By Neil Geoghegan
ngeoghegan@21st-centurymedia.com
@NeilMGeoghegan on Twitter
UWCHLAN >> To understand why Mia Pace is such an accomplished golfer, all you have to do is sit down to chat with the Downingtown East senior.
Pace is an admitted ‘golf nut.’ If she isn’t playing the game, she is thinking about it or talking about it. That’s one of the main reasons why Pace has been named the Daily Local News Girls; Golfer of the Year.
“She just loves golf,” said East coach Matt Grinwis.
“I talk about golf all the time,” Pace acknowledged.
“My whole family is crazy about golf. We watch it on TV all the time.”
The average golf fan may recognize the name William Flynn, but Pace knows all about the revered golf course designer (1890-1944).
“I am very interested in golf architecture,” she said. “I love to look at different courses and who designed them.
“I am a big fan of William Flynn. He did a lot of courses in the area like Rolling Green, Lancaster Country Club and Shinnicock Hills (on Long Island).”
And don’t forget The Country Club near Boston, Cherry Hills near Denver and Philadelphia Country Club, not to mention being involved in the design or redesign of iconic courses like Merion, Pine Valley and Philadelphia Cricket Club.
“My parents joined Whitford Country Club when I was in third grade and I started at the Junior Golf Program there,” Pace recalled. “I really liked it, so I kept going and taking lessons.
“It’s a game that requires you to be good not just physically but mentally. You have to be smart and think your way through things, so I think I liked the mental challenge.”
A two-year captain, Pace was a dominant force during the 2023 regular season, and then excelled in the postseason, winning the Ches-Mont Championship and then added a pair of top-five finishes at districts and at states.
“We’ve had some very good players here and Mia is right up there with anybody,” Grinwis said.
“One of Mia’s top traits is keeping a relaxed mentality throughout everything and therefore giving herself the best chance to perform to her abilities.”
The Lionville resident started playing the game at the age of eight. A decade later she is good enough to earn a scholarship to play collegiately at NCAA Division I Utah Valley.
“She is level-headed and calm — doesn’t get down after bad rounds or overly excited after good rounds,” Grinwis said. “It helps her teammates see how to stay consistent and fight through the bad days and enjoy the good ones.”
A prime example came this fall at Ches-Monts. Trying to win the league title for the first time, Pace showed up at Wyncote Golf Club feeling ill. And despite a rough start Pace regrouped to card a 78 and win by a couple strokes.
“She was 6-over-par through six holes and then played even par the rest of the day,” Grinwis pointed out.
“That was definitely a highlight,” Pace added. “I was sick but I was able to overcome that and still play well. It kind of showed the toughness I’ve learned. It would have thrown me off much more if I was a freshman or sophomore.”
That title propelled Pace into the postseason. She was the Day 1 leader at the District 1 Tournament with a 70 before struggling on Day 2. Once again Pace overcame a tough start with a strong finish and still placed fourth overall.
“Our district is probably the toughest in the state, so to finish in the top-five is a big accomplishment,” she said.
And then at the PIAA Championships, Pace registered her best finish, fifth place, with steady if unspectacular 74-74 – 148.
“She didn’t have her best game at states, but it was solid enough. Even on an OK day, she is good enough to still score well,” Grinwis said.
“Especially as a senior, her consistency is the big thing, with scoring, keeping the ball in play. She is pretty much down the fairway, up on or near the green, and she makes a lot of pars. She worked a lot on her swing the last few years and she’s made great strides.”
During the season, Pace was Downingtown East’s low scorer in every match and tournament. Her scoring average was 74 and she won the Golf of Valley Forge Girls Golf Classic and the Lady Hatter Invitational, and was the runner-up Happy Valley Invitational.
“I don’t make big mistakes a lot. I’m a pretty steady golfer,” Pace said. “I usually don’t miss by a lot, so it is small things that make a difference. The thing that made the biggest difference this year is that I’ve worked on my putting. I was able to make longer putts for birdie and make less 3-putts.”
When it became time to start looking for a college destination, Utah was an obvious spot. Pace has family ties in Utah and her parents, Ryan and Stephanie, went to school in the state.
“I had a lot of schools around here that were interested, but I really wanted to go out west because my extended family lives in Utah,” she said.
