Hillsdale golfer Alejandro Formosa commits to Columbia

“I’m excited,” Formosa said. “It’s been a pretty crazy couple of days.”

While the Peninsula Athletic League boys’ golf season doesn’t begin until the spring, the news of Formosa’s commitment supercharged the first day of practice for the girls’ golf team, held Tuesday.

It’s an exciting time for Hillsdale golf, with the Lady Knights’ No. 1 ranked player, Ashlyn Johnson, also committed to play at the next level. The incoming senior is slated to be on roster for the NCAA Division III program at George Fox University in 2025. The private university in Newberg, Oregon is two years removed from its first-ever national championship for women’s golf.

As a junior last season, Ashlyn Johnson captured the PAL Bay Division individual championship. Hillsdale swept the PAL Bay individual crowns, as Formosa went on to win the individual division title on the boys’ side, leading the Gentleman Knights to a team championship in the PAL Bay Division.

“I think our Hillsdale program has done well the last few years,” Hillsdale golf coach Dave Johnson said. “Obviously, Ashlyn Johnson has been one of the best players in the league and, above all, the coaches and I like to teach the game and have fun, and I think that’s just permeated through the school. So, it’s a lot of fun.”

The Hillsdale girls team graduated nine seniors last year, but the turnout for Tuesday’s practice was on par with 2023. Last season, Hillsdale fielded a team of 13 golfers. There are currently 10 players on roster, including incoming freshmen Kayla Corcoran and Katherine Dixon.

The PAL girls’ golf season gets underway the week of Monday, Sept. 2, with Hillsdale hosting crosstown San Mateo.

Formosa forges own path

It has been a busy summer for Formosa, whose golf highlights include an individual championship at the FCG Boys’ College Showcase held July 19-20 at Arrowood Golf Course in Oceanside. Formosa finished the tournament 10-under, including a 7-under 64 on the second day. He turned things around on Day One, sitting at 1-over through five holes before birdieing five straight.

“Went on a bit of a heater,” Formosa said.

Formosa comes from an athletic family, but he will be the first to pave a path to collegiate golf. His father Angelo played running back for the San Francisco State football team. Even his older brother Antonio tended toward the gridiron, playing intramural flag football while attending University of Wisconsin academically.

Formosa played plenty of football growing up, and was a standout Little League baseball player for the 2019 Section 3 champion San Mateo National 12U All-Stars. His baseball swing translated to the golf course, though, and by the time he arrived at Hillsdale in 2021-22, it was the only sport he wanted to play.

“Golf, you’re always in it,” Formosa said. “You’re always playing, all the eyes are on you. And I really like that aspect of it.”

Formosa and Ashlyn Johnson are trailblazers among Hillsdale golfers. While Hillsdale girls’ golf has produced several collegiate athletes, Ashlyn Johnson will be the first to stick to golf at the next level. Two of the core-four seniors from her freshman year of 2021-22 are playing college sports, with Jacqui Landucci on roster for Division III women’s lacrosse at College of Redlands, and Chase Nestor on the Division III women’s soccer team at Chapman University.

While Formosa is the first Hillsdale boys’ golfer of his generation to commit to play collegiately, he will be following in the footsteps of another PAL standout. Wyatt McGovern, who graduated from Burlingame with honors as one of the class valedictorians in 2021, is an incoming senior at Columbia this year.

With one varsity season remaining — PAL boys’ golf tees off the week of Feb. 24 — Formosa is still focused on solidifying his legacy at Hillsdale.

“For high school golf, we have the best team that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Formosa said. “We have a lot of returning guys that have gotten a lot better, and I really want to go 2 for 2 this year with the team championship and the individual championship. ... I think it would be really cool to see our year on one of the banners in the gym. So, that’s really a goal for this year.”