Yana Wilson, the reigning Nevada 5A High School champion from Coronado, has qualified to play in the prestigious Augusta National Women’s Amateur March 30-April 2, but the early success for the teenager doesn’t mean she is letting up. –By Brian Hurlburt, LasVegasGolfInsider.com.

“I think you have to work smart first because to improve you can’t just be hitting balls up there, not knowing exactly what you’re doing or what to work on,” Wilson says. “To win, you also have to learn so much about golf and you have to learn all of it. It’s really tough. It’s not exactly like have to learn all of it at once, but over time, you start to learn more and more about yourself. You also have to stay tough mentally because that’s probably one of the harder things to do on the golf course. Golf can be frustrating sometimes, but you have to keep your cool. I really enjoy the work and this is what I want to be doing.”

Her high school coach, Joe Sawaia, says Wilson has everything needed to win in high school, college and beyond.

“She really has no weaknesses and she’s extremely skilled in every part of the game, as far as driving the golf ball or iron play or short game or putting, especially clutch putting,” Sawaia says. “All of that is evident when you watch her play. But she also possesses the intangibles, which not a lot of girls do, especially at her age. In fact, most junior golfers, period, boys or girls, don’t have what she has. She has supreme confidence and she is able to develop a game plan of how she wants to play and how she wants to tackle a golf course. She’s also very patient. She really has it all. I’ve said it before, and I don’t know if it’s fair, but I think she might be the best player I’ve seen in 30 years of boys or girls high school golf to come out of here. She’s amazing.”

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