When sophomore Kanokkorn “Fairy” Chotset first entered high school, she had no expectations about sport teams, but a year later, competing in the Los Angeles California Interscholastic Federation City Section championships for golf, the future looks bright.

“When I was a freshman, I didn’t know anything,” Chotset said.

As an incoming freshman, Chotset had no idea that Birmingham Community Charter High School even had a girls golf team.

Physical education teacher Robert Bryan was the one who originally informed Chotset about BCCHS girls golf team after Chotset shared her golfing background. For Bryan, Chotset’s wins could not have come sooner.

“(I am) very proud and extremely satisfied with Fairy’s attitude, motivation and determination toward being a great golfer,” Bryan said.

Born and raised in Thailand, Chotset started playing golf when she was seven years old, before stopping for seventh and eighth grade. The BCCHS girls golf team isn’t well-known and doesn’t have a history of victories yet Chotset went to Los Angeles city championships as an individual, before being eliminated. Despite the challenges of competing for a team where the average member’s skills fall short of her own, Chotset is confident.

“I don’t care what team I’m on,” Chotset said.

Chotset’s determination in practice struck her teammate, junior Kaliana Marin, even though they rarely spoke directly.

According to Chotset, she has no particular motivation to go to the state championships, but she intends to continue working hard to improve. Her practices consist of swinging and putting, as many times as necessary to improve her form and accuracy, as well as predicting how she’ll perform in upcoming competitions.

“For me, it’s try to swing and make it better… Remember how I’m gonna do it,” Chotset said.

For Chotset, golf is something she has grown up with. She admits that her greatest motivator to start as a 7-year-old was a conversation with her mother while watching female golf prodigy Michelle Wie. Chotset’s mother looked at her and told her of the large sums of money Wie made.

“Money? I want money,” Chotset recalls with a laugh.

While Chotset does not burn with a desire for competition and doesn’t look at the possibility of going to the state championship next year with a great amount of anticipation, she continues to be motivated to do her best.

“Because of my mom, she keeps saying that if I do, like, the best for myself, then I’m gonna be the best,” Chotset said. “At everything.”