When Lee Hale began coaching the Albemarle golf team in 2022, he immediately realized what role sophomore Addie Doroh would serve. “When I walked in, she was a clear No. 1 golfer,” Hale said.
“The skills were there, the mental toughness was there, the experience was there.” Doroh already had a VSGA Junior Girls’ championship under her belt, establishing herself as a top player in the area. She eventually went on to finish fourth overall at the VHSL Class 5 State Championships in 2023, which was the highest placing of any girl in the Class 5 tournament.
Doroh has been playing the sport for almost as long as it has been physically possible. “I started playing golf probably about when I was five,” Doroh said. “My dad played, and that kind of made me interested, too.
” Her commitment to her craft on the course was catalyzed while the world was on lockdown, and opportunities for other activities were less abundant. “During the COVID pandemic, I really started playing a whole lot more — there wasn’t really a whole lot else to do,” Doroh said. “It was a nice way to get out of the house.
” Albemarle’s Addie Doroh is in this week’s Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital Athlete Spotlight. Over time, she has grown an appreciation for the unique environment the game of golf offers. “I really like that it’s an individual sport, but you can still go out and have fun with friends,” Doroh said.
“Every round is different. Even if you’re playing the same course, every shot is different, and I feel like there’s always a challenge, or always a way that you can get better, so I think that kind of appealed to me.” Just before entering high school, she claimed the 52nd Virginia State Golf Association Junior Girls’ title, and became the first 14-year-old to take that crown in five years.
She went to an extra round, where she sank a birdie to earn the victory. “Going into the playoff, I was nervous, but I have been in a few playoffs before and you just got to do your best and play well,” Doroh said after the match. Three years later, the win still holds a special place for the senior.
“That was, I felt like, a big breakthrough moment for me, and just being able to share that with my family and my coach has been amazing,” Doroh said. “That was one of the most exciting moments.” Since the title victory, her skill set has continued progressing deep into her high school career.
“Her overall game just improves year-to-year-to-year,” Hale said. As her ability has been built up, she earned the attention of high-level college programs, and ultimately committed to University of Richmond in September 2023. “I went to go take a tour, and the campus is beautiful,” Doroh said.
“I met the team and they’re all super nice, and that’s probably the part that I’m most excited for — being on a team with other girls who kind of fit with my personality as well. And, I’m just so excited to be able to continue playing at the next level.” Throughout her journey, her family has ensured that she is in the best position to be successful.
“My parents are super supportive to let me play,” Doroh said. “My dad — playing with him [is] kind of really a nice a way to enjoy a weekend and keep the fun in it.” She also has been greatly influenced by Virginia Golf Hall of Famer Kandi Comer, who has been a personal instructor for Doroh for several years.
“She’s great, [and] has helped me with both the physical aspects of the game, but also the mental aspects, too,” Doroh said. Much of Doroh’s development has been in the cerebral facet of the sport, and makes her stand out among players her age. “What sets her aside from most of the golfers that I have ever been around is her mental toughness,” Hale said.
“Whether she hits the shot she wants, or it goes astray, when she walks up to that ball, that is gone out of her mind, and she is focused on the next shot. Nothing that has happened in the past affects her going forward, and that is a very rare trait in any athlete.” “Bad shots are obviously going to happen, so it’s more about how can you recover versus how can you avoid them,” Doroh added.
As Doroh’s scores have continued to decrease, her presence has become more known throughout the area. “She’s one of the few athletes that I’ve ever been around where parents will approach me, and say, ‘Wow, she’s really good,’” Hale said. “I’ve coached football, I’ve coached volleyball — I’ve never had parents approach me and talk to me the way they do with Addie.
” With Doroh now in her senior season as a Division I commit, she has garnered a lot of respect from her peers. “She leads by example, and everyone pays attention to what Addie is doing,” Hale said. Her prowess on the course is also a parallel to how she handles herself away from it.
“For as good a golfer as she is, she’s a better person,” Hale said. “[She’s] an exceptional student, exceptional teammate.” Doroh has a couple months of high school golf left before her sights are fully set on the Spiders, and has high aspirations for herself and the rest of the Patriots in 2024.
“I would love to win states this year. I feel like I’ve been close in the past,” Doroh said. “As a team, I feel like we’ve been close to winning districts, and I would love to make that happen.
I feel like everyone on the team has really improved over the last few years, and I think that if we put together a good day, that it could happen.” The Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital Athlete Spotlight is a weekly feature that profiles Central Virginia athletes and teams. Have an athlete that you think should be spotlighted? Email your nomination to Daily Progress high school sports reporter Chris Gionta at cgionta@dailyprogress.
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