At just two years old, his grandfather gave him a set of Snoopy golf clubs that kick-started a now 15-year golf career. Senior Oen Shikimachi has become locally recognized as one of the best golfers in the region, competing in the state tournament the past two years.

“One of the biggest things that keeps me coming back to the golf course is the competition,” said Shikimachi, who explains how some of his “most favorable golf moments are sinking a putt that matters or hitting a good shot to put me just ahead of the tournament field.”

Shikimaki has been on the PA golf team for all four years of high school. He attributes his success to his putting and chipping around the greens. “I work hard in [my short game] because it allows you to recover from mistakes which is beneficial because mistakes are common in golf.”

“I would like to improve my mental toughness,” said Shikimachi. “[Mental toughness] makes up about 90 percent of the game of golf.” He added that “the ability to stay calm in a pressure moment is very hard in any situation, but when it comes to a detailed golf swing I believe it is most difficult.”

In Virginia’s 2020-2021 state championship, Shikimachi finished in an eight-way tie for 63rd place out of well over 300 contestants and was also local news channel WTKR’s Esprit Decor Athlete of the Week in September of this year.

Outside of golf and school, Shikimachi enjoys spending time with friends and family, preparing for the upcoming tennis season, and playing the guitar.