Canada freshman sensation looks to join sister on Tour

No kidding. Delasin-Nudo has established herself as one of the top golfers in Northern California, with the state tournament on the horizon. Through Oct. 10, Delasin-Nudo was the medalist in five of the team's seven matches with a 76.5 scoring average.

Known for her determination and willingness to stay on the practice range for hours, Delasin-Nudo has dreams of joining her oldest sister Dorothy on the LPGA Tour.

Whether that happens remains to be seen, but you can bet that Delasin-Nudo will be smiling either way. The happy go-lucky 20-year-old freshman and 2004 El Camino High graduate smiles like there's no tomorrow and can best be described as the life of the party.

On the upcoming Northern California tournament: "NorCal and state, here I come! Watch out. Just kidding. Of course I try to be positive. What's the point of the bad side? Why be negative when you can always be positive? When you're always positive, everything will go your way. I got a positive attitude from both of my parents."

Despite her family's golfing pedigree -- in addition to Dorothy, Delasin-Nudo has another older sister Divina, who starred on the Golf Channel's reality show, "The Big Break," while younger brother Arsenio was a standout at El Camino and will play on Canada's men's team in the spring -- Delasin-Nudo never took golf seriously until two years ago.

"I changed my priorities and future," she said. "I wasn't very interested in golf back in high school, but now it's my No. 1 priority. It took me 20 years to realize that I wanted to turn pro, to be up there with the best and live life to the fullest. It took me a long time to really care about the sport."

Delasin-Nudo looks up to her older sisters with reverence; Dorothy and Divina helped raise her and Arsenio because their parents were working two jobs apiece.

"My sisters are my idols," Delasin-Nudo said. "They went through some hard times for me and I'll always appreciate that. My brother and I kind of had it easier than they did growing up."

It's often said that big things come in small packages, and Delasin-Nudo is living proof. Standing just 5-feet tall -- "5-1 with shoes and 5-2 with heels," she joked -- Delasin-Nudo averages 240 yards off the tee and is a wizard around the greens. In addition, Delasin-Nudo's mental toughness is off the charts.

"She's so consistent she rarely gets in trouble," Canada coach Rick Velasquez said. "Her short game is excellent, and if she does get in trouble anywhere around the green, she has a knack to get out of it. She's steady, delightful, cheery and when her father brought her and Arsenio to campus, it was like a Christmas present."

Canada is the only junior college in the Bay Area that fields a women's golf team. Foothill used to field one -- that's where Divina played -- but it folded a couple of years ago, making Canada the last lady standing.

Delasin-Nudo is grateful for the opportunity. If it wasn't for Canada, Delasin-Nudo would still be honing her game, but she wouldn't be playing for a team. She looks up to pros such as Jennifer Rosales and San Jose's Christina Kim, two golfers known for their hip attire and colorful personalities.

"I like them because they have their own individuality," she said. "They don't dress or act the same as anyone else. Their style is crazy but cool."

Unlike golf, Delasin-Nudo fell for her other love, husband Alan, at first sight. The two met last year in front of Delasin-Nudo's South San Francisco home and married last December. Alan is a U.S. Marine and was stationed in Fallujah. After serving his time, he arrived home two weeks ago.

"It was a relief to see him come back in one piece," Delasin-Nudo said. "When he was over there, it was a very stressful time. I was scared that he might get bombed. I didn't want to think of the worst, but it was hard not to."

Now there are only hugs and kisses.