“I am missing a lot of my friends,” Abbey said of being out of school during the pandemic. “Graduation is a huge deal … I hope we have something special like that.

“It is all hard to comprehend at this point.”