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Life's a Ball
by KEONI SUBIONO
Sun Correspondent
Archived February 2007 article
Alex, 16 and Alina, 13 are like two peas in a pod - they live together, go to school together, practice together and share the same type of success on the court and on the course. Alex is older so he's a bit more seasoned than his little sister, but even she has a few small tournament titles under her belt. And when her big brother is battling for victory she's right beside him...literally. No sibling rivalry here, only sibling unity. Alina was Alex's caddie while he and partner Michelle Wie cleaned house during the Skills Challenge at Sony Open, beating out PGA Tour pro Dean Wilson and Miki Ueoka. "Michelle and I are really good friends, we've been friends for a while,” said Alex of his Sony Open teammate. "I still can't beat her though, only if she gives me stokes; she's that good,” Alex added when asked how he matched up to her. "She's my role model,” Alina mentions. "She does such a good job of balancing her life with school and a professional career.”
Even for the Ching duo balance is key, especially since they excel in two sports, not just one. Their father Steve, who is their primary coach, and mother, Kori were very smart and started them both on the driving range in Hawaii Kai probably before they could say their ABC's. Shortly after the driving range came the tennis courts, which turns out, contrary to the belief of some, to be very complementary to golf. The sport of tennis and the athleticism required has added a strong competitive edge for both Alex and Alina.
"I think tennis has played a big role in my golf game because when I was younger I played a lot of tennis matches against kids that were both weaker and stronger than I was, just the competition, the one on one, the individual competition helped me with my mental focus and the way I do things. It gives me more of an advantage as an athlete too,” said Alex of his other love, tennis.
Alina added, "I think it helps for me to be in shape because a lot of golf courses are kind of hilly, people get tired. We play kids at Oahu Country Club where the course is hilly and we'll walk up a hill to the next hole, and they can't make it to the top. Another thing is that it rains up there and the course gets wet, so they'll slip and fall - it's pretty funny! Or when they can't breathe, they'll have to stop and take a break. Sometimes they can't carry their bag, they'll have their dad carry it the rest of the way.”
It was obvious last year that Alex was in top shape and no stranger to victory when he was crowned champion along with partner, Jon Wong for doubles tennis representing the Buffanblu. As if that weren't enough, Alex put the icing on the cake last summer by winning the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association (HSJGA) State Championship at The Club at Hokulia on the Big Island, shooting a two round total of 141. No doubt, miles and miles of golf and bouncing back and forth on the courts paid good dividends for Alex last year.
Aside from tennis and walking the hills of the Oahu Country Club, the Chings are on a pretty consistent regimen. Of course they wake up early for school every day and have a healthy breakfast, they both try to get most homework done during the school day rather than at home. After school time is dedicated purely to one ball or the other, golf or tennis. They may even run hills at the golf course. Saturday is usually a half day of golf. Mom does all the cooking and is a firm believer in having a healthy, nutritional lifestyle. So the kids hardly eat junk. "Yeah, we hardly eat fast food,” Alex mentioned. "Even as kids, they would rather eat sushi than McDonalds,” mother Kori added.
The Ching twosome is on a roll, with no end in sight. So what does the future hold for them? Alina is in eighth grade, laying low, taking her time with school and sports and is in no rush to sail away to college. On the other hand, Alex, who is a junior, has a plan. "I really want to turn pro, it's like a dream of mine that I've always had since I was younger, but college definitely. I'll play for my college, then take it from there.”
When not golfing or playing tennis, the two are either hanging out with family or catching up on sleep. Alex will surf a little bit, Alina, maybe some shopping. The family goes skiing during spring break; summers are spent winning golf tournaments around the country. Tiger and Michelle watch out, the new school is on the rise!
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